The Constitution begins, “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Prosperity.” All states endorse this “founding,” if aspirational, text. American history, even before 1776 and 1787 and long after those dates, has been devoted to making those aspirations a reality for all Americans.

A dominating conception of “the public” is central to the U.S. in theory and centuries-long struggles. Today represents an extraordinary retreat, especially for people other than white males. For the partly empowered peoples from 1863-65 “emancipations” through women’s suffrage in1920 and civil and voting rights legislation in 1965, an inclusive public has always been contested. The battle increases anew with the combined and interconnected assaults on public health, public education, public safety, genuine choice and freedom, right to vote, right to control one’s body, right to gender determination, right to....

Several Ohio and National organizations are calling for Ohio Attorney General David Yost to begin the process of revoking the charter of FirstEnergy Corporation, a process that would dissolve the company. The request by the groups is based on the corporation’s admitted involvement in the $60 million bribery and money laundering scheme, the largest in Ohio’s history that defrauded taxpayers and threatened representative democracy. The groups who signed the letter include the Move to Amend Ohio Network, Our Revolution Ohio, Ohio Community Rights Network, National Community Rights Network, the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund and the Athens Friends Meeting.  Read the letter here. 

Holding the fate of Build Back Better (BBB) in their hands, Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema should heed some lessons from 2010. When a small group of Democratic Senators so delayed and weakened Obamacare that they cratered Obama’s initially massive support, they also helped end all their own political careers.

Guess what? I direct the following insight to, among others, the U.S. Congress, which annually and without comment, with only a few objectors, passes a trillion-dollar (and growing) military budget, by far the largest such budget on Planet Earth.

“You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.”

The words are those of Albert Einstein, in a letter to a congressman 75 years ago. He adds, pointing out a truth that is still waiting to resonate culturally and politically: “The very prevention of war requires more faith, courage and resolution than are needed to prepare for war.”

Thursday, January 13, 7-9pm, this event will be occurring via Zoom

Life After Belief Groups meet for support, encouragement, and growth in the process of living life without supernatural belief. Our core concerns are Community, Charting a New Course, Compassion, and Coming Out. [Read more about these Core Passions below.]

Many in this Secular Community Group are still in various stages of recovery from religion and are processing the feelings, thoughts and struggles of leaving a religious community behind. We include people ranging from those who are attending their first “secular/atheist” group ever and have fears and concerns of being “found out” to those who have been on this journey for a longer time.

• We are a Diverse and Inclusive Secular Community.

• Atheist, Humanist, Non-Religious, Agnostic, Free-Thinker, Anti-Theist, Spiritual But Not Religious, Naturist, Curious But Still with Some Faith, etc.

• From younger families to singles, from baby boomers to teenagers and kids, we are diverse and welcoming having those who identify as LGBTQ, Straight, Polyamorous, etc.