She grew up as a very religious girl. When she matured and saw the crimes of her church against children, she became so furious that when she appeared on Saturday Night Live in 1992, she ripped up a picture of Pope John Paul II after she sang the closing lines of Bob Marley’s “War,”

We know we will win; we have confidence in the victory of good over evil.

Societies always need people to remind them of their conscience. Perhaps Sinead was uniquely shaped to respond to the clergy abuse in Ireland (and the world) by her own torment at the hands of her mother. Sinead said, “She ran a torture chamber. It was a torture chamber. She was a person who took delight and smile in hurting you.”

Later, when she heard Miley Cyrus say that her “Wrecking Ball” video images were influenced by her, O’Connor wrote an open letter on her website.

Dear Miley,

I wasn’t going to write this letter, but today i’ve been dodging phone calls from various newspapers who wished me to remark upon your having said in Rolling Stone your “Wrecking Ball” video was designed to be similar to the one for “Nothing Compares” … So this is what I need to say … And it is said in the spirit of motherliness and with love.

I am extremely concerned for you that those around you have led you to believe, or encouraged you in your own belief, that it is in any way ‘cool’ to be naked and licking sledgehammers in your videos. It is in fact the case that you will obscure your talent by allowing yourself to be pimped, whether its the music business or yourself doing the pimping.

Nothing but harm will come in the long run, from allowing yourself to be exploited, and it is absolutely NOT in ANY way an empowerment of yourself or any other young women, for you to send across the message that you are to be valued (even by you) more for your sexual appeal than your obvious talent. I am happy to hear I am somewhat of a role model for you and I hope that because of that you will pay close attention to what I am telling you.

The music business doesn’t give a s*** about you, or any of us. They will prostitute you for all you are worth, and cleverly make you think its what YOU wanted … and when you end up in rehab as a result of being prostituted, ‘they’ will be sunning themselves on their yachts in Antigua, which they bought by selling your body and you will find yourself very alone.

None of the men ogling you give a s*** about you either, do not be fooled. Many’s the woman mistook lust for love. If they want you sexually that doesn’t mean they give a f*** about you. All the more true when you unwittingly give the impression you don’t give much of a f*** about yourself. And when you employ people who give the impression they don’t give much of a f*** about you either. No one who cares about you could support your being pimped … and that includes you yourself.

Yes, I’m suggesting you don’t care for yourself. That has to change. You ought be protected as a precious young lady by anyone in your employ and anyone around you, including you. This is a dangerous world. We don’t encourage our daughters to walk around naked in it because it makes them prey for animals and less than animals, a distressing majority of whom work in the music industry and it’s associated media.

You are worth more than your body or your sexual appeal. The world of showbiz doesn’t see things that way, they like things to be seen the other way, whether they are magazines who want you on their cover, or whatever … Don’t be under any illusions … ALL of them want you because they’re making money off your youth and your beauty … which they could not do except for the fact your youth makes you blind to the evils of show business. If you have an innocent heart you can’t recognise those who do not.

I repeat, you have enough talent that you don’t need to let the music business make a prostitute of you. You shouldn’t let them make a fool of you either. Don’t think for a moment that any of them give a flying f*** about you. They’re there for the money… we’re there for the music. It has always been that way and it will always be that way. The sooner a young lady gets to know that, the sooner she can be REALLY in control.

You also said in Rolling Stone that your look is based on mine. The look I chose, I chose on purpose at a time when my record company were encouraging me to do what you have done. I felt I would rather be judged on my talent and not my looks. I am happy that I made that choice, not least because I do not find myself on the proverbial rag heap now that I am almost 47 yrs of age … which unfortunately many female artists who have based their image around their sexuality, end up on when they reach middle age.

Real empowerment of yourself as a woman would be to in future refuse to exploit your body or your sexuality in order for men to make money from you. I needn’t even ask the question … I’ve been in the business long enough to know that men are making more money than you are from you getting naked. Its really not at all cool. And its sending dangerous signals to other young women. Please in future say no when you are asked to prostitute yourself. Your body is for you and your boyfriend. It isn’t for every spunk-spewing dirtbag on the net, or every greedy record company executive to buy his mistresses diamonds with.

As for the shedding of the Hannah Montana image … whoever is telling you getting naked is the way to do that does absolutely NOT respect your talent, or you as a young lady. Your records are good enough for you not to need any shedding of Hannah Montana. She’s waaaaaaay gone by now … Not because you got naked but because you make great records.

Whether we like it or not, us females in the industry are role models and as such we have to be extremely careful what messages we send to other women. The message you keep sending is that its somehow cool to be prostituted … its so not cool Miley … its dangerous. Women are to be valued for so much more than their sexuality. We aren’t merely objects of desire. I would be encouraging you to send healthier messages to your peers … that they and you are worth more than what is currently going on in your career. Kindly fire any motherfucker who hasn’t expressed alarm, because they don’t care about you.

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>Saint SineadDavid MooreSat, 24 Jun 2023 17:09:02 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h-xy5gz-bl9aa-44cax-d3bbe-by9rn-mywjp-lp3kf615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:6497232e297cff634278b1e4Sometimes we tend to exaggerate the heaviness and think negatively about our experiences. We may believe that we don't deserve good things because of mistakes we've made or setbacks we've faced.

But ask yourself, do you truly not deserve the good things in your life? These negative thoughts are not based in reality. Take a moment to appreciate the ways in which the universe is currently supporting you.

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>Don’t Miss Out On Your Beautiful Life!David MooreFri, 23 Jun 2023 17:14:28 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h-xy5gz-bl9aa-44cax-d3bbe-by9rn-mywjp615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:6495d2f426d19f3a15c3093cNo, it’s way too expensive for your soul if you are constantly reflecting on how you got it wrong UNLESS you have not reckoned with the fact that you have injured and, at some point, will injure others if you slip out of consciousness.

Your apology tour is your willingness to never be defensive when someone’s hurt is mentioned. You don’t want to blame the victim because they, like you, should be past it already. Your apology tour consists of your readiness to accept both your divinity and fallibility at once.

Your apology tour is you looking like God.

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>Your Apology TourDavid MooreThu, 22 Jun 2023 23:41:24 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h-xy5gz-bl9aa-44cax-d3bbe-by9rn615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:6494dc249b750a5a81212674You always knew you were pretty unbelievable. Nevertheless, you still surprise yourself. There has never been anyone like you. Some people are looking for their “soul mate,” but you keep discovering that the perfect person for you… has been you all along.

You are compassionate and bright. So bright that it is instantly noticeable anytime you depart a situation. If there was an impediment to you realizing this, it’s the temptation to compare yourself, not with other people, but with an image in your head that you didn’t design for yourself.

The realization of yourself brings added benefits. You will now empower yourself to be even more compassionate and bright.

And you thereby activate and radiate hope.

You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. People do not light a lamp and put it under the bushel basket; rather, they put it on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

Matthew 5:14-15

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>You Are Who You Perceived Yourself To BeDavid MooreTue, 20 Jun 2023 20:50:37 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h-xy5gz-bl9aa-44cax-d3bbe615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:6492111dc572660b639081e1I was scrolling my thoughts for the things I enjoy most. They include principally four things.

1. Meditation

2. Being intellectually stimulated whether by print, audiobook, or movie

3. Music

4. Deconstruction

As I reflected, I noticed that I mostly prefer to do these things alone, but sometimes almost desperately want to share the experiences. I want to meditate with someone(s). I want to keep up with others who are reading the same book or watch a movie with them (or take a class). I want to listen to music, especially what some call “oldies,” with someone who remembers those hits or dance with someone (I do dance alone).

I also noticed that, while it is commonly called “deconstruction,” I am more comfortable with “decolonization.” I want to do this with others sometimes, and the other party or parties will determine whether it’s one or the other.

What do you like alone or with others?

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>Things I Like Alone. And With Someone Else.David MooreTue, 06 Jun 2023 16:21:34 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h-xy5gz-bl9aa-44cax615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:647f5d0e6ffb764593cb2ebfI was in my 60s before I ever said, “asshole.” That probably tells you something about my mother. My dear friend Michael joked that he was six! I have friends who worry that I’ve changed, and not for the better. But I have been changing all along.

A few years ago, over coffee with my friend Brian, I asked why he was coming to our church after he told me how his family was mistreated by Christians in their Tuscon neighborhood. He replied, “I found a place where God is not an asshole,” and it stayed with me.

That I would talk like this and even title my podcast accordingly may have led some observers to conclude that I am angry.

I am angry.

I cannot believe how I got played, and I still see folks being played. For me, especially, it’s the dominance of white theology over Black and Brown Christians and Asian American/Pacific Islanders, too. Further, this theology devalues women and forces families to isolate their LGBTQ+ loved ones.

I am angry.

I was angry with myself for going on to get along in the metaculture, particularly the Pentecostal/Evangelical Christian metaculture. This is just part of why I needed to change, and have found that openness to change is salvific. I have found liberation in change, and the Jesus I always imagined is real. I am working assiduously to hold my center so I can keep living a life of love.

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>Language I Never Used BeforeDavid MooreMon, 05 Jun 2023 23:08:36 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h-xy5gz-bl9aa615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:647e66140cfe023ee8e211eeIf you express gratitude towards the things you use every day, you may not have to replace them as frequently or at all. Take a moment to appreciate your teeth, toothbrush, couch, medication, car, and plumbing.

By doing so, you can prevent their breakdown and/or avoid feeling dissatisfied.

Cultivating gratitude can enhance your enjoyment of life and leave you feeling pleasantly surprised by the abundance around you. The surprise you feel is like breath and breathlessness at the same time, and it is the fountain of youth.

Instead of complaining, take the time to thank the things you rely on, starting with your bed before you go to sleep tonight.

 (By the way, this works on humans too)

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>Thank EverythingDavid MooreFri, 26 May 2023 23:12:47 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h-xy5gz-g56xk-yz5jg-6564n-8nbxt615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:64713c925259cd6e609d49b2Permalink

]]>God Is Not an Asshole with Doug PagittDavid MooreFri, 19 May 2023 19:31:25 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h-xy5gz-g56xk-yz5jg-6564n615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:6467ce8d162e870305495d2bPermalink

]]>God Is Not an Asshole EPISODE 1David MooreSat, 06 May 2023 20:00:26 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h-xy5gz-g56xk615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:6456aded760af64b44b8732eThe Teacher famously said, “You shall know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

We have all heard it, and few challenged it.

Have you not met anyone who acknowledged the truth but remains in captivity, apparently aware of their condition? Their need for survival eats at them. If they escape their bondage, where will they go? They could be ostracized—rejected by their community. Their family could even turn them away. What are their economic considerations?

No job? No inheritance?

For some among us, their very lives are at stake.

So they choose security. Who can blame them? Maybe they will be free eventually.

On the other hand, there are humans they could stand in solidarity with who have no choice.

No choices at all.

We can only hope that the captive who knows the truth will not betray the ones who have no choice, the ones liberated by the truth but imprisoned by society.

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>Understanding For When The Truth Hasn’t Made Them FreeDavid MooreFri, 05 May 2023 18:36:51 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h-xy5gz615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:6455478611c75b7c557c4454At the perfect moment, someone showed you kindness. What they did may not have solved all your problems, but it definitely made a difference.

During my college days, I attended a church event in Santa Maria, California. It was a sunny summer Sunday afternoon when a youth pastor named Billy handed me a five-dollar bill. Perhaps he noticed that my finances were tight for the day. I cannot be sure.

When I was younger, I purchased a stylish sports coat to accompany Shella, the junior princess, to Channel Islands High School's homecoming game. A few days later, I wore that same coat to a funeral where Mother Ray praised me, saying, "Young man, you look so dignified!" I felt so proud.

Mr. Larry Murray, my high school counselor, treated me like family. He took me out with his sons on his boat and went above and beyond, even assisting my mom with college applications. He supported me, and I became the first of many in my family to earn a degree. 

Today may you strive to live in a way that leaves a positive impact on the people around you, whether it be friends or strangers. Be unforgettable.

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>That One Person…David MooreWed, 03 May 2023 00:35:50 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm-hg72h615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:6451a904aa6a3a6cf6aee2efPatreon is for you who want to sponsor me and my new podcast

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>You Can Help Us Make This HappenDavid MooreSat, 29 Apr 2023 06:04:33 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346-dfgpm615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:644cb2d2cc0c33405bd01d8c

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>TEASER: God Is not an A**holeDavid MooreThu, 27 Apr 2023 23:26:00 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc-6y346615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:6449b3260563044e86f266ceTherefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

(1 Thessalonians 5:11) 

When you en-courage them, you put courage in them. That is when you are your most powerful.

Nobody will ever fully know how you impacted your communities by your example and by your spoken and written words.

When did you last send a greeting card, a note to say, “You exceed my expectations,” or “You will exceed my expectations?” Today would be the day to help someone who did something extraordinary, even if they were “just doing their job,” to keep taking pride in doing the good thing. The right thing.

We are all pulling for people, maybe even praying for them. But are we letting them know that we’re pulling and praying?

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>Do Your Heroes Know They’re Your Heroes?David MooreWed, 26 Apr 2023 16:40:40 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf-dh8lc615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:64495408fa031e586ad72698 “…better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away.”

(Proverbs 27:10)

They deserve your attention. They deserve your love. They deserve your respect.

There are people who are jockeying to become part of your circle of mutual support.

They don’t want to be left out, nor do they want you to be left out. You want to ensure that nostalgia does not block your view of this stage in your emotional development and who you have become. When you were a toddler or kindergartner, you required a particular kind of attention. In return, you offered adorableness. 

Adorableness is priceless, and it’s hard to see how life would be worth the trouble without it. But we move forward. We grow, and we learn to serve others. We began to practice it as toddlers as we tried to help our parents with outsized tasks. Or we practiced by mimicking them.

You haven’t lost your adorableness, but you’ve matured. As you find warmth and safety with new humans, some of yesterday’s tried and true relations will travel with you and you with them (You still see each other’s “cuteness,” yet it’s adorned with a glowing beauty that most cannot fathom). These allies are willing to fight with you. To fight for you.

If you spill your energy on the ground of yearning, you won’t have what it takes to stand firmly with the people who are present. 

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>The Friends You Have Right This MomentDavid MooreTue, 25 Apr 2023 22:56:19 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny-ztjwf615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:64485a9367e8907cc975aba8So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. "All who rage against you will surely be ashamed and disgraced; those who oppose you will be as nothing and perish.”

(Isaiah 41:10)

A white friend for whom I have great respect asked for ideas for him, or for us to collaborate, to do anti-racism work.

To each of you who has paid a high price to stand with those whose backs are against the wall, God sees.

We need to remind one another that God sees us because there are times it will feel like nobody else does. Here is where we need to tell ourselves, “I am not just doing this for personal attention!”

I know a few Latine folks who speak up when they see anti-Blackness. They know the risks. Some of them have been cancelled by their families. I know some who have been abandoned by people they’ve been around for decades after they chose to support their transgender friends.

If you elect justice for the future over comfort with the past, you could face moments, even seasons, of alone-ness. God is with you.

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>A Tribute To You: A Loving God SeesDavid MooreSat, 22 Apr 2023 17:20:00 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz-klgny615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:64440ff5b90b9351a81aed42You’ve changed in ways that some people cannot understand. They are mystified by you. Or they are upset with you. Or they feel betrayed. Or they only loved a static image of you. Or they secretly admire you, but they have people who are closer to them who expect loyalty.

But you are overflowing with love for all. There’s not an ounce of vindictiveness. Your love for the planet and all beings makes every day Earth Day.

If you feel lonely, it’s possible that you were lonely all along. You were a caterpillar, crawling, looking down at the leaves that nourished you. But you are soon to spread your wings. As a pupa, you were on the same stem long enough. Hanging around.

Then the chrysalis splits. You did that. You cannot stay there much longer. Those times are behind you. You cannot go back into the shell.

Maybe you sometimes feel lonely, but you are not. Those are just feelings that you assumed must go along with emergence. The euphoria of flying is more than compensatory. So soar.

There’s no shame in your game.

Still I Rise

Still I Rise

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]]>Change Is GoodDavid MooreWed, 19 Apr 2023 05:54:47 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/c45j9h4wgynlxzz615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:643f7847e3b7d370a4020468Charles Stanley

He was a pastor in Atlanta during the Civil Rights Era. Like so many white Evangelicals and Pentecostals, it was not worth mentioning for him. Surely he had opportunities to reject the racist voices in his community. There’s no record of a public outcry when four little Black girls were bombed to smithereens during Sunday School in his own state.

Instead, he had guards stationed outside his church to keep African-Americans out. His own books make no mention. He was elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention. Yes, that Southern Baptist Convention. Twice. He never recanted for blaming homosexual sin for the AIDS epidemic.

But now I keep reading about how Charles Stanley taught the “Word of God.”

Full disclosure, in my youth, I was also taken with Stanley.

But I had to decide. And I chose Black people because I heard the “Word of God” from the lips of Martin Luther King, Jr., James Lawson, Fannie Lou Hamer, John Lewis, A. Philip Randolph, Marsha P. Johnson, and of course, Malcolm X.

I still hear God speaking to me through them.

And I acknowledge my personal history of ignorant and heteronormative faith. I was an unwitting heavy while doing good for the people as I understood good. I can tell you if you want a light heart, a faith that excludes is not sustainable.

Jimmy Carter

When I was in my forties, I became friends with a white pastor who had to face racism in his own congregation. The now-deceased Bruce Edwards made national news because his church in Plains, Georgia was where President Jimmy Carter held his membership. African American activist Rev. Clennon King tried to join the church.

The church held a meeting to determine whether they would open their doors to black people. Bruce told me years later that Carter left Washington to be a part of the meeting, but church leaders “would not let him have the floor.” Eventually, Bruce left the church to take a pastorate in Honolulu and served there for 13 years. They helped him purchase a home, and when Bruce fell ill, he said, “Without the equity from that house I don’t know what Sandra and I would have done.” He said Hawaii was where he learned that a church can heal a pastor.

Jimmy Carter 1924-2023

Jimmy Carter 1924-2023

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]]>When Beloved White Evangelical Leaders DieDavid MooreWed, 12 Apr 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/azsxsvnh0jaouoyns3x1na8tl603kj-a7nns-3e22z-lsxkp-xnhjf-rxtpw-ckf5a-ncg5n-bzl2y-944ef-yfnca-nnsah-xs3fz-ewx5n-h93m4-dkdbf-jt5py-tfykk-pjf7b-2e3l3-764kx-27pfm-wkjgm-ynegx-7cgjc-g2tw3-lf3ew-a7cp7-rt654615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:6435df4833317a6bf71d8091We all experience grief and, as we age, loneliness, so we need each other. Occasionally I will call old friends, and we’ll have an exchange characterized by warmth and laughter. I hope these old friendships, which go back to college, high school, and even earlier, will never end. 

I am a seeker and an explorer.

Some people dear to me were skeptical of my discoveries. I don’t think less of those friends. Sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to hang out with them, even virtually, if the distance is great. I don’t see these relationships as expendable.

I invite folks over sometimes for a beer, but beer is not mandatory, so it does not preclude enjoying people who will not imbibe for faith reasons. I am confident of this because alcoholics and others in recovery are among my closest company.

Language is another small example of the drivers contributing to our relational drift. I concede that some folks’ use of such language might be extravagant. My scruples now have more to do with love and respect for all peoples, no matter their religion or lack thereof, their sexual orientation or gender identity, or anything that separates humans unnecessarily. While I don’t feel, at this point in my life, like actively promoting the virtues of the religious, I do appreciate the good work that even fundamentalist people can do.

I’m not proud of how I communicate now, nor am I ashamed. I developed a discomfort, even an aversion, to the language models of my religious enculturation and less discomfort with what was called “profanity.” I do recognize a need to be patient with those who don’t have an alternative vocabulary. Age has, in my view, robbed them of the liberty to accept as legitimate terminology that seems flagrant. I know how to self-regulate, though.

In summary, may we all keep our arms open for possible reunions.

we love you.

we love you.

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]]>You’ve Got A Friend. Right?David MooreFri, 10 Mar 2023 15:26:35 +0000https://davidnmoore.com/blog/god-of-our-weary-years-god-of-our-silent-tears-pjnf2615600cffa58356512b24bfc:61dcd2c47d49cd15b84e8450:640b4c2b68ca1546045c8602When I criticize a system, they think I criticize them — and that is of course because they fully accept the system and identify themselves with it.                                                            Thomas Merton

Some people’s loss of freedom feels more egregious to me. It’s partly because those are the ones of which I am aware, but it’s mostly that these prisoners are being detained for fighting for our freedom. Our freedom.

Who knows how many political prisoners there are in the world? My outrage selects a system that claims to be better than it is, as in “land of the free.”

It is said that freedom is not free. Freedom for some, however, appears to come at the price of the loss of freedom for others. But, as Maya Angelou said, “The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free.”

People like Mumia Abu-Jamal and Leonard Peltier have spent their adult lives in prison. They are treated like anything but the esteemed elders that they are. Paris, France, named Abu-Jamal a citizen of their city, and they have named a boulevard for him. Meanwhile, it seems most people in the US don’t even know who he is.

None of us is free until all of us are free

Let us not forget J. Edgar Hoover’s war against Black bodies. In truth, the “War on Drugs” became Hoover’s policy before the term arose in popular parlance. The 20th century saw the criminalization of cannabis, so now thousands of households currently suffer the immoral imprisonment of a dear one for possessing a substance that enriches other primarily white citizens.

I conclude with a prayer from Lakota Chief Arvol Looking Horse,

On behalf of all O’yate, I ask Tunkashila for Leonard Peltier to be set free, for him to enjoy his freedom once again. I call on each of you, individually and personally, with every breath you take, to never cease in your efforts to free Leonard Peltier. Return him to us! I, Horse Man, speak these words from my heart, from Paha Sapa, the heart of everything that is—praying for the return of our sacred lands, which have also suffered at the hands of our oppressors. May peace be with you all.