When the hijacked planes hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center, pierced the Pentagon and buried into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, most of our thoughts were about the cruel, horrific shattering of family bonds, the forever severing of deep friendships, the senseless destruction of human life.  More than that America was under threat and fear prevailed.

The never-ending heartache of loss was on display in photos with messages that ringed the fence of a church near ground zero in New York:  “Have you seen him?”  “Please, any information, call…”  “Please help us find our wife and mother.”   

Hundreds of messages. No responses.

I was in New York a few days after 9/11 and witnessed the devastation.  I traveled to the site where Flight 93 impacted.  And I had heard the plane hit the Pentagon, as I joined hundreds evacuating the Congressional House Office Buildings in Washington, D.C.    

The personalization of immense loss compounded our anger and despair.  We identified with the victims.  We identified with the families.  We mourned with them.  We united in our grief.

Friday, March 24, 8pm, Chef Hīrō, 1297 Parsons Ave.

Come sing your hearts out with us at Queer Karaoke Night hosted by BQIC on Friday, March 24, 8-10pm! We’ll be at Chef Hīrō which is located at 1297 Parsons Ave, so you can also grab a bite to eat or a drink while you’re there! D.J. Faye Waye will be running us through the hits, so make sure you come through and bring a friend! Parking is available at the back of the restaurant.

This is a fundraiser for BQIC, so we are asking that non-QTIPOC pay $10 to participate; queer and trans folks of color have a suggested donation of $5.

In its home-page on World Water Day, 2021, the United Nations pointed out the following facts:

Today, 1 in 3 people live without safe drinking water.

By 2050, up to 5.7 billion people could be living in areas where water is scarce for at least one month a year.

Climate-resilient water supply and sanitation could save the lives of more than 360,000 infants every year.

If we limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C above pre-industrial levels, we could cut climate-induced water stress by up to 50%.

Extreme weather has caused more than 90% of major disasters over the last decade.

By 2040, global energy demand is projected to increase by over 25% and water demand is expected to increase by more than 50%.

Clearly, water is a crucial resource, and the future well-being of human society depends on how well we manage our global supply of fresh water. This will require a high level of international cooperation and social justice.

Maude Barlow: water as a human right

Yesterday, March 22, was a big day for labor in Columbus. Striking Starbucks workers shut down two locations, unions crowded two Statehouse hearings, and Wex Arts workers won their union, a struggle that took over two years.

Starbucks Strike