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Progressive Values Stories: Mary Jacobs on the Golden Rule and Respect
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The Golden Rule is of no use to you whatever unless you realize it is your move. Frank Crane
I interviewed Mary Jacobs in Los Angeles, California at a convention for California Democratic Clubs. At first she brought up the Golden Rule as a progressive value. She connected that to the importance of respecting all people. She told a story of how, at the age of 9 years old, she used a bit of violence to stand up to disrespect.
Progressive Values Stories: Mary L Jacobs on the Golden Rule and Respect
I’m from Chicago, have lived in East L.A. for the last 30 years. I’m a substitute teacher for the L.A. Unified School District. I became politically active in 1987 when I had a spiritual message awakening to tell the world about nuclear annihilation.
Progressive values are human values: that we value human beings, life in the sense to make life easier for everybody – actually if you believe in any religion, they tell you to be good to the poor, to not steal – like the corporations steal – they tell you not to lie – let’s talk about Bush! I mean, the corruption. If you really want to get into the Ten Commandments. That’s a very progressive agenda, believe it or not.The value is how you want to be treated – the Golden Rule. Do unto others as you would do unto yourself. Respect for others. Respect for their thinking, their philosophy, religion, country, land. You don’t let people invade your land like we did to Iraq. Respect the rule of the Constitution, or whatever is left of our U.S. Constitution. Respect.
Edwin: Did you learn an early lesson regarding respect as a value?
My father was at the kitchen table. He did a lot of philosophizing at the table when I was six. My sister and I were there, and my dad said “Okay, come here, Mary, come here Donna. I want you all to put your arm out. Come on. Okay, you’re white. Your Chinese. You could be Negro. Okay, same family, we all have different tones of skin. We’re all one underneath. Our blood’s the same color, and our hearts are the same, we’re human beings. We’re all the same. Just my color of skin is different than yours”.
And that’s when I learned about respect. When I was at the kitchen table with my dad, talking about skin color.
I don’t know, this is kind of an interesting respect story, but I’m not sure. My mother and I were visiting my Polish grandmother, and she had kind of a boyfriend. We were sort of visiting, and I didn’t like him. His name was Mike, and she was in the living room, and suddenly he calls her “you bitch”, and I was nine, and I went over and hit him.
And when my grandmother died she gave me her diamond earrings. She had three other grandchildren she could have given it too, but she gave it to me because she knew I really loved her. And that’s respect. Of course, it’s not exactly a peaceful thing to do, but I respected my grandmother, and no one’s going to talk to my grandmother that way. So I hit him.
Definition of The Golden Rule
- a basic principle which should always be followed.
- a command based on Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount;
"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12)
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/golden+rule
http://www.onelook.com/?w=golden+rule&ls=aAt Wikipedia
The ethic of reciprocity or the Golden Rule is a fundamental moral value which simply means "treat others as you would like to be treated." It is arguably the most essential basis for the modern concept of human rights. Principal philosophers and religious figures have stated it in different ways. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethic_of_reciprocity
In Ancient Greek philosophy
"What you wish your neighbors to be to you, such be also to them." (Sextus the Pythagorean)
"Do not to your neighbor what you would take ill from him." (Pittacus)
"Avoid doing what you would blame others for doing." (Thales)
"Do not do to others what would anger you if done to you by others." (Isocrates)
"The suffering you try to avoid do not try to impose on others." (Epictetus)
Some Questions To Ponder:
- What does the golden rule mean to you?
- Do you have a personal story or anecdote of how you learned some insight into this value?
- How does this progressive value differ from conservative values?
- How have conservative values failed?
- How would you improve these Progressive Values Stories?
More Progressive Values Stories:
Edwin Rutsch
What Are Progressive Values? Documentary Project
http://ProgressiveSpirit.com
and Study Group
kid oakland does it again.
time to take a stand.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4...
fyi -Drudge is also reporting the Carter/Gore pending endorsement. Please let it be!!!
The foremost progressive value for this particular election is to win.
Do progressives really think that with another war and McCain loomin on the horizon, that the thing to do is to talk about our values?
Can we just kick the pidaddle out of them first, and then talk about values?
10:53 PM EDT
local BC kids win it in Denver:
http://www.localnews8.com/global/story.asp?s=8158594
Boston College 4 Notre Dame 1
Associated Press - April 12, 2008 10:33 PM ET
DENVER (AP) - Nathan Gerbe picked up the hardware that really counts.
Boston College is the NCAA champion in men's hockey after Gerbe scored twice and added two assists in the Eagles' 4-1 win over Notre Dame at Denver.
...
Boston College has lost the previous two NCAA finals and hadn't captured the championship since 2001. The Eagles also won the title in 1949.
I thought this headline was from "The Onion", but m'God, it's for real:
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/...
"Clinton portrays herself as a pro-gun churchgoer"
This woman will just say ANYTHING. Amazing.
Thks to all who told poor ole me how to post a picture. I'll be doing more of that, now.
-- volney
volney - Did you watch JedReport's video? In four minutes she used American/America 18 times. What a hoot.
Here's Jed's fine work:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/12/...
Yay! Success!!!
This is Jerome Bettis, Franco Harris and Sen. Casey with Obama. They've been touring all over PA as I hoped they would.
There are MANY voters in western PA who revere Bettis and Harris more than any superdelegate you could wish for.
I love the little blue "terrible towels", a really nice touch.
Bettis, BTW, used to be a GOP.
This just does my heart good. PA is going to be close. I don't think what Obama said lost him a single vote b/c the people who would be offended by what he said won't be voting for him anyway.
-- volney
Comments from around the blogosphere on Bitter-gate.
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/4...
volney - My son has a signed Bettis jersey given to him by his uncle - it's one of the kid's prized possessions.
Edwin,
There is some kind of wonderful that comes over me when I watch these videos. It's an experence that I have yet to find the words to describe.
Thank you.
----
"You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt lose its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven." ~quote by Jeshua Ben Joseph first century spiritual teacher as written in the book of Matthew.
---
A metaphoric symbol in the spiritual memory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fleur_de_ly...
Intresting how many ways one tiny crew can mess up a blog. Now the sidebar's at the bottom.
moths in your antique oriental rugs
puddle,
I think there is some hidden sub-text in Edwin's post after the fold or in one of comment posts. It happen sometime when the text has been transfered from another program. It doesn't always show up on foxfire or safari. The blog's rich text setting can be rather touchy at times.
Jo,
Thank you for your response.
It appears I owe an apology to a number of people and so I want to say I'm sorry if I hurt or offended anyone here. I will cease doing so immediately. I certainly don't want to be condescending, as most, if not all the bloggers here are much more politically astute than I.
In addition, I think it might be best if I stopped posting anything about Obama and perhaps just do D&G from time to time.
Carry on, good bloggers, hopefully to a democratic victory in Nov.
Ånd again, please accept my apologies.
Thanks seashell. Apology accepted.
I'm glad that folks took the time to write how they felt and you realize that it was true and heartfelt.
Clinton and Sen. John McCain, along with other GOP leaders and pundits, pounced via a blizzard of statements, declaring that Obama was an elitist talking down to middle America. The remarks were a welcome distraction for Clinton, who has been trying to fend off Obama in Pennsylvania and keep her nomination hopes alive.
But Obama campaign officials worry more about the guns and religion references as ripe GOP fodder that could haunt their candidate if he wins the Democratic nomination. Essentially, Obama was describing Reagan Democrats, the ultimate general election swing voters.
Obama was spot on in his comments and those "offended", weren't going to vote for him anyway.
I'm lookin for 27 words on the economy to fit into my Statement of Principles project for our platform.
anyone?
in the interest of not overloading my list, I've only put this up on BFA.
The exchange and trade of goods and services is a uniquely human enterprise which society needs to regulate because humans also seem uniquely inclined to cheat.
That's only 26 words, phil. maybe you can stuff in another adjective. lol
BTW, if one is committed to the proposition that some people are inferior/subordinate and others are superior/elite, then it follows logically that people who refuse to be subordinate must be elite. So, the Clintons are quite correct in calling Barack Obama elite. Nevertheless, calling people names is not nice and anyone brought up in the mid-western middle class should know that without being told. It would seem that Hillary Clinton's mid-western upbringing didn't stick. Bill Clinton, of course, is an Arkansas hick who doesn't even know better than not to point with his finger.
I really dislike this version of the Golden Rule:
do to others what you would have them do to you,
It doesn't take into account that others might not want to be done to--that others' preferences might well be contrary to one's own.
Participation in productive action seems helpful to the pursuit of happiness, and the people demand structure in our economy that guarantees fair renumeration for services and products.
Monica, that is a great tune to start my Sunday morning with. thank you!
perhaps the golden rule should be:
do not do to others what you wouldn't want done to you. wait - oops - nope! I can imagine some of the things which people like having done to themselves just might not be suitable for everyone!!!
then how about:
treat every living thing as if they were the most precious thing on earth.
seashell - thank you for responding and thank you for being here, through thick and thin. I apologise if any of my comments have been hurtful or out of line. passions do run high when so much is at stake.
this morning I reread the beginning of the preface to the 2004 edition of Obama's book, Dreams from My Father. He referenced the same bitterness there - I'll try to get time later to find it or to type it up and post it. this man is so sensitive to what is happening in this world - to real people's lives and their hopes and feelings. not in a passive way but in an understanding way. I think that's why we see him respond so quickly when he's being misinterpreted or spun. his writing is superb and he must be one of the best communicators I've ever encountered.
thank you, Senator Obama. whatever the outcome of this election, you have elevated the comversation in this country. and you've proven that investment in the 50 state strategy is wise, working and will have a place in dem politics for a long time to come!
thanks Susan, I appreciate you having been a supporter of the progressive values project from the beginning. there's a lot more to come.. edwin
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By Phil Specht on Apr 12, 2008 10:19 PM EDTHoward Dean is first.