This was Rodney King’s plea in 1992, when he was physically assaulted by the LA cops during that year’s race riots. Thirty-two...
Activism
Call for a Global Women’s Peace Army!
With Trump pushing us closer to extinction daily, I’m convinced that we need an army of women to save the planet. International Women’s Day is the perfect time to mount a global women’s charge. While there are male leaders protesting Trump’s cruel policies and Dr. Strangelove fantasies, they don’t always go far enough. We need massive [...]
Pat Taub
Be An Older Woman Warrior
Who’s the older woman warrior? She’s the woman who, into her old age, continues to carry the torch for change because she sees this as central to aging meaningfully. She cares deeply about the world her children and grandchildren will inherit. She takes a stand for what she believes in. She’s not afraid to be controversial. She figures [...]
Pat Taub
I WAS THERE! WASHINGTON, DC, 1/21/17
I was on my feet for seven hours; almost half of that time was standing in place waiting for the march to start. The massive crowd made it impossible to move in one direction or another. This was a small price to pay for being among the 500,000 marchers who had come to Washington to send a message to President Trump on his first day in office. [...]
Pat Taub
Salvaging Hope in Messy Times
It’s getting closer and closer! Trump’s occupancy of 1800 Pennsylvania Avenue is less than a month away! Many of us are worrying ourselves sick over a nation under President Trump. A friend offers this perspective: “We are at an existential moment in our evolution as a species. “We’re in between stories: while one story is old and [...]
Pat Taub
Strategies for Taking on Trump World
As my sufferings mounted I soon realized that there were two ways that I could respond: either to react with bitterness or seek to transform the suffering into a creative force. I decided to follow the latter course. —Martin Luther King, Jr. King’s words spoken some 50 years ago describe the crossroads facing [...]
Pat Taub
Activism As A Spiritual Pursuit: Flashback Friday
This post was originally printed in “Popular Resistance,” November 5. 2013. I’ve reposted it in response to the demonstrations at Standing Rock, which have a strong spiritual basis. I dedicate this post to the brave Native Americans at Standing Rock, the “water protectors.” I’ve been an activist for [...]
Pat Taub
Col. Ann Wright: Peace Warrior Extraordinaire
Ann Wright is a lightening rod for peace and justice. Name a political hot spot and Ann has been there, leading one to suspect that she holds the record for frequent flyer miles on the peace and justice circuit. In the past few months alone Ann has joined in protests at Jeju Island in South Korea protesting the construction of an American [...]
Pat Taub
What is the Role of Elders in Social Change?
For a minute, let’s put aside our carnival election cycle dominated by Trump’s windbag comments and Hillary’s obfuscations. Let’s get real. Let’s focus on our environmental and moral crises and ask ourselves, “What responsibility do we, as elders, have in creating social change?” It’s easy to become overwhelmed in the face [...]
Pat Taub
Spread Holiday Good Will by Doing Your Part to End Islamophobia
Every Christmas since I was a child I’ve been told that this is the season to practice good will by loving my neighbors, giving to the less fortunate, and being grateful for what I have. This year it doesn’t feel sufficient to be a “Secret Santa,” or to open my heart to heal difficult relations with family members. The almost daily [...]
Pat Taub
Channeling Emmeline Pankhurst and Susan B. Anthony
Having just seen the excellent new film, “Suffragette,” I found myself wondering what some of the early Suffragettes leaders, like Emmeline Pankhurst of Britain and Susan B. Anthony of the US might have to say about the contemporary feminist movement. I suspected they wouldn’t be too happy with us, and thought I could profit from their [...]
Pat Taub