The story of women journalists in Gaza requires a new definition of courage. Many of these women are under 30. Several are young...
Courage Reimagined
The story of women journalists in Gaza requires a new definition of courage. Many of these women are under 30. Several are young mothers. Daily they risk their lives to document the horrors of the escalating genocide in Gaza. [...]
Pat Taub
Activism10
Missing Meaningful Connections?
I feel sad and misunderstood among family and friends who dismiss my deep despair over the genocide in Gaza. Several friends are down in the dumps over their disconnections with adult children, who hold grudges against them, or who simply don’t make time for them. Thousands of Americans are angry over Trump’s cuts to essential living benefits, [...]
Pat Taub
My Dream Spurred by Women’s History Month
I’m whisked into a celestial landscape where the light is so dazzling I wish I had sunglasses. While I’m struggling to adjust to the light, a disembodied voice calls out, “I have your visitor’s pass. I understand you would like to meet with some of our distinguished spirits to help you sort out your confusion over the current [...]
Pat Taub
Fighting Back
I belong to a women’s group that formed in response to the genocide in Gaza. We came together for mutual support after feeling alienated from friends and family, who didn’t share our commitment for ending the genocide. At our gatherings, we exchange resources and share our stories while munching on Peace Pizza. At our last meeting one [...]
Pat Taub
Stand Up for Your Neighbors
GUEST POST by MARY DUNN Under this new administration things are happening quickly. Immigration, as expected, is in the cross hairs. But if we’re being honest, it has been for quite some time and across the political spectrum. Now it is just with more ferociousness and bluntness. Within his first week in office Trump signed a dizzying number [...]
Pat Taub
Are You Man Enough to Overlook Genocide?
GUEST POST by LISA SAVAGE The astonishingly tone deaf PAC ad on behalf of Harris-Walz, “Man Enough”, really has to be seen to be believed. About 99% of viewers are convinced the ad is satire, with many commenting: “Saturday Night Live is funny again!” But alas, it’s not SNL. Stereotypes played by actors that likely never sat on [...]
Pat Taub
A Change of Heart is Needed
GUEST POST by MARY DUNN As we watch countries move farther to the right and leaders embrace fascism we see that there is something they have in common: punitive immigration policies. Trump’s closing speech of the RNC convention shows that he is no different. Vilifying those seeking asylum is something that has a long history in this [...]
Pat Taub
Dazed and Confused
I’m left dazed and confused by the responses of friends and family members who say, in spite of their reservations about Biden’s support for Israel’s unrelenting attack on Gaza, they will vote for him to stop Trump, insisting Trump will obliterate our democracy. Let’s take a close look at the anemic democracy Biden supporters are defending. [...]
Pat Taub
The Sounds of Silence
GUEST POST by MARY DUNN “… Silence like a cancer grows Hear my words that I might teach you Take my arms that I might reach you But my words like silent raindrops fell And echoed in the wells of silence….” The Sound of Silence by Simon and Garfunkel These lyrics are known to many of us. A much-loved song that makes me [...]
Pat Taub
Debunking “Age Is Only A Number”
Birthday milestones are celebrated with fanfare until one reaches middle age and beyond when getting old carries a downside. A baby’s first birthday is a time when infancy moves into small personhood. Becoming a teen at 13 is seen as a beginning entry into adulthood. Other rites of passage are: obtaining a driver’s license at 16; earning [...]
Pat Taub
Moving Out of My Funk
I was in a week long funk brought on by the starvation in Gaza, procrastination over filing my taxes, and a stalled writing project. As I sat brooding, a little voice whispered that I should visit the Portland Art Museum. As an art lover and modest collector, I often find art museums restorative. Fresh out of other ideas, I obeyed that [...]
Pat Taub