On this weekend working away in #outsiders: Personal Reflections.

It has been another interesting weekend throughout the #outsider properties.   As the team continued its' ongoing research and development work, there were cries of frustration at the continued misery around our World.

As the work continued, there were also moments of pride.    One of the more interesting developments has been the continued protests in Malaysia.    Malaysia is important as it is part of an emerging project for us here to focus on a group of countries we have deemed "NASIIM"--which in Persian means breeze.   The people of Malaysia have risen against the Prime Minister that has been accused of graft on a massive scale.    There is also the protests in Lebanon as spearheaded by the #YouStink Movement that has galvanized people on the entire political spectrum as the paralysis in Government continues in the shadow of the looming threat in Syria.   This is as our team has been spearheading an assessment of the BRICS--and a contention that BRICS are dying a slow death with the continued challenges in each of the countries.

I also was quite taken aback by the US Political Scene this week.    Our team has been "virtually breathless" as the GOP continues to present an interesting challenge as the "Trump phenomeon" endures--and as HIllary Rodham Clinton continues to be challenged by the rise of Bernie Sanders.    Beyond the political scene (which our team continues to assess), I was distressed by the reports of police officers being gunned down and the distressing and tragic death of the young reporters.     It was quite a tribute to the tenancity of the +Sandy Hook Promise folks that they have endured as they have as I saw this from them:

Before my beautiful butterfly Dylan was taken, I was just like any mom standing behind you in line at the grocery store or next to you on the soccer field cheering on our tiny all-stars.

In the after, I'm a different mom. I'm a mom shopping for back-to-school supplies, still tossing two of everything – pencil cases, glue sticks – into my cart before I remember and put one back. Jake is growing older – now he needs a scientific calculator, a dictionary – but Dylan is frozen in time forever, along with part of me.

The rest of me thaws enough each day to recommit to my promise to both Dylan and Jake: to work for change until there's not another Newtown, Aurora, Charleston or Lafayette. Through Sandy Hook Promise's lifesaving programs, we are making that change happen.

While it still feels awkward to ask supporters like you for money, expanding our programs takes resources. And as millions of children head back to school, it's more critical than ever that we unlock our generous donors' match challenge. We're still $18,802 away from doubling every donation, and we only have until September 1. Please, help protect more children with a gift today.

Click here to contribute $10 or more to Sandy Hook Promise now. Help us reach our $60,000 goal so we can double every gift and protect more children heading back to school.

In the past two-and-a-half years, I've learned we cannot wait for lawmakers to do what we parents do so instinctively: protect our children. We put them in child safety seats. We inoculate them against diseases. We protect them from secondhand smoke.

Here's the good news: There's plenty that we as parents and community leaders can do right where we live to prevent gun violence and save precious lives. Sandy Hook Promise's research-based programs help identify at-risk behaviors, assess and respond to threats, combat social isolation, and empower children and teens to keep one another safe. Our ambitious expansion plan will provide our toolkits to even more schools and youth-serving groups – but only with your support.

Mike, with school buses fueling up and teachers prepping classrooms as we speak, we can't waste a moment. Unlocking this match will mean we can expand our lifesaving programs and spare more parents the incurable anguish of losing a child. Please, will you help with a gift today?

Click here to make your 100% tax-deductible gift of $10 or more to Sandy Hook Promise now. Please, don't miss this chance to double your impact and save countless lives.

Yes, today I am a different mom. But you don't have to be a different parent, grandparent, sibling or friend. No one has to be. Every gun death is preventable – and by supporting Sandy Hook Promise, you are, like me, going forward to make a difference.

I'm so grateful to have you working alongside us to protect all our children and stop the tragic loss of life. Thank you.

With love,

Nicole Hockley (Dylan's mom)

In my private capacity, I have decided to contribute to them.    What happened to them can happen to any of our children.      The team has decided to take on the "Guns" issue in America as a Project. 


It was also a dark weekend for Journalism.     The retrial of the 3 @Al Jazeera Journalists concluded with all three convicted and sentenced to 3 years.    Our team joined the twitter chat (#FreeAJStaff)  yesterday in calling for the convictions to be overturned.   It was of special interest as I saw reports that Mohammad Fahmy has filed a lawsuit against +Al Jazeera English  in Canada for $ 100 Million.   This is also as Jason Rezayian of the Washington Post continues to languish in an Iranian Prison along with Amir Hekmaty and 2 others.    

The plight of the refugees flooding into Europe is also one of the tragedies of our time.   Al Jazeera reported yesterday on the story of two young Syrian Kids who had somehow managed to get Hugarian Residency Papers--but decided to try their luck by somehow figuring out a way to get to Germany.    This is as a I just the latest atrocity out of Syria as the Daesh Gang (also referred to as IS in the West) blew up another temple in Palmyra.    If this does not force folks to wake up, I am not what will:

The difference between a migrant and refugee, in one sentence http://t.co/TtutbMdXvk pic.twitter.com/sYppZ9YVrz

— The Independent (@Independent) August 30, 2015

Thoughts On the #IranDeal & the #Vote4Peace quest

Today was "Community Action Friday" for me.    As part of this, I put together a number of email outreach efforts to three local members of the US House who have declared their oppostion to the Iran Deal.  Here is an excerpt of the email which I sent off to Congressman Lieu's Office earlier today:

I wanted to take this opportunity to reach out to share some thoughts on the Iran with your office.    It has been a whirlwind of a week as the deliberations over the Iran Deal continues on such a "fast and furious" pace.

I was glad to see the Congressman having spent a week in Israel under the auspices of AIPAC.   I have profound concerns, though, in that the view represented by AIPAC is an unfortuante and distorted view of the realities in the Middle East today.   This is underscored by how The current Israeli Prmie Minister has said for over 20 years that Iran is about to have a bomb..and he was an ardent advocate of the Iraq war lending credence to the neo-con position.   The legacy of such advocacy is ever so evident today.

I understand that your office has met with members of our organization: NIAC Action.  This is part of an on-going effort nationwide to advocate for peace.    This is also personal.    I was awestruck was when I saw the story on the Guardian (which I sent forth and also available here by clicking on this link ) on   leading Iranians  earlier this week who came out in support of the deal.  For me personally, it was quite moving when I saw Nasrin Soutodeh who spent three years in prison for simply being a lawyer and many of us did what we could to lend our voice to her plight.   It was heart wrenching to read the her  husband daily notations on Facebook .  It was also quite a feat for me to see the banned Director, Jafar Panahi (and many others) who came out in support of this deal too.   As a side note, his latest film (all taken in a Taxi in Tehran in a hidden camera) won the Berlin Award.    Here is a story on it from the BBC back in February of this year.  

Beyond these, it was also quite amazing as I saw Kohyar Goudarzhi (whose case I have also followed since the advent of the Green Movement) come out in support of the deal as reported in the conservative J-Post earlier this week:

http://m.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran/Ex-Iranian-prisoner-to-Jpost-413427#article=6017RkFCNDlFRjQ4NTFEMzg0QjM5OEUzQTNGOTdFQjNEMjE=

It was also interesting on the reporting this morning on two more folks who came out in support of the deal:

• Pat Buchanan Supporting the Deal: http://m.jpost.com/Middle-East/Iran/Pat-Buchanan-comes-out-strongly-in-favor-of-Iran-nuclear-deal-413110#article=10373NzQxQjcyREZCQzYyM0Q2Qzg3NUU4QThFNkI5MjdFRTQ=
• Barney Frank comes out in Support of the deal: http://forward.com/news/breaking-news/319860/11-jewish-ex-lawmakers-back-iran-deal/

I personally found it quite surprising that Pat Buchanan came out in support of the deal--although I am not sure if he's welcome in the Republican Party of Today as epitomized by the rise of Mr. Trump

It was also of note as a Coalition of 25 Faith Based Organizations sponsored a conference call in which Marie Hart of the State Department was the featured speaker.  Some 600 People joined the call Thursday night.

NIAC Action put together this clip on the continued grass roots effort by Iranian-Americans Throughout the United States on this as the 30th US Senator, Tom Carper, came out in support of the #IranDeal:

Working Away.....

It has been a whirlwind of a day here in #Outsiders.    I caught a brief media availability with Donald Trump after a speech he gave in South Carolina as he continued his standard talking points on Iran and mocked the New York Times.   This is as he continues his battle with Fox and Univision's Jorge Ramos.

As I assessed how Jorge Ramos was handled, the reaction in conservative media such as  Fox News was remarkable.  The called Ramos an "Activist" and not a journalist.    What was even more disturbing was how a supporter of Trump told Jorge Ramos to leave America.    This is as the current GOP contingent seems to be in line with Trump.   Megyn Kelly asked Ted Cruz a simple question:  Would he deport a 12-year child born in the United States?   Cruz's response:  I won't play the game of the mainstream liberal media (and I am paraphrasing--for the record).   It seems to me that he has no vision of governing--only his perception of what conservatism is.    In the World of "Cruz", no one else counts unless you sign on to his brand of "conservatism".  

As I was reflecting upon this,  what was clear to me is that folks don't seem to realize the sway that Jorge Ramos has.     It was even  especially hilarious to hear it from Sean Hannity who may consider himself a journalist--but he has epitomized the meaning of activism with how he has conducted himself on the air with direct support from Fox News.  

It was also heartbreaking as the World was witness to two young journalists shot to death.  I sent out a note of condolence to Alison Parker's fiancee earlier today.     On the same day a Louisana Policy Officer was shot to death while responding to a domestic disturbance.    Although expressions of sympathy are welcome, there needs to be more.     The team will be on the prowl on this.   There are too many such stories--many of them that goes unreported.