Tag Archives: Conscience

POEM: Catchy Zzzz’s

I see much of life as a struggle to maintain a vigorous consciousness and cultivate a vital, life-affirming conscience. I see the powers that be as offering a vain, numbing “contentment,” free of inconvenient or uncomfortable realities. Security becomes distancing … Continue reading

Posted in Poems, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

POEM: Believe Ability

As you may know, I am a convicted felon, for refusing to register for the military draft, way back in the 1980’s when draft registration was reinstituted. I found such a mandate offensive to my conscience and world peace. I … Continue reading

Posted in About Top Pun, Peace, Poems, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

POEM: Blessed Be Our Creator (Not There’s)

In times of war or national revenge, demonization of one’s foes is standard operating procedure, necessary for justifying mass killing and destruction of civilian infrastructure, let alone civilians. This hole affair is all the more disgusting when it is dressed … Continue reading

Posted in Anti-War, Peace, Poems, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

POEM: Tears in My Soul

This poem is a mournful riff on the destructive grievance politics of the so-called right. Of course, what is left is left, with love and hope remaining to knit life wince agin. Tears in My Soul Where divides multiply As … Continue reading

Posted in Poems, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

POEM: Made Passable

1984 may be voted the most likely to be a “Groundhog Year,” repeated over and over and over. The book, 1984, by George Orwell, written in the aftermath of World War II, is a stark warning about authoritarianism that holds … Continue reading

Posted in Poems, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

POEM: Five Cops – a Plea

I am heartened to see the DOJ open a federal civil rights investigation into the murder of Tyree Nichols in Memphis months ago. Five Cops – a Plea Five police officers Killed Tyree Nichols In Memphis Making traffic stop And … Continue reading

Posted in News, Poems | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Testimony for National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service — END DRAFT REGISTRATION

I prepared the below testimony to present at a public meeting in Chicago before the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service, a commission created by Congress to deal with questions of draft registration, most specifically, whether to end … Continue reading

Posted in About Top Pun, Anti-War, Health, News, Peace, Peace Signs, Political Action, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

FREE MLK POSTER: Martin Luther King, Jr. Quote – TIMELESS and TIMELY Questions of Cowardice, Expediency, Vanity, and Conscience

As Martin Luther King Day approaches this year, I was struck by the timelessness and timeliness of this MLK quote: Cowardice asks, “Is it safe?” Expediency asks, “Is it politic?” Vanity asks, “Is it popular?” But Conscience asks, “Is it right?” … Continue reading

Posted in Free Stuff | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Spiritual Autobiography

I wrote the below spiritual autobiography a dozen years ago as part of a servant leadership study group.  While it definitely needs updating, it serves well as a brief overview of my spiritual history and development over much of my … Continue reading

Posted in About Top Pun, Anti-War, Gay, Health, News, Peace, Poems, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Chris Hedges’ Interviews Noam Chomsky on Precarious State of America

Once again, Chris Hedges nails it in his article, Noam Chomsky Has ‘Never Seen Anything Like This,’ discussing the precarious state of the current American political landscape and bringing to bear Chomsky’s rigorous and insightful analysis over the last several generations: … Continue reading

Posted in News, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Human Rights are Universal and Inalienable, Interdependent and Indivisible, Equal and Nondiscriminatory

Human rights are inherent to all human beings. PERIOD. Human rights are universal and inalienable, meaning that such rights cannot be taken away based on what people do.  Human rights are interdependent and indivisible, meaning that they work together as a whole, … Continue reading

Posted in Health, Peace, Political Action, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

POEM: Another Martyr Bides The Dust

Another martyr bides the dust And I was a stray Beside myself In the fog Of yet another mourning The missed over my heart Feeling only that ephemeral beaten The wait on my brain Fueled into thinking of the dread … Continue reading

Posted in Anti-War, News, Peace, Poems, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

POEM: The Iconoclassism of Godliness

She was in A class by her self Staring at her teacher In a too room school hows By two mirror subjects taut Assure as three Bound by know Student lones Only that body Of know ledge From the school … Continue reading

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

POEM: Signs of The Tines

At the White House speak easy Blah blah blah blah blah blah The media drinks it up At a mine-blowingly vapid clip In the mean time On the plantation Grounds to a halt Surrounded by offense In arose guardin’ At … Continue reading

Posted in About Top Pun, Anti-War, Peace, Poems, Political Action, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

POEM: What If Everybody Did That?

Such sophistry Firmly on the bench But What if Everybody did that Judging propriety Smudging property An intolerable act My conscience He decreed Must fall Into line With Kant Where every reason Reduced to rant It’s the leash they can … Continue reading

Posted in About Top Pun, News, Poems, Political Action, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER: A Christian Perspective on Justice

Here is a portion of a document that I drafted a couple of years ago while I was a board member of Toledo Area Ministries (TAM).  It was never adopted in any form, but I put a lot of work … Continue reading

Posted in About Top Pun, Peace, Political Action, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Another Bastard for Birth Control

Today, a couple hundred people gathered outside the Lucas County Courthouse in Toledo, Ohio, to demonstrate about religious freedom and healthcare in America.  Most of the crowd was organized by the effort to repeal President Barack Obama’s so-called Obama care, … Continue reading

Posted in Health, News, Political Action | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Religious Liberty, Conscience Exemptions for Everything

With the Obama administration’s recent rules requiring organizations owned by religious groups to provide contraceptive coverage as part of their employees’ health insurance, conservative groups and the Roman Catholic Church have gotten all their panties in a bunch, which is … Continue reading

Posted in Health, News, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Birth Control as a Human Right – Toledo Protest

On Friday, February 6, about a dozen protesters gathered outside St. Anne’s Hospital on Secor Road in Toledo, Ohio.  This protest was organized by the Toledo Chapter of the National Organization for Women (see Toledo NOW facebook page), it also … Continue reading

Posted in Health, Political Action, Political and Philosophical Musings | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment