Note: this email is in response to an article called Bennett’s Book of Cracker Virtues published at OpEdNews:
No one could say it better than you did here.
Just want to add, that Bill Bennett is a contradiction, an oxymoron,
and is true to his neocon ilk. Pro life he say he is. Not on your
life!Especially if a person is black or of color.Abortion? White
collar’s broke every law in the book.Picking what fetus should live or
die? Indeed!
Sincerely,
Senior Citizen..Phila. PA
In Chapter XV of Indian Sculpture and Iconography, V. Ganapati Sthapati describes a composite animal figure with “a fish-like body, elephant trunk, feet of a lion, eyes of a monkey, ears of a pig, plumage of a bird and prominent teeth.” The image “defies classification.”
“Thus,” writes Sthapati, “it can be taken to represent the confused turbulent state of nature during the age of cataclysmic upheavals.” From the mouth of the Makara, creation emerges as a kind of breathing out. When the Makara breathes in, creation is totally renewed.
“The whole process,” writes Sthapati, “evolves under the guidance of the Divine Being and hence, the archway is placed behind the image of God.”
Blavatsky reads the symbol as a simultaneous representation of microcosm and macrocosm, the ultimate star of the universe as outward manifestation and the star of the human spirit as intuition. But the association of this symbol with the Winter Solstice and Egyptian crocodiles emphasizes that all things must experience beginnings and ends. A world that eats will be eaten. Capricorn, the goat, has a dolphin tail. From under water, the crafty animal rises up, again. Like love, too. There was the submerged form, now the horn.
Already, Blavatsky sees the Makara in the context of a fifth creation, indicating possibilities for yogin consciousness, beyond passion.
Or with these hints, we think of Jung’s great fish, the self, and Jonah, who was once upon a time swallowed whole.
So, what is Makara exactly? It is an indication that all cannot be lost, even when things seem impossible to find. Have you read Marx’s dissertation lately? There, doesn’t the great materialist find indestructible self-consciousness as the puzzle that exists?
For a list of WordPress projects and more please visit the updated page at gregmoses.net. Lately, I’ve been gathering works together around the host that I use for WPscape.Info.
By Nick Braune
Mid-Valley Town Crier
by permission
This week I interviewed Susan Watson, an energetic attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) which has offices in Weslaco, Edinburg, and Harlingen.
Braune: Your work has brought you into contact with special undocumented youth being detained by the government, “unaccompanied minors.” I suppose that means they came to this country by themselves. They sound like very brave youth, but they are still youth and must be pretty scared and maybe confused. Could you tell us something about these young people and how you meet up with them?
Watson: Unaccompanied minors (UACs) are children under 18 without legal status and who have no parent or legal guardian present. Of the estimated 8,000 UACs who enter the United States each year, most come from Central America or Mexico. All of the UACs I’ve met come from horrific situations: some are orphaned, sometimes because their parents were killed in gang violence or by military factions; some were abused or abandoned by parents; others lived in abject poverty. They are, indeed, extremely brave: the stories I’ve heard about their lives and their harrowing trips to reach the U.S. include things most of us could never imagine.
We at TRLA first became involved with UACs last year. We were contacted by immigration counsel for several children who were victims of sexual assault in a shelter facility in Nixon, Texas. The children needed representation for civil rights and other claims arising from their treatment there. Because TRLA has a long history of fighting for the poor and the vulnerable, our group was a good choice — and these kids probably are the most vulnerable and least likely to be able to seek justice on their own.
Braune: Does ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) take charge of these youth? And how are they treated? I suppose there is a range: some are treated poorly and some are treated better. Right?
Watson: In 2002, the responsibility for caring for UACs while they are in immigration proceedings was delegated to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) of the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. This was done to separate the responsibilities of caring for these children (ORR) from prosecuting the immigration cases (ICE). Although some children are treated pretty well, far too many receive sub-standard care and are subjected to physical, sexual and emotional abuse.
Braune: A related matter. If teens in custody turn 18, are they just thrown into the world to fend for themselves or are they deported? If they have no family with them and have just been released from the juvenile centers, they must be pretty distressed. Do they get some help from the government for health care, counseling, education, job hunting assistance, etc.?
Watson: Detained UACs are transferred to adult detention facilities on their 18th birthdays, and then they may be eligible for release on bond. But you are right — they are just turned out on the street even if they have been in ORR custody for years. Until their immigration case is decided, most have no ability to work legally, are ineligible for public benefits, and find no system in place to provide them with basic human needs, such as shelter, food, and clothing. If bond is denied, the person remains in ICE detention until the immigration case is completed.
Braune: I’ve heard that the Rio Grande Valley facilities are better than others around the country. Why is that?
Watson: I can think of two reasons why these UAC facilities — about six are in the Valley — are generally better than others. First, and without meaning to sound stereotypical, the Valley is primarily Hispanic, and children are cared for by people from similar cultural backgrounds, Spanish speakers who understand the important cultural differences among regional groups.
The second important reason is that members of ProBAR (South Texas Pro Bono Asylum Representation Project) of Harlingen, visit the facilities regularly, meeting with every child. Having an independent group in constant contact with the children significantly decreases the likelihood that abuse will occur or that it will go undetected.
Braune: Lastly, is there one specific thing you would change immediately?
Watson: If I could change only one thing, it would be to require independent monitoring and contact with all UACs, much like ProBAR does in the Valley. In addition to deterrence and early discovery of abuse or other care issues, having “outsiders” come in on a regular basis also provides children with knowledge of their rights and an assessment of potential immigration relief. Finally, it increases the possibility of getting pro bono legal representation, which dramatically affects a child’s ability to present a strong case in immigration court.
Braune: Thanks, counselor, for your time today and your important work.
MoPress 