The last few weeks have been a political whirlwind of astonishing news coming out of the U.S., followed by outrage, disbelief, but also amazing displays of protests & solidarity by people not only in the U.S. but around the world. Still, it's been hard to know what to do, to figure out what is actually effective and make an impact.

That's why I think my friend Rachel's decision to hold a fundraiser for the American Civil Liberties Union is amazing. She's gotten together over 20 artists in Berlin to donate works which will be up for auction this Sunday at Decad, and pulled together a few people to help make it happen (me included).

If you've wanted to take a stand against the gross violations of civil rights that have been happening in the U.S., this is a way you can do it -- and get some art to decorate your apartment. I know mine could use some! Even if you don't think you can bid, come and get some coffee and cake (I'll be baking) or wine & beer, those small donations help too.

Details:

Silent Art Auction for ACLU (More details on Facebook, please share!)
Sunday, February 26th, 2017 3-6pm
Decad, Gneisenaustraße 52, 10961 Berlin (U7 Südstern)

UPDATE (March 1, 2017):

There are still a few works available. If you couldn't make it and regrets not bidding on the art, you can still make a donation (50 euro or higher) and receive a work on paper. There are images of the available works via Dropbox here. Some excerpted below for your perusal! Leave a comment below with contact info or DM me on Twitter.

HuanDao: a modern exploration of identity

My younger sister SueAnn has launched a really exciting project to document the journey of riding through the entire island of Taiwan, where our parents emigrated from. Instead of backpacking through Europe or journeys of self-discovery (says the 30-year-old on sabbatical) like recent college grads do, she's put together a meaningful way to explore identity and the differences between the US and Taiwan. You don't have take my word for it, here's the fancy Kickstarter video:

If you want to find out more (or want to read it in Chinese!) SueAnn and her fellow producers have put together a great multilingual website about the documentary: HuanDao Documentary

Rooster Soup in Philadelphia

This is the best kind of social entrepeneurship that I can imagine — taking the waste (who knew there was such a thing as chicken backs?) from Federal Donuts as the base for another endeavor, Rooster Soup, creating jobs and profit to support the work of the non-profit Broad Street Ministries. Best of all, it's happening in the city-of-my-heart Philadelphia, which is an amazing laboratory for great ideas like this one.

I just chipped in $20, and I can't wait to pick up my 3 donuts the next time I'm in town.

MayDay PAC

I'm a little bit behind the curve on this one. MayDay PAC has been flying around the internet, its idea being to end the influence of big money in politics by using money to help candidates win who support getting money out. It's already hit the $5M goal, but I just threw a few more their way, since every dollar is being matched by some wealthy altruists -- putting their dollars against their own interests for the public good.

Here's a video, and if you prefer reading, a write-up on MSNBC.

Seriously?! This is absurd.

Yes, I am punishing California

Reply to: pers-922101876@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-11-16, 9:04PM

Hello My Children. I just want to clear the air a bit.

Many of you have heard that the wildfires in California recently are my doing, out of displeasure for the passing of Proposition 8. I write today to let you know that this is true. Let me explain.

When I created you, and the world for your pleasure and sustenance, I did so with great love. I wanted you to be happy, and to prosper. I gave this all to you with very few conditions. But I did insist these conditions be met. I asked you be fruitful and multiply, and to nourish and replenish the earth. I also asked you to love one another, as I have loved you. How well you kept up your part of the bargain is, well let's just say it's been hit and miss.

You've multiplied, but paid little attention to caring for your wonderful planet. You pollute the skies and waters at will, and pay each other large sums of money to come up with reasons why pollution is necessary. Some of you love each other, but many of you spend so much of your time and energy on ways to hate others, and deny them the same bountiful fruits of life that I wanted you all to have.

This greatly displeases me.

More than two thousand years ago, I sent my only son to you with a mission: to teach you to love again. While today you make laws that make your fellow citizens less than yourselves, unequal to yourselves, reflect for a bit on what my son did with his time on earth. While teaching and imploring you to love one another, he socialized with and assisted the most hated segments of society. Prostitutes. The poor. Homosexuals. Wherever the downtrodden, the forgotten were, there he was. He was trying to tell you something then, but you didn't learn it. Even after they savagely took his life, you didn't learn it.

So when you passed yet another sweeping judgement against your brothers and sisters, I could not hold back any longer. I let the fires burn to remind you what your future is if you let your own fires of a hateful, fearfull heart rage unabated. I let things smolder so that you could see what you will reap from your hard heared intolerance. You will reap ashes.

But I still love you, and you have an opportunity to change. You see, if I chose to, I could wipe earth clean again and start fresh.

However, I don't want to. I am the quintessential optimist. I believe that love will eventually reign.

My children, please prove me right. Stop hating your brothers and sisters for whom they choose to love and commit to in a life relationship. For, as my son said, when you do that to the least of them among you - you do it unto me.

• Location: God
• it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Original URL:http://saltlakecity.craigslist.org/rnr/922101876.html