Rest In Peace Rep. John Lewis

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lewis)

The United States of America lost an heroic figure with the passing of Representative John Lewis on Friday from pancreatic cancer.  (1940-2020)

Mr. Lewis was a major figure in the Civil Rights Movement and worked alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He participated, in the March on Washington, and he led the march, as a young man, across the Edmund Pettis Bridge in Selma, Alabama on March 7, 1965. This would come to be known as Bloody Sunday because of the violence the marchers encountered, including Mr. Lewis.

He would later be elected to the United States House of Representatives in which he served for 30 years; he was frequently considered  to be the Conscience of America. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama in 2011.

Among Mr. Lewis’ quotations are “When you see something that is not right, not fair, not just, you have to speak up. You have to  say something, you have to do something.” and “I’m very hopeful. I am very optimistic about the future.”  and “Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America.”

Mr. John Lewis was a tireless fighter for justice and against injustice. He will be missed.

Rest In Peace

Quotations On The Need For Justice

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“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.”

                                                                      Elie Wiesel

 

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“No man is justified in doing evil on the ground of expediency.”

                                                                      Theodore Roosevelt

 

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“When will our consciences grow so tender that we will act to prevent human misery rather than avenge it?”

                                                                       Eleanor Roosevelt

 

“An injustice to one person is a crime against everyone, and we must always try to achieve true justice in the world.”

                                                                     Charles F. French

Writers: Keep Writing!

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Hello to all of the writers who read this blog.

I have a simple message for you.

Trust in your abilities.

Have faith in your stories.

Keep dreaming.

Keep working.

Keep writing.

You can do it.

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Quotations on Perseverance

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“You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats, so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.”

                                                                       Maya Angelou

 

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“If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.”

                                                                       H. G. Wells

 

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“Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.”

                                                                     Theodore Roosevelt

Read and Write Everyday

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This is a quick reminder to all writers: read and write everyday. These are the two most important activities for anyone who wishes to be an author.

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Our lives can be very busy and hectic, but try to put some time aside to do both reading and writing.

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Quotations on Kindness

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“Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.”

                                                                                     Plato

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“No one has ever become poor by giving.”

                                                                                    Anne Frank

 

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“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”

                                                                                  Dalai Lama

To Writers: Keep Writing!

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To all writers, I have a simple message for you today: keep working, keep believing in yourself, and keep writing!

Do not give up!

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Celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And His Wisdom

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“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

“Courage is an inner resolution to go forward despite obstacles;
Cowardice is submissive surrender to circumstances.

Courage breeds creativity; Cowardice represses fear and is mastered by it.
Cowardice asks the question, is it safe?
Expediency ask the question, is it politic?
Vanity asks the question, is it popular?

But conscience ask the question, is it right? And there comes a time when we must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right.”

The Liberal Arts: Crucial for Education and Society

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I was looking over some of my early blogposts, and I decided I wanted to revisit this piece about the Liberal Arts–the humanities–and their importance. The idea I write about in this little post is crucial for our society–the importance of the Liberal Arts in Education.

I had a piece published in the “Education Guide” of the Sunday, 2/15/15, edition of The Morning Call, the largest newspaper in the Lehigh Valley, PA. I am very proud of have the article in the paper, because I am very proud to be part of the Wescoe School of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA.

The Wescoe School is the name of the adult college program for Muhlenberg College. In this school, adults are able to gain full Bachelor degrees in a variety of majors and programs as well as certificate of study if they are focused on one specific area.

I have been teaching college English courses for many years, and I have been an adjunct instructor at many colleges, but I am deeply impressed with the quality of education and the care for the adult students that are demonstrated in this program.

I was honored to have been asked to write this piece, and I hope that I delivered a clear and sound explanation of the Liberal Arts, both in terms of history and application. I am an unrepentant Humanist; I still believe in the power of education to help people and in the ability of writing and words to help bridge gaps among people. Even at my age, I remain an idealist. Especially in the Wescoe program, I see education having a positive impact on students, many of whom have never attended college, might be starting their higher education in their 40s or 50s, and many of whom have full-time jobs and families. Their ability to learn and achieve never fails to humble me and to reinforce my belief in the strength of the Liberal Arts.

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Quotations on Immigration

Given the political climate of the times, I thought I would offer some quotations from past leaders on the issue of immigration.

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“It says something about our country that people around the world are willing to leave their homes and leave their families and risk everything to come to America. Their talent and hard work and love of freedom have helped make America the leader of the world. And our generation will ensure that America remains a beacon of liberty and the most hope fill society this world has ever known.”

                                                                     George W. Bush

 

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“Our attitude towards immigration reflects our faith in the American ideal. We have always believed it possible for men and women who start at the bottom to rise as far as the talent and energy allow. Neither race nor place of birth should affect their chances.”

                                                                   Robert F. Kennedy

 

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“Remember, remember always, that all of us, you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.”

                                                                   Franklin D. Roosevelt

 

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“The United States should be an asylum for the persecuted lovers of civil and religious liberty.”

                                                                   Thomas Paine

 

I want to point out that all of us, except for those who are 100 percent Native American, have either immigrated or descended from immigrants to the United States of America. To believe that we are under invasion from immigrants is a mistake, and those spreading that misinformation are cons and liars. This is not a time to be quiet. Writers need to speak.