Category: Uncategorized

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15% voter turnout

I enjoyed participating in a panel discussion this week in Newark about voting. It was sad but unsurprising to learn that in the last local election, only 15% of Newarkers came out to vote. Why is that unsurprising to me? Because I’ve heard the people who tell me that the candidates don’t listen to them, don’t represent them, don’t care about them. I’ve heard the people who told me they are spending so much time and energy just trying to survive that they can’t deal with all the political games and propaganda out there. I’ve heard people tell me that government is not about or for them. They’re right.

There were Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, Greens and Independents at this forum and many seemed to agree that the establishment and its duopoly are problematic. Time to return power to the people.

I was also so glad to meet some of the amazing Newarkers who are activists working to make a difference in their communities. They are the leaders we should be supporting and following, not the politicians. I’m looking forward to working with them more in future.

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Greens support those affected by Dover fire

Sometimes a place is just a place. And sometimes you find that a place has seeped into you and become a part of you. You feel that a piece of your heart has been left there, added to all the other pieces of many other hearts, and so you have in return become a part of that place as well.

For me, this includes a variety of places, but few as meaningfully as the town of Dover, New Jersey, in my county. Whenever I have been in need of friendship or compassion or support or uplifting or something to eat, the people of Dover have delivered without even being asked, even when they didn’t know me.

And so my heart goes out to all of those who were affected by the fire that happened there on Monday. Some 80 people were displaced by this fire, but the generosity and love of the community ensured that they had places to stay (hotels, the community center, the homes of friends, family, or even strangers) and emergency provisions. But the road to recovery will be long and expensive for these people, many of whom were struggling even before this.

In Dover, the local Green Party chapter and I are working with local friends and one of the churches to provide clothing, toiletries, and other necessary items while also collecting donations of cash to help secure new homes and replace important documents and other items.  This help does not go to any of the big agencies but directly to the people affected.

We need as much help as we can get, and so I ask you to provide any amount you can, whether in money, e-gift or regular gift cards, or other kinds of donations. Please email me at theresa@markila.com to learn more, or use this email address to donate by Paypal.

Thank you, with love, for your ongoing support and generosity.

See https://patch.com/new-jersey/morristown/6-businesses-totally-destroyed-dover-fire-prosecutor?fbclid=IwAR1JsiDPWEBZ0Tvaqk_wCQfG__jZ1zFrq5PxNLFjmW2lj44ZtXtUl-y0XcI

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Day of Action because Families Belong Together

It is strange for me to not be at an action today, as I usually am. I’m on a much-needed vacation weekend, but the struggle cannot take days off. The people in limbo or in detention or separated from their families and in fear due to our unjust and racist immigration system aren’t okay with waiting around for their rights and freedoms. So I am there with you all in spirit, and I am taking some time for work I can do from afar, and I encourage all of you to find an event near you and do something today to show your support and to make change.
 
 
For those who don’t know, I’m an immigrant from Canada who had to wait for DOMA to fall before I could apply to immigrate here on a marriage visa. I believe strongly in immigrant justice and in providing pathways to citizenship for anyone. And deeper, I believe in a world without borders where we can all freely live and thrive according to our own needs.
 
I believe in decolonization, in ecosocialism, in ending white supremacy and patriarchy, in abolishing the police and ICE, in universal single-payer healthcare, in quality education for all, in tearing down our current corrupt, corporate, capitalist system in favor of a world where we can all decide our fates, and where we can all be fulfilled and healthy. I believe we can achieve this, but I fear there is not enough time left.
 
That’s why I will fight with every breath and every step and every beat of my heart until the last day. For my community and for all communities, for our shared humanity and beautiful diversity, here and around the world. Incremental change and “vote for a bad candidate who is more likely to listen to you than the other bad candidates” is killing us all. We need to see the forests as well as the trees. I hope you will join our causes.
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People are people

Undocumented people are not animals. They’re not “illegals”. They are individual human beings moving to find a safe place to live and raise a family and work and build community, most often because they have no choice if they want to protect themselves and their children and have opportunities to thrive and succeed. If there is no legal path for a desperate person to go through, they will flee in whatever other way they can, the same as any other parent around the world. You would do the same.

All people are created equal and have the same human rights. Religions tell us that. Morality and decency tell us that. Even our U.S. Constitution specifies all people, not all Americans. We are all family, whatever imaginary lines in the earth we happened to have been born in.

Saying that we shouldn’t call members of the undocumented population (or any human beings) “animals” is not a defense of MS13. It’s a defense of humanity.

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Ramadan Mubarak

Ramadan Mubarak to all my Muslim friends and those around the world. May you see peace and love.

This is a time for reflection and giving and healing and sacrifice. Muslims believe that following these practices during Ramadan will lead to self-purification, self-control and bring them closer to Allah, which some may call God or love or countless other names.

Each year, I do something personally meaningful for me in solidarity with my Muslim friends and siblings and to work on my own negative patterns, biases, and behaviors, and re-connect with the people I care about and all of our greater family of humanity around the world.

This past year was both a particularly difficult one and a particularly wonderful one, on a personal level. For Ramadan this year, I am sacrificing some of my time to meditate every day, to grieve and move on from the losses that haunt me and to find ways to remove jealousy, anger, and other negative thoughts, while appreciating the generosity and love of friends, and strengthening my resolve to live and love selflessly, openly, and honestly.

Those who know me will understand how much of a challenge it will be to find 10 or 20 minutes each day to be quiet and still.

💚🌈