Working Away w/Notations For the W-End: on #Iran, @POTUS, #Yazidis & Other Thoughts.....

It was another insightful day of service and reflection.    For me, it began as I joined the youth of the Aliso Niguel Second Harvest Food Bank Club on a morning of service as we helped harvest onions, squash,  and green beans:



As I worked away, it was a marvel to be witness to how people come out as they are supporting the Second Harvest Food Bank's Incredible Edible Farm.     I have learnt so much about farming from the Second Harvest' Raul in understanding the basics of farming--I don't mind noting that I was exhausted after the 2 hours I spent there.

After pulling myself together, I worked away doing some work at the Daily Outsider and other projects before heading out to attend a lecture by Professor Touraj Darayee of UC Irvine--one of the preeminent scholars of Iranian History.   The insights he shared with the audience blew me away--stories that have to be told.    We have to embrace history and be prepared for it to evolve--I could not agree with him more.

As Pandora plays in the  background, I also had a chance to pick up President Obama's commencement address at Howard University: 

He was in his element--for sure.         If anyone has 45 minutes, it is worth listening to.   For me, though, what I found especially heartening as I worked away was the courageous stance by Mitt Romney that he has taken against Donald Trump.      I made it a point of visiting Mitt Romney's Facebook wall to thank him for the courageous stance he has taken.   It is true that he praised Donald Trump in 2012--however as Professor Daraye reminded us, we have to be prepared for history to evolve.       What is problematic about Mr. Trump is what Mr. Romney noted as "trickle down racism" that is at the heart of the campaign as Mr. Trump has been relentless in attacks against all and asking the GOP to "Man Up".

As I finish off these thoughts, what continues to sustain me and give me hope is to be witness to what I saw today at The Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County's Incredible Edible Farm and what I saw today at Professor Darayee's Lecture.       It was thereafter quite timely as this hit the inbox for #Outsiders which I wanted to share--and the image put forth by +Jonathan Huie and his team as this was sent out was from a Yazidi Refugee Camp (and I was so glad to see that Amal Clooney will be bringing a case before the International Criminal Court to highlight the plight of the Yazidis):

 

I think it better to do right, even if we suffer in so doing,

than to incur the reproach of our consciences and posterity.

- Robert E. Lee

'Tis the business of little minds to shrink,

but they whose heart is firm,

and whose conscience approves their conduct,

will pursue their principles unto death.

- Thomas Paine

The man who has won millions at the cost of his conscience is a failure.

- B. C. Forbes

There are only two ways to achieve happiness on this terrestrial ball.

One is to have a clear conscience,

and the other is to have no conscience at all.

- Ogden Nash (paraphrase)

Cowardice asks the question - is it safe?

Expediency asks the question - is it politic?

Vanity asks the question - is it popular?

But conscience asks the question - is it right?

And there comes a time when one must take a position

that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular;

but one must take it BECAUSE it is right.

- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Onward to the new week with all its' possiblities.....