FUTURE FORUMS

"The Texas-Based Initiative at Five Years" is the subject of a forum Tuesday evening , July 1, 2003. Speakers will be Samantha Smoot, executive director of the Texas Freedom Network and Denise Edwards from Representative Chet Edwards office in Washington. more info....

Prior to the Franklin Graham Festival in September, our Interfaith Alliance will host a forum on the relationship between Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Given the Rev. Graham's consistently negative portrayal of Islam, we are asking, "How many Gods are we talking about?"

AFFIRMING ALL GOD'S CHILDREN

Believing "We the People" too often leaves a few out, we join with Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and Tulsa Oklahomans for Human Rights (TOHR) in calling on the City of Tulsa to enact human rights ordinances to ensure Tulsa is a welcoming and safe place for all. It is tragic that many in our community face discrimination, hate speech and violence solely because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

We call on authorities in Tulsa area school districts to assure every school provides a safe environment conducive to learning for all students. And we call on our friends, families, neighbors and colleagues to work to dismantle every vestige of hatred and discrimination in our laws and society. Copies of the pledge may be obtained from PFLAG, PO Box 52800, Tulsa, OK 74152.

WHAT THE AMERICAN FLAG STANDS FOR

by Charlotte Aldebron

The American flag stands for the fact that cloth can be very important. It is against the law to let the flag touch the ground or to leave the flag flying when the weather is bad. The flag has to be treated with respect.

You can tell just how important this cloth is because when you compare it to people, it gets much better treatment. Nobody cares if a homeless person touches the ground. A homeless person can lie all over the ground all night long without anyone picking him up, folding him neatly and sheltering him from the rain.

School children have to pledge loyalty to this piece of cloth every morning. No one has to pledge loyalty to justice and equality and human decency. No one has to promise that people will get a fair wage, or enough food to eat, or affordable medicine, or clean water, or air free of harmful chemicals. But we all have to promise to love a rectangle of red, white, and blue cloth.

Betsy Ross would be quite surprised to see how successful her creation has become. But Thomas Jefferson would be disappointed to see how little of the flag’s real meaning remains.

Charlotte Aldebron, 12, wrote this essay for a competition in her 6th grade English class. She attends Cunningham Middle School in Presque Isle, Maine. Comments may be sent to her mom, Jillian Aldebron: aldebron@ainop.com

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world…"

—Margaret Mead

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