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Scotland
Cill Chriosd werd gebouwd in de latere middeleeuwen.
In 1840 werd de nieuwe parochiekerk in Broadford in gebruik genomen en werd Cill Chriosd verlaten.
Cill Chrisd was built in the later Middle Ages. The earliest written reference to a church named Cill Chrios is from 1505 when Kenneth Adamson succeeds John MacGillivray as chaplain.
In 1627, Neil MacKinnon was appointed Strath's first Protestant guardian. When he was appointed, he swore that he would declare all papists he would declare on the islands on the printout. According to tradition, he was mean and greedy. Thus he gave his workmen two meals on all working days, but only one meal on Sunday when they rested. It wasn't until two hungry workmen had preached downstairs on a Sunday to Neil MacKinnon and wanted to leave with some friends, started the foot plow and got to work, that MacKinnon gave in and gave them two meals a day, including on Sundays.
In 1840 the new parish church in Broadford was inaugurated and Cill Chriosd was abandoned.
A lone Maple declares itself in autumn in the depths of a forest of Arbor Vitae. It does not stand out like this when green, or bare. Its shade tolerance will, in due time, lead it to dominance in this place.
Textured with "granite" my own, in the shadows.
The back of the 2 dollar bill. The birth of a Republic, the Declaration of Independence on the table to sign.
The lupine flowers were nice, but upon closer inspection, I liked the way the water droplets formed on the lupine leaves even more.
humbly declaring we get away from winter…/Un reflejo, declarando humildemente que nos alejamos del invierno…/En spegling, ödmjukt säger vi går ifrån vintern... (DSC_3016)
A keen young observer of the USA elections.
If a president of a developing nation would to declare that an election is over or that counting of votes should stop and publicly claim victory in a general election, most heads of government of developed nations would have made remarks that it is undemocratic and unconstitutional without hesitation.
However none of the heads of government of developed nations make such remarks when the current incumbent president of the USA said the same thing. Why?
Many thanks for your visit, comments, invites and faves...it is always appreciated...
Happy Caturday
"Black-bellied tarantula" | Hogna radiata | 07-2022 | Ticino | Switzerland
My best photos are here: www.lacerta-bilineata.com/ticino-best-photos-of-southern-...
More TICINO/TESSIN Wildlife Photos (all taken in my garden in Monteggio/Ti, Switzerland): it.lacerta-bilineata.com/ramarro-occidentale-lacerta-bili... (the website exists in ESPAÑOL, FRANÇAIS, ITALIANO, ENGLISH, DEUTSCH)
My latest ANIMAL VIDEO (warning, it's a bit shocking): www.youtube.com/watch?v=4T2-Xszz7FI
THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO:
Let me introduce you to my southern guest Hogna radiata aka the "Schwarzbäuchige Tarantel" - as we call it in the German speaking world - which translates to "black-bellied tarantula".
This species used to be at home in the Mediterranean Basin, but due to the ever warmer temperatures in Northern Europe, it can now also be found in Ticino in Switzerland. I found this fella and its buddy trapped in my shower one (very early) morning this past July.
You can imagine my surprise when I pulled the shower curtain back and found (approximately) sixteen eyes staring fearfully from the ceramic pan up at the naked giant that was about to either step on them or drown them in hot water.
While I did none of the above, I assure you the "terror" was mutual: although I always claim not to be afraid of spiders (and I love to photograph them), my high-pitched voice screaming "WHAT-THE-FF-...!!??" (which probably woke up the whole village) tells a slightly different story 😂.
I love all animals, spiders included, but there is an age-old fear in me (perhaps an instinct inherited from our ancestors who lived in regions where venomous arachnids were the norm) that apparently can still get activated in certain moments, which is to say you can see this 44-year old man jump like a startled kitten and squeal like a frightened piglet upon an unexpected encounter with a large spider - especially when I'm still half asleep, naked and there's no daylight 😜.
Once I'd overcome my immediate urge to flee the scene, burn down the house and declare the village uninhabitable for ever after, I went looking for and eventually found a jar large enough to serve my new shower buddies as a temporary residence; I carefully "shooed" them into the jar and took a closer look at them.
At first I mistook them for the species Eratigena atrica aka the giant house spider, but then I noticed the eyes were very different. A search on the internet soon convinced me that my two unexpected guests belonged to the species Hogna radiata.
H. radiata is a beautiful, large wolf spider (that's the family of the Lycosidae); its chelicerae are big enough to pierce through human skin, but its poison isn't dangerous to humans and the species is not the least bit aggressive.
It is sometimes referred to as the "false tarantula" because it is related to and closely resembles Lycosa tarantula - the "Apulian tarantula" - which is one of the biggest spiders in Central Europe and also the one responsible for large spiders all over the world now often being called "tarantulas"; Italian immigrants from the region around the city of Taranto originally made the name "popular" in the United States from whence it went on to conquer the rest of the globe.
And I can attest that Hogna radiata is pretty impressive too; including legs the species can reach the size of the palm of your hand, though it is nowhere near as big as the large spiders in the Theraposidae family which are commonly called tarantulas in the English speaking world (in German, French and Italian it's often the large spiders of the Lycosidae family that are called tarantulas which can be a bit confusing).
I released "my tarantulas" in the garden - but not before a quick photo shoot that saw me place my "models" in a huge salad bowl I had decorated with blossoms of the trumpet vine (I sincerely hope my salad-loving, spider-fearing family & friends never read this 😜 ).
After the initial scare, I now count myself lucky that I happened upon this beautiful species which I hadn't known before, and I certainly hope to see it again (although preferably not in my shower... or ANYWHERE in the house during the wee hours of the morning 😊 ).
As always, many greetings to all of you and have a lovely weekend ahead, and please let me know what you think in the comments below (which I love to read, even though - as I'm sure you're all aware by now - it always takes me ages to reply, for which I'm genuinely sorry!!! 🙏 😊 👍❤)
“I declare
That later on,
Even in an age unlike our own,
Someone will remember who we are.”
― Sappho, Come Close
Once upon a time, the pine tree, that spring is already approaching.
The mole croaked grimly: - He will surely come by car.
The hedgehog turned stern: - Rather on a scooter.
The snake hissed: - I don't believe it, he'll come on a bicycle.
The blackbird whistled: - I know something about it, he will come by plane.
- From where again," said the magpie, "I do not take my eyes off her
and last year in May I saw her on the streetcar.
- Not true spring usually arrives by motorcycle!
- And I will prove to you here that it is by car.
- Not true, because in a carriage!
- In a carriage? - What are you saying?
I can briefly declare that he goes by his own boat!
And spring has come on foot.
Already the flowers are enjoying her , already the grasses are growing before her
And they are humming - welcome spring!
my unprofessional translation of a poem for children - ,,Spring is coming'' author Jan Brzechwa
Vegas :. Tattoo - Declares the lord tattoo
Vanilla Bae - Saint James // Liam Boxers
CULT : - Killer ring
Badwolf - Fuck you chain
NEXUS - Mesh Nipples
Since1975 - Sauna and shower kit
Réserve naturelle "Haff Réimech"
Biodiversum
Cette réserve naturelle est la plus importante zone humide du Grand-Duché de Luxembourg. Elle occupe 80 ha des 280 ha de l’ancienne zone de la gravière tout autour et a été classée « réserve naturelle » en 1998 ainsi que déclarée « zone Natura 2000 » en 2007.Le biotope est constitué de zones marécageuses et d’une trentaine d’étangs, bordés pour la plupart de roselières. Un sentier nature de 4 km et trois observatoires sont autant d’occasions d’observer la faune et la flore de la réserve.
“The floor is lava!” declares the little man
as he leaps from one piece of furniture to the next…
Skippy envisioned his universe
with the help of the following stupendous creations:
hive x dust bunny's meadow house!
Soy's Three Seat Moquette Sofa!
Soy's Retro Sphere Chair!
HAIKEI's Chair, and Ball Floor Lamps, which are all part of The Airy Vibe Collection!
Little Branch's Scots Pine Tree, which is available at The Men's Dept. (TMD)!
In addition the little adventurer created with the following:
ISPACHI's The Odyssey: Radio on Books!
Seven Emporium's Framed Targets!
Fancy Decor's Morgan Side Tables!
SORGO's Old Books!
NOMAD's Tin Robot!
Keep playing.
Keep creating.
Keep shining bright, my friends!
In Roman Catholic spirituality[edit]
Main article: Spiritual dryness
The term "dark night (of the soul)" in Roman Catholic spirituality describes a spiritual crisis in the journey toward union with God, like that described by St. John of the Cross.
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, OCD, a 19th-century French nun and Doctor of the Church, wrote of her own experience of the dark night. Her dark night derived from doubt of the existence of eternity, to which doubt she nonetheless did not give intellectual or volitional assent, but rather prevailed by a deepening of her Catholic faith. However, she painfully suffered through this prolonged period of spiritual darkness, even declaring to her fellow nuns: "If you only knew what darkness I am plunged into..!"[8]
My first visit of the year to Loch Rusky, a favourite haunt for a sunrise. Nice to see the wee boats back out - always a sign spring is round the corner. I liked the frost on the side of the boats melting as the sun rose.
It reminds us that we were blessed to have enjoyed a perfect day, and it provides hope that tomorrow will be even better. It was a reminder of the promised future.
For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. - Jeremiah 29:11
Many thanks to all those who view, fav or comment my pictures. It is much appreciated.
*Working Towards a Better World
Fiji Declares a State of Natural Disaster After Fierce Cyclone-
New York Times
www.nytimes.com/2016/02/21/world/asia/fiji-declares-a-sta...
My heart goes out to the people in the middle of this terrible weather storm, we stand in solidarity.
Thank you for your kind visit. Have a wonderful and beautiful day! xo💜💜
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"Welcome to Beyond. Anything to declare? Please say yes :)"
[Credits Below]
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As the world tentatively eases lock-down in some countries I had a friend tell me about the 'evil customs' they had to go through just to get home. I guess demon customs would be dreadful sticklers to the rules. Just don't hide any human contraband.
We had a blast with this uniform set by Toksik which seems to have an amazing ability to make event the most tiny of shapes look good. Its available in both male and female styles.
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toksik - Remnant Uniform Top
toksik - Remnant Pants
toksik - Remnant Boots (Black), all available @ Main Store
CURELESS REDLABEL / Donatien Manteau @ Main Store
[CX] Withered Bezerker Ear @Mainstore
!R! Peaked Cap @ Mainstore
LeLUTKA.Head.Skyler.1.1 @Mainstore
-Belleza- Jake 2.1 Bento @Mainstore
Background:
[CX] x Insomnia Angel – “deadly end” door @Mainstore
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Several textures are my own creation and not available. You will need to message Steven for some of his items 😉
One of my favorite Ozarks barns, proudly declaring its love of our beautiful country in a spectacular way!
Coenfield Arts,... Declare your guilt, do not let a beautiful kitten, die at the hands of Romildo. Introduce yourself, and declare to Romildo that it was you.
En busca de GloGlo, .... Por favor, para la mayoría de ustedes que no entienden esta foto, por favor vean el álbum. "Una familia muy normal" Gracias
Coenfield Arts,... Declare su culpa, no deje que un hermoso gatito, muera a manos de Romildo. Preséntate, y declara a Romildo que fuiste tú.
Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Siège - Séville (Espagne)
Elle possède 4 magnifiques orgues en bois sculpté. Celui-ci de style baroque est adossé au choeur et supporté par des colonnes de marbre rose.
La Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Siège ou Cathédrale de Séville fait l'objet d'un classement en Espagne au titre de Bien d'Intérêt Culturel depuis le 29 décembre 1928.
Elle est déclarée Patrimoine de l'Humanité par l'UNESCO en 1987 et, en 2010 Bien de Valeur Universelle Exceptionnel.
Not my usual flavor. But once in a while, why not?
Sponsored:
Backdrop: Sewer Lobby by Dirty Rat. You can find it now at Engine Room, and afterwards at the Dirty Rat MP Store.
Guard Body: Automaton by Somnium, available at Engine Room, and afterwards at the Somnium Mainstore.
Outfit: Steam Engineer by Asteroid Box, available at Engine Room, and afterwards at the AsteroidBox Mainstore.
Face Scars: Scarred by Cubic Cherry. You can find it now at Engine Room, and afterwards at the Cubic Cherry Mainstore.
Skin: Ted by Stray Dog, available at the Stray Dog Mainstore.
Other deets:
Head: Lelutka - Eon
Body: Legacy - Male
Tattoos: Vegas Tattoo - Declares the Lord
Arm Wraps: L'Emporio - Brave
Finger Wraps: L'Emporio - Kick it
All decor items by DRD: Acid Rain Lookout Post, Street Clutter, Constructed Outlook and City Signs (Heavily modified)
Pose made on Black Dragon by yours truly.
As usual, if you're curious about the raw shot, you can find it on my blog. Check it out!
"And all the lives we ever lived and all the lives to be are full of trees and changing leaves..."
-- Virginia Woolf (English writer who is considered one of the most important modernist 20th-century authors and a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device)
Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
Sedona, Arizona, USA
May 2022
"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork." (Psalm 19:1 NKJV)
This is my first post of the milky way on my photostream, and it is probably a good time to address a few things here as fellow photographers may be curious. Multiple exposures and stacking or tracking, is the gold standard especially in astrophotography; this results in clean images with excellent clarity and balanced exposure. I acknowledge that, and have the highest respect for photographers who use these techniques. This image however, is a single exposure capture of the milky way. My photographs, so far, are all single exposures, including this one. There are obvious drawbacks in single exposure photography but I also see advantages. For me, I am prepared to work within the limits of single exposure work and accept the trade-offs. I prefer a simpler workflow in photography - both on-site and in post-production.
While it was really challenging trying to photograph the night sky in pitch blackness, I enjoyed the process and it is truly amazing standing beneath a canopy of stars.
Copyright Rebecca Ang 2022. All Rights Reserved.
Do not copy, reproduce, download or use in any way without permission.
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HIT THE 'L' KEY FOR A BETTER VIEW! Thanks for the favs and comments. Much Appreciated.
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All of my photographs are under copyright ©. None of these photographs may be reproduced and/or used in any way without my permission.
© VanveenJF Photography
Job 22:28
"You will also decree a thing, and it will be established for you; and light will shine on your ways."
How you scream "I love you Dad - I love you Julie - I love you Mom," wherever you are, at completely random times throughout the day. And while you may not be touchy feely, you're always the first to declare family hug and bring it in. You ooze love.
__
Waterford River T'Railway - The Grand Concourse
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. - 1 Peter 2:9
#blacklivesmatter
We declare our right on this earth to be a woman, to be a man, to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence by any means necessary.
— adapted from Malcolm X, 1965
“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest. The only thing that could spoil a day was people and if you could keep from making engagements, each day had no limits. People were always the limiters of happiness except for the very few that were as good as spring itself.”
― Ernest Hemingway, A Moveable Feast
This photo was taken in 2013 during my previous Project 365…please visit my album for this “REMASTERED” Project 365 as I revisit each day of 2013 for additional photos to share!!
Technical Information (or Nerdy Stuff):
Camera - Nikon D5200 (handheld)
Lens – Nikkor 50mm fixed f/1.8
ISO – 125
Aperture – f/1.8
Exposure – 1/1600 second
Focal Length – 50mm
The original RAW file was processed with Adobe Camera Raw and final adjustments were made with Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
And Ref Infierna declares your new reigning tag team champions of the World....DeaD & Katastrophy!
Referee - Infierna Corvinus from ~Infernal Alchemy~.
:FNY: Designs - Horror Scarecrow
=Mirage Treasure Co= - Typewriter - Copper & Brass
ZOND metaphysical - Creepy Doll Zond
Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Siège - Séville (Espagne)
Monumentale salle ovale de style Renaissance, la Salle Capitulaire ou Salle du Chapitre est couronnée d'une coupole elliptique décorée de moulures, de lucarnes rondes et de tableaux de B. Murillo dont l'œuvre majeure est l'Immaculada (Immaculée Conception).
La Cathédrale Notre-Dame du Siège ou Cathédrale de Séville fait l'objet d'un classement en Espagne au titre de Bien d'Intérêt Culturel depuis le 29 décembre 1928.
Elle est déclarée Patrimoine de l'Humanité par l'UNESCO en 1987 et, en 2010 Bien de Valeur Universelle Exceptionnel.
"The abandoned building had a soul, one that was stoic and sober, as if patience was easy for its grand pillars of rock."
-- Angela Abraham
Three bracketed photos were taken with a handheld Nikon D7200 and combined with Photomatix Pro to create this HDR image. Additional adjustments were made in Photoshop CS6.
"For I know the plans I have for you", declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." ~Jeremiah 29:11
The best way to view my photostream is through Flickriver with the following link: www.flickriver.com/photos/photojourney57/
© Sigmund Løland. All Rights Reserved.
The Norwegian Coast Guard on one of their many routine checks.
Mr Trump declares Brexit Britain to be "a blessing for the whole world". Part of that blessing are new UK arms deals with seriously unappetizing regimes
On, it's on
I declare my room a scene
Gone, then gone
It's too much that they say you need
It's not perfection, yeah
How boring if it is
Nothing new for me
Light on up
With everybody watching you
Lights go down
Everything is yours to lose
First dancer takes the floor
Laugh what you can't ignore
What you gonna do?
Taken At Sunnys!
I declare February LOVE, romance and beauty month.
Mon cœur est un bouquet de violettes...
The viola is a large family containing 500 species,they are on record in Greece from the 4th century B.C.
Later in Europe, it was discovered that a plant similar to a viola grew in open areas. The plant found mostly in fields and amongst rocks in the Alps, hence Alpine.
It became known as a wild pansy (French:pensÈe). It might have been a romantic Frenchman who 'named' it... A pensÈe can be a thought or a saying, short or it can be as long as a paragraph, a page, a poem!
Maybe he thought of his loved-one, dried one amongst some book he carried? Juste une pensée… (pansy?) lol.
My MOST viewed image, ever.
These delicately fragrant flowers come in a wonderful variety of colours. The dark centres in some flowers are thought to resemble little faces.
These are a smaller variety (a flower not much bigger than my thumbnail!), that I have in the garden, I could not resist photographing them in the studio...
As always, thanx for your lovely comments and thoughts, M, (*_*)
For more of my other work or if you want to PURCHASE, visit here: www.indigo2photography.com
IT IS STRICTLY FORBIDDEN (BY LAW!!!) TO USE ANY OF MY image or TEXT on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit permission. © All rights reserved
Selma, AL | March 04, 2007
"Here today, I must begin because at the Unity breakfast this morning I was saving for last and the list was so long I left him out after that introduction. So I'm going to start by saying how much I appreciate the friendship and the support and the outstanding work that he does each and every day, not just in Capitol Hill but also back here in the district. Please give a warm round of applause for your Congressman Artur Davis.
It is a great honor to be here. Reverend Jackson, thank you so much. To the family of Brown A.M.E, to the good Bishop Kirkland, thank you for your wonderful message and your leadership.
I want to acknowledge one of the great heroes of American history and American life, somebody who captures the essence of decency and courage, somebody who I have admired all my life and were it not for him, I'm not sure I'd be here today, Congressman John Lewis.
I'm thankful to him. To all the distinguished guests and clergy, I'm not sure I'm going to thank Reverend Lowery because he stole the show. I was mentioning earlier, I know we've got C.T. Vivian in the audience, and when you have to speak in front of somebody who Martin Luther King said was the greatest preacher he ever heard, then you've got some problems.
And I'm a little nervous about following so many great preachers. But I'm hoping that the spirit moves me and to all my colleagues who have given me such a warm welcome, thank you very much for allowing me to speak to you here today.
You know, several weeks ago, after I had announced that I was running for the Presidency of the United States, I stood in front of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois; where Abraham Lincoln delivered his speech declaring, drawing in scripture, that a house divided against itself could not stand.
And I stood and I announced that I was running for the presidency. And there were a lot of commentators, as they are prone to do, who questioned the audacity of a young man like myself, haven't been in Washington too long.
And I acknowledge that there is a certain presumptuousness about this.
But I got a letter from a friend of some of yours named Reverend Otis Moss Jr. in Cleveland, and his son, Otis Moss III is the Pastor at my church and I must send greetings from Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. but I got a letter giving me encouragement and saying how proud he was that I had announced and encouraging me to stay true to my ideals and my values and not to be fearful.
And he said, if there's some folks out there who are questioning whether or not you should run, just tell them to look at the story of Joshua because you're part of the Joshua generation.
So I just want to talk a little about Moses and Aaron and Joshua, because we are in the presence today of a lot of Moseses. We're in the presence today of giants whose shoulders we stand on, people who battled, not just on behalf of African Americans but on behalf of all of America; that battled for America's soul, that shed blood , that endured taunts and formant and in some cases gave -- torment and in some cases gave the full measure of their devotion.
Like Moses, they challenged Pharaoh, the princes, powers who said that some are atop and others are at the bottom, and that's how it's always going to be.
There were people like Anna Cooper and Marie Foster and Jimmy Lee Jackson and Maurice Olette, C.T. Vivian, Reverend Lowery, John Lewis, who said we can imagine something different and we know there is something out there for us, too.
Thank God, He's made us in His image and we reject the notion that we will for the rest of our lives be confined to a station of inferiority, that we can't aspire to the highest of heights, that our talents can't be expressed to their fullest. And so because of what they endured, because of what they marched; they led a people out of bondage.
They took them across the sea that folks thought could not be parted. They wandered through a desert but always knowing that God was with them and that, if they maintained that trust in God, that they would be all right. And it's because they marched that the next generation hasn't been bloodied so much.
It's because they marched that we elected councilmen, congressmen. It is because they marched that we have Artur Davis and Keith Ellison. It is because they marched that I got the kind of education I got, a law degree, a seat in the Illinois senate and ultimately in the United States senate.
It is because they marched that I stand before you here today. I was mentioning at the Unity Breakfast this morning, my -- at the Unity Breakfast this morning that my debt is even greater than that because not only is my career the result of the work of the men and women who we honor here today. My very existence might not have been possible had it not been for some of the folks here today. I mentioned at the Unity Breakfast that a lot of people been asking, well, you know, your father was from Africa, your mother, she's a white woman from Kansas. I'm not sure that you have the same experience.
And I tried to explain, you don't understand. You see, my Grandfather was a cook to the British in Kenya. Grew up in a small village and all his life, that's all he was -- a cook and a house boy. And that's what they called him, even when he was 60 years old. They called him a house boy. They wouldn't call him by his last name.
Sound familiar?
He had to carry a passbook around because Africans in their own land, in their own country, at that time, because it was a British colony, could not move about freely. They could only go where they were told to go. They could only work where they were told to work.
Yet something happened back here in Selma, Alabama. Something happened in Birmingham that sent out what Bobby Kennedy called, 'Ripples of hope all around the world.' Something happened when a bunch of women decided they were going to walk instead of ride the bus after a long day of doing somebody else's laundry, looking after somebody else's children. When men who had PhD's decided that's enough and we're going to stand up for our dignity.
That sent a shout across oceans so that my grandfather began to imagine something different for his son. His son, who grew up herding goats in a small village in Africa could suddenly set his sights a little higher and believe that maybe a black man in this world had a chance.
What happened in Selma, Alabama and Birmingham also stirred the conscience of the nation. It worried folks in the White House who said, “You know, we're battling Communism. How are we going to win hearts and minds all across the world? If right here in our own country, John, we're not observing the ideals set fort in our Constitution, we might be accused of being hypocrites. So the Kennedy's decided we're going to do an air lift. We're going to go to Africa and start bringing young Africans over to this country and give them scholarships to study so they can learn what a wonderful country America is.
This young man named Barack Obama got one of those tickets and came over to this country. He met this woman whose great great-great-great-grandfather had owned slaves; but she had a good idea there was some craziness going on because they looked at each other and they decided that we know that the world as it has been it might not be possible for us to get together and have a child. There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama, because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born. So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama. Don't tell me I'm not coming home to Selma, Alabama.
I'm here because somebody marched. I'm here because you all sacrificed for me. I stand on the shoulders of giants. I thank the Moses generation; but we've got to remember, now, that Joshua still had a job to do. As great as Moses was, despite all that he did, leading a people out of bondage, he didn't cross over the river to see the Promised Land. God told him your job is done. You'll see it. You'll be at the mountain top and you can see what I've promised. What I've promised to Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. You will see that I've fulfilled that promise but you won't go there.
We're going to leave it to the Joshua generation to make sure it happens. There are still battles that need to be fought; some rivers that need to be crossed. Like Moses, the task was passed on to those who might not have been as deserving, might not have been as courageous, find themselves in front of the risks that their parents and grandparents and great grandparents had taken. That doesn't mean that they don't still have a burden to shoulder, that they don't have some responsibilities. The previous generation, the Moses generation, pointed the way. They took us 90% of the way there. We still got that 10% in order to cross over to the other side. So the question, I guess, that I have today is what's called of us in this Joshua generation? What do we do in order to fulfill that legacy; to fulfill the obligations and the debt that we owe to those who allowed us to be here today?
Now, I don't think we could ever fully repay that debt. I think that we're always going to be looking back; but, there are at least a few suggestions that I would have in terms of how we might fulfill that enormous legacy. The first is to recognize our history. John Lewis talked about why we're here today. But I worry sometimes -- we've got black history month, we come down and march every year, once a year, we occasionally celebrate the various events of the civil rights movement, we celebrate Dr. Kings birthday but it strikes me that understanding our history and knowing what it means is an everyday activity.
Now, I don't think we could ever fully repay that debt. I think that we're always going to be looking back, but there are at least a few suggestions that I would have in terms of how we might fulfill that enormous legacy. The first is to recognize our history. John Lewis talked about why we're here today. But I worry sometimes -- we've got black history month, we come down and march every year, once a year. We occasionally celebrate the various events of the Civil Rights Movement, we celebrate Dr. King's birthday, but it strikes me that understanding our history and knowing what it means, is an everyday activity.
Moses told the Joshua generation; don't forget where you came from. I worry sometimes, that the Joshua generation in its success forgets where it came from. Thinks it doesn't have to make as many sacrifices. Thinks that the very height of ambition is to make as much money as you can, to drive the biggest car and have the biggest house and wear a Rolex watch and get your own private jet, get some of that Oprah money. And I think that's a good thing. There's nothing wrong with making money, but if you know your history, then you know that there is a certain poverty of ambition involved in simply striving just for money. Materialism alone will not fulfill the possibilities of your existence. You have to fill that with something else. You have to fill it with the golden rule. You've got to fill it with thinking about others. And if we know our history, then we will understand that that is the highest mark of service.
Second thing that the Joshua generation needs to understand is that the principles of equality that were set fort and were battled for have to be fought each and every day. It is not a one-time thing. I was remarking at the unity breakfast on the fact that the single most significant concern that this justice department under this administration has had with respect to discrimination has to do with affirmative action. That they have basically spent all their time worrying about colleges and universities around the country that are given a little break to young African Americans and Hispanics to make sure that they can go to college, too.
I had a school in southern Illinois that set up a program for PhD's in math and science for African Americans. And the reason they had set it up is because we only had less than 1% of the PhD's in science and math go to African Americans. At a time when we are competing in a global economy, when we're not competing just against folks in North Carolina or Florida or California, we're competing against folks in China and India and we need math and science majors, this university thought this might be a nice thing to do. And the justice department wrote them a letter saying we are going to threaten to sue you for reverse discrimination unless you cease this program.
And it reminds us that we still got a lot of work to do, and that the basic enforcement of anti-discrimination laws, the injustice that still exists within our criminal justice system, the disparity in terms of how people are treated in this country continues. It has gotten better. And we should never deny that it's gotten better. But we shouldn't forget that better is not good enough. That until we have absolute equality in this country in terms of people being treated on the basis of their color or their gender, that that is something that we've got to continue to work on and the Joshua generation has a significant task in making that happen.
Third thing -- we've got to recognize that we fought for civil rights, but we've still got a lot of economic rights that have to be dealt with. We've got 46 million people uninsured in this country despite spending more money on health care than any nation on earth. It makes no sense. As a consequence, we've got what's known as a health care disparity in this nation because many of the uninsured are African American or Latino. Life expectancy is lower. Almost every disease is higher within minority communities. The health care gap.
Blacks are less likely in their schools to have adequate funding. We have less-qualified teachers in those schools. We have fewer textbooks in those schools. We got in some schools rats outnumbering computers. That's called the achievement gap. You've got a health care gap and you've got an achievement gap. You've got Katrina still undone. I went down to New Orleans three weeks ago. It still looks bombed out. Still not rebuilt. When 9/11 happened, the federal government had a special program of grants to help rebuild. They waived any requirement that Manhattan would have to pay 10% of the cost of rebuilding. When Hurricane Andrew happened in Florida, 10% requirement, they waived it because they understood that some disasters are so devastating that we can't expect a community to rebuild. New Orleans -- the largest national catastrophe in our history, the federal government says where's your 10%?
There is an empathy gap. There is a gap in terms of sympathizing for the folks in New Orleans. It's not a gap that the American people felt because we saw how they responded. But somehow our government didn't respond with that same sense of compassion, with that same sense of kindness. And here is the worst part, the tragedy in New Orleans happened well before the hurricane struck because many of those communities, there were so many young men in prison, so many kids dropping out, so little hope.
A hope gap. A hope gap that still pervades too many communities all across the country and right here in Alabama. So the question is, then, what are we, the Joshua generation, doing to close those gaps? Are we doing every single thing that we can do in Congress in order to make sure that early education is adequately funded and making sure that we are raising the minimum wage so people can have dignity and respect?
Are we ensuring that, if somebody loses a job, that they're getting retrained? And that, if they've lost their health care and pension, somebody is there to help them get back on their feet? Are we making sure we're giving a second chance to those who have strayed and gone to prison but want to start a new life? Government alone can't solve all those problems, but government can help. It's the responsibility of the Joshua generation to make sure that we have a government that is as responsive as the need that exists all across America. That brings me to one other point, about the Joshua generation, and that is this -- that it's not enough just to ask what the government can do for us-- it's important for us to ask what we can do for ourselves.
One of the signature aspects of the civil rights movement was the degree of discipline and fortitude that was instilled in all the people who participated. Imagine young people, 16, 17, 20, 21, backs straight, eyes clear, suit and tie, sitting down at a lunch counter knowing somebody is going to spill milk on you but you have the discipline to understand that you are not going to retaliate because in showing the world how disciplined we were as a people, we were able to win over the conscience of the nation. I can't say for certain that we have instilled that same sense of moral clarity and purpose in this generation. Bishop, sometimes I feel like we've lost it a little bit.
I'm fighting to make sure that our schools are adequately funded all across the country. With the inequities of relying on property taxes and people who are born in wealthy districts getting better schools than folks born in poor districts and that's now how it's supposed to be. That's not the American way. but I'll tell you what -- even as I fight on behalf of more education funding, more equity, I have to also say that , if parents don't turn off the television set when the child comes home from school and make sure they sit down and do their homework and go talk to the teachers and find out how they're doing, and if we don't start instilling a sense in our young children that there is nothing to be ashamed about in educational achievement, I don't know who taught them that reading and writing and conjugating your verbs was something white.
We've got to get over that mentality. That is part of what the Moses generation teaches us, not saying to ourselves we can't do something, but telling ourselves that we can achieve. We can do that. We got power in our hands. Folks are complaining about the quality of our government, I understand there's something to be complaining about. I'm in Washington. I see what's going on. I see those powers and principalities have snuck back in there, that they're writing the energy bills and the drug laws.
We understand that, but I'll tell you what. I also know that, if cousin Pookie would vote, get off the couch and register some folks and go to the polls, we might have a different kind of politics. That's what the Moses generation teaches us. Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes. Go do some politics. Change this country! That's what we need. We have too many children in poverty in this country and everybody should be ashamed, but don't tell me it doesn't have a little to do with the fact that we got too many daddies not acting like daddies. Don't think that fatherhood ends at conception. I know something about that because my father wasn't around when I was young and I struggled.
Those of you who read my book know. I went through some difficult times. I know what it means when you don't have a strong male figure in the house, which is why the hardest thing about me being in politics sometimes is not being home as much as I'd like and I'm just blessed that I've got such a wonderful wife at home to hold things together. Don't tell me that we can't do better by our children, that we can't take more responsibility for making sure we're instilling in them the values and the ideals that the Moses generation taught us about sacrifice and dignity and honesty and hard work and discipline and self-sacrifice. That comes from us. We've got to transmit that to the next generation and I guess the point that I'm making is that the civil rights movement wasn't just a fight against the oppressor; it was also a fight against the oppressor in each of us.
Sometimes it's easy to just point at somebody else and say it's their fault, but oppression has a way of creeping into it. Reverend, it has a way of stunting yourself. You start telling yourself, Bishop, I can't do something. I can't read. I can't go to college. I can't start a business. I can't run for Congress. I can't run for the presidency. People start telling you-- you can't do something, after a while, you start believing it and part of what the civil rights movement was about was recognizing that we have to transform ourselves in order to transform the world. Mahatma Gandhi, great hero of Dr. King and the person who helped create the nonviolent movement around the world; he once said that you can't change the world if you haven't changed.
If you want to change the world, the change has to happen with you first and that is something that the greatest and most honorable of generations has taught us, but the final thing that I think the Moses generation teaches us is to remind ourselves that we do what we do because God is with us. You know, when Moses was first called to lead people out of the Promised Land, he said I don't think I can do it, Lord. I don't speak like Reverend Lowery. I don't feel brave and courageous and the Lord said I will be with you. Throw down that rod. Pick it back up. I'll show you what to do. The same thing happened with the Joshua generation.
Joshua said, you know, I'm scared. I'm not sure that I am up to the challenge, the Lord said to him, every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon, I have given you. Be strong and have courage, for I am with you wherever you go. Be strong and have courage. It's a prayer for a journey. A prayer that kept a woman in her seat when the bus driver told her to get up, a prayer that led nine children through the doors of the little rock school, a prayer that carried our brothers and sisters over a bridge right here in Selma, Alabama. Be strong and have courage.
When you see row and row of state trooper facing you, the horses and the tear gas, how else can you walk? Towards them, unarmed, unafraid. When they come start beating your friends and neighbors, how else can you simply kneel down, bow your head and ask the Lord for salvation? When you see heads gashed open and eyes burning and children lying hurt on the side of the road, when you are John Lewis and you've been beaten within an inch of your life on Sunday, how do you wake up Monday and keep on marching?
Be strong and have courage, for I am with you wherever you go. We've come a long way in this journey, but we still have a long way to travel. We traveled because God was with us. It's not how far we've come. That bridge outside was crossed by blacks and whites, northerners and southerners, teenagers and children, the beloved community of God's children, they wanted to take those steps together, but it was left to the Joshua's to finish the journey Moses had begun and today we're called to be the Joshua's of our time, to be the generation that finds our way across this river.
There will be days when the water seems wide and the journey too far, but in those moments, we must remember that throughout our history, there has been a running thread of ideals that have guided our travels and pushed us forward, even when they're just beyond our reach, liberty in the face of tyranny, opportunity where there was none and hope over the most crushing despair. Those ideals and values beckon us still and when we have our doubts and our fears, just like Joshua did, when the road looks too long and it seems like we may lose our way, remember what these people did on that bridge.
Keep in your heart the prayer of that journey, the prayer that God gave to Joshua. Be strong and have courage in the face of injustice. Be strong and have courage in the face of prejudice and hatred, in the face of joblessness and helplessness and hopelessness. Be strong and have courage, brothers and sisters, those who are gathered here today, in the face of our doubts and fears, in the face of skepticism, in the face of cynicism, in the face of a mighty river.
Be strong and have courage and let us cross over that Promised Land together. Thank you so much everybody.
God bless you."
I declare today: Happy Birdie Saturday.
So it is written, so it shall be. ;o)
Go ahead, everyone else is: View large on black
I declare February LOVE, romance and beauty month.
You can see for yourself what these Gerberas were clearly saying!!!
" I AM ALL ABOUT LOVE!" Please, embrace me... I need to feel you...this is wonderful...
Yes I am a confessed old-fashioned romantic and I like it! LOL
VIEW the NEW BOOK and movie:THE MONOCHROMES here: youtu.be/GoOj18_lEVg
I love 'creating' and playing with light in the studio, comp in camera, gives me a real 'PHOTOGRAPHY' buzz, lol, M, (*_*)
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