This is what the NRA (and Congress) enables

It was another case of a bad guy with a gun. Today, a Philadelphia area defendant pleaded guilty to aggravated assault for an incident last summer in which he shot into a crowd during an argument about drugs, injuring two people, including his mother, who was caught in the crossfire. The shooter was wheelchair-bound, and managed to shoot with his right hand while steering his wheelchair with his left.

Perhaps most alarming, though, is that the defendant has a long criminal history. He was a convicted felon prior to this shooting and should not have had a gun.

If we had reasonable gun restrictions in place, including mandatory background checks for all gun purchases, this shooting might not have happened.

But the NRA, which aggressively lobbies against universal background checks, seems to want unfettered access to deadly weapons for all. That's not surprising, considering that the CEOs of two gun manufacturing companies sit on its board of directors. Weeding out the bad guys would weed out some profits.

So they preach that "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun." But where was the armed good guy when this felon shot his mom? And if there had been a good guy there with a gun, how many other innocent bystanders might have been caught up in the additional crossfire?

To the NRA, it seems, profits from gun sales are more valuable than human lives. Ditto Congress, as long as they continue to serve the NRA instead of their constituents.

And so this stuff keeps happening.

Quick and easy ways to help the Oklahama tornado victims

The victims of yesterday's devastating tornado in Oklahoma need our help.

Here are two reputable organizations that are coming to their aid, and how you can make a contribution:

1. American Red Cross: The Red Cross was very kind to me when I lost my home to a fire 12 years ago. Now they are busily assisting the Oklahoma tornado victims.

To make an automatic $10 donation using your cell phone, text RED CROSS to 90999. The $10 will be charged to your phone bill.

Or, you can contribute online here.

2. Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma: This organization is coordinating efforts with other disaster relief agencies in that state to provide food and water for those in need.

To make an automatic $10 donation using your cell phone, text FOOD to 32333. The $10 will be charged to your phone bill.

Or, you can contribute online here.

Thank you!

Vermont's new choice for death with dignity

On May 13, the Vermont state legislature passed a bill that legalizes physician-assisted suicide for terminally ill patients whose suffering has become unbearable but who are capable of making an informed consent on their own behalf. Governor Peter Shumlin has indicated that he will sign the bill into law.

In passing this bill, Vermont becomes the fourth U.S. state to allow physician-assisted suicide, and the first to do so via legislation. Oregon and Washington enacted similar measures via voter referenda in 1994 and 2008, respectively. In Montana, a 2009 court ruling declared it legal.

Opponents of the legislation argue that it could give family members a tool to do away with an inconveniently ill family member and speed up the inheritance process. They seem to ignore the informed consent requirement. And, despite concerns by opponents of the Oregon law who feared that it would lead to a widespread rush to death, that has hardly been the case. In Oregon in 2012, for example, prescriptions for lethal medications were written for a mere 115 patients, resulting in a total of 77 known deaths. That's an average of about 2.35 assisted suicides per 1,000 total deaths in that state. These patients found a quick, painless, and certain end to their intolerable suffering, and were spared weeks or months of agony. And their families were spared the anguish of watching their loved ones suffer a painful and prolonged death.

In addition to these four U.S. states, physician-assisted suicide is currently legal in Belgium, Colombia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. Everywhere else, the terminally ill are forced to endure sometimes horrific pain at the end of life, or end their misery with a plastic bag, a noose, or other undignified means. And those sad, desperate acts will continue as long as so-called "pro-life" factions keep fighting attempts to widen the acceptance of physician-assisted suicide and provide more people with the power to choose a dignified death over a horrible, lingering, painful one.

What it boils down to is this: While life is precious and should not be thrown away lightly, modern medical science cannot yet provide adequate pain control in all dying patients, even in the best hospices.

While physicians are pledged to do no harm, is it not harmful to force a dying patient to suffer a slow, lingering death against his or her will, perhaps kept alive artificially with respirators and feeding tubes?

When a pet becomes ill to the point where it is near death or suffering uncontrollably, a veterinarian will not think twice before recommending that the pet be euthanized, to put the animal out of its misery.

So why do we treat our dying pets with more mercy than we treat our dying people?

I agree with Derek Humphry, founder of the Hemlock Society and author of the controversial suicide manual "Final Exit", who said: "Surely the right to die in a manner and at a time one's own choosing is the ultimate civil liberty."

Two House Dems vote to repeal Obamacare

Fortunately, today's House vote to repeal Obamacare (the 37th so far) was merely a symbolic one, not a practical one. But it does shine a light on who believes that ordinary people shouldn't be screwed by the insurance companies - and who does not.

Not surprisingly, the repeal bill passed the GOP-controlled House by a sad 229-195 margin. The votes were primarily along party lines. Primarily - not totally.

All of the House Republicans voted for repeal. But, sadly, so did 2 Democrats. Democratic Reps. Jim Matheson of Utah and Mike McIntyre of North Carolina both voted against health care. Apparently these two Dems side with the insurance companies on preexisting conditions and their "right" to suddenly cancel coverage when premium-paying patients need it most. Etc.

Shame on them!

Minnesota legalizes same-sex marriage

In another step forward towards equality for all, today Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton signed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in that state. This makes Minnesota the 12th U.S. state, plus the District of Columbia, to end marriage discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Delaware enacted similar legislation last week, as did Rhode Island the week before. That's three states so far this month!

While it is impractical to expect that kind of momentum to continue steadily, these developments provide clear evidence that the tide is shifting in favor of same-sex marriage.

38 more states to go. I hope I will see it in my lifetime.

Hillary Clinton and the GOP's Benghazi witch hunt

The GOP is absolutely obsessed with Benghazi. Sure, it was a tragedy. And, sure, perhaps some additional safeguards could have mitigated the damage. But it was not an isolated case.

Where was the right-wing outrage over the 13 similar incidents that occurred during George W. Bush's years in the White House?

The GOP's motivation seems clear, and it has much less to do with the safety of our diplomats and much more to do with the 2016 presidential election. They're scared to death of a Hillary Clinton candidacy, so they have to get a head start in their efforts to discredit her.

I have a feeling that this nonsense will adversely affect their own approval ratings much more so than Mrs. Clinton's.

At least, I hope so.

Delaware legalizes same-sex marriage

So much good stuff is happening so fast:

Last week, Rhode Island became the 10th state in the country to legalize same sex marriage.

Then, yesterday, Delaware became the 11th. Governor Jack Markell signed the bill into law just minutes after its passage by the state Senate.

The new law will take effect on July 1 of this year.

Kudos to Governor Markell and the Delaware state legislature in taking this huge step forward towards equality for all.

Rhode Island legalizes same-sex marriage

In another big step towards equality for all, Rhode Island yesterday became the 10th state in the country to legalize same-sex marriage.

Governor Lincoln Chafee signed the bill into law on the Statehouse steps shortly after the it was passed by the state House of Representatives. He didn't want to waste any time.

The new law will take effect on August 1 of this year. On that date, the first same-sex marriages can begin.

With 10 states - plus the District of Columbia - now recognizing same-sex marriage, we're more than 20 percent of the way towards total marriage equality in the U.S.

But with 40 states left to go, there is no time to waste!

Maryland governor signs law repealing death penalty

This morning, Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley signed legislation repealing the death penalty in that state. With the governor's signature today, Maryland officially became the 18th state to abolish the death penalty - and the first state below the Mason-Dixon line to do so.

This is a major step forward towards a more civilized justice system.

Huge kudos to Governor O'Malley, and to the Maryland state legislature which passed the legislation earlier this year.

The NRA's gun safety hypocrisy

The National Rifle Association (NRA) has the nerve to claim that it advocates gun safety.

Sure, the organization offers firearm training and safety programs. But don't be fooled. That same organization has been fighting tooth and nail against any kind of gun regulation or registration - and doing so quite publicly lately. Despite occasional lip service regarding mental health checks, their ultimate mission appears to be unfettered access to firearms for everyone. And that would include terrorists and violators of human rights worldwide.

Yes, it looks like hypocrisy. But it's not surprising. After all, in recent years the NRA has become the lobbying arm of the gun manufacturing industry. According to an article by Frank Smyth in The Progressive, "Two gun-making firms' chief executive officers, Ronnie Barrett and Pete Brownell, sit on the NRA board. And it should be noted that NRA revenues from fundraising - including donations from gun manufacturers - have grown twice as fast as income from members' dues, according to Forbes. More than fifty firearms-related companies have given the NRA almost $15 million since 2005 - the same year that NRA lobbyists helped get a federal law passed that limits liability claims against gun makers."

Clearly, safety is not what the NRA is really all about anymore.

Good men don't commit war crimes

In an article about today's dedication of the George W. Bush Library, the Washington Post quoted President Obama as calling Bush a "good man".

I can think of more fitting adjectives.

After all, good men don't start unnecessary wars of aggression based on lies. And good men don't authorize torture - or have their attorney's perform semantic gymnastics to try to justify torture.

On the other hand, one must question Obama's judgment of the goodness of others. After all, Obama is the one killing innocent men, women, and children with his drones.

Sorry, racists, but the Boston bombers are white

Some xenophobes and racists are confused these days. You see, the Boston bombers may be Muslim, but they're not from the Middle East.

In fact, they're literally Caucasian - from Chechnya, in the North Caucasus in the Russian Federation - an area for which the race was named. As Peter Beinart recently wrote in The Daily Beast, "You can’t get whiter than that."

The racists can take some solace in the fact that the suspects have (or, in Tamerlan's case, had) dark hair and dark eyes, and might look a bit exotic if you want to stretch it. And stretch it they will, in their need to condemn "the other". In their imaginations, if you're not Judeo-Christian, you can't be a proper white person.

But give the bigots a break: After all, most Americans would probably be unable to quickly point to Chechnya on a map. And that's a whole other sad (and perhaps somewhat related) issue.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and the maternal instinct

Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev lies in a Boston hospital recovering from gunshot wounds he sustained while fleeing police. Having followed the case rather closely, I think he clearly appears to be guilty. The video footage distinctly shows him leaving a bulky backpack on the sidewalk just minutes before it exploded. Nevertheless, I keep running into women - most of them middle-aged and older - who refuse to believe that Dzokhar could have willingly participated in the crime.

"He's a cutie," I keep hearing. And since he's so cute, and was popular in his social circles, he must have been somehow led astray in a weak moment by his less sympathetic older brother, they say. Maybe the brother drugged him. They see Dzokhar as a victim. This group includes one woman - a Fox News follower - who usually presumes guilt in high-profile murder cases, and calls for the death penalty in all cases.

But it's different with Dzhokhar. They're coddling him because his cuteness seems to bring out a protective maternal instint. And that protective maternal instinct can fuel denial.

Yes, Dzhokar is a nice-looking young man. But if he did commit the crimes he's accused of, he needs to be held accountable via a fair trial in federal court. And let's hope that the maternal groupies stay off that jury, to ensure true fairness.

And then may the evidence lead to an accurate verdict either way.

Things you can do on this Earth Day 2013 (and beyond)

Today, April 22, is Earth Day.

On this day, there are many things you can do to show your respect for the earth and its environment. Here are some ideas, repeated from last year's Earth Day blog post, since they're all still as relevant as ever (and so easy to do):

• Say no to plastic bags: There are enough plastic bags in the landfills and in the oceans. If you haven't done so already, please invest in some reusable canvas bags and take them with you whenever you go shopping. You'll look cool and you'll help the planet.

• Say no to bottled water: It's actually less regulated - and therefore possibly less safe - than tap water, and the plastic bottles they come in are a whole other horror story. Instead, invest in a reusable stainless steel bottle, and refill it with plain or filtered tap water. It's better for the planet, better for your health, and better for your wallet.

• Go meatless for a day: A 2006 United Nations report called the meat industry "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global." Eating 1 pound of meat emits the same amount of greenhouse gasses as driving an SUV 40 miles. So try going meatless on Earth Day. Then expand it to a once-a-week "Meatless Monday" - or more.

Do you have more ideas for simple things we can do to show our respect for this wonderful planet? Share them in a comment, and they could be included in next year's Earth Day post!

What the Gosnell abortion trial really shows us

The Philadelphia murder trial of late-term abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell has now made the national news. Gosnell is accused of murdering seven preterm infants who were born alive during attempted abortions, as well as a pregnant Nepalese woman who died from an overdose of a sedative delivered by Gosnell's untrained staff.

Some anti-choice activists are pointing to the Gosnell case to demonstrate why abortion should be outlawed. But doing so is naive - and downright invalid - for a number of reasons.

First of all, Gosnell does not represent the average abortion provider. Those deaths clearly resulted from medical malpractice. According to the grand jury report, "[t]he clinic reeked of animal urine, courtesy of the cats that were allowed to roam (and defecate) freely. Furniture and blankets were stained with blood. Instruments were not properly sterilized. Disposable medical supplies were not disposed of; they were reused, over and over again. Medical equipment - such as the defibrillator, the EKG, the pulse oximeter, the blood pressure cuff - was generally broken; even when it worked, it wasn't used. The emergency exit was padlocked shut. And scattered throughout, in cabinets, in the basement, in a freezer, in jars and bags and plastic jugs, were fetal remains."

But the clinic conditions are only the beginning. The story gets much worse.

The grand jury report describes several cases in which Gosnell butchered - but didn't kill - his patients. There's the case in which Gosnell tore a woman's cervix and colon while trying to extract the fetus. There's the 19-year-old girl who fell into shock from blood loss after Gosnell punctured her uterus, and who subsequently had to undergo a hysterectomy. There were, of course, untreated infections. In many of these cases, Gosnell simply ignored or dismissed the problems, so responsible treatment was delayed until the women finally were able to seek proper medical help elsewhere.

Furthermore, Gosnell performed illegal abortions after 30 weeks of gestation, while Pennsylvania law bans abortion after 24 weeks, when a fetus is considered viable outside the womb. Then, to cover it up, he killed the infants by severing their spinal cords.

The rabid anti-choice crowd fails to mention the fact that those things do not typically happen at Planned Parenthood or other reputable abortion facilities. They won't let the facts get in the way of their typically hysterical propaganda.

Sadly, if draconian right-wing legislation continues to erode women's ability to obtain abortions in some states, and/or if Planned Parenthood continues to face funding cuts due to right-wing stubbornness on the issue, then surely we will see more Gosnell-type practices spring up to fill the void.

Outlawing abortion doesn't stop it from happening. It just forces women to resort to Gosnell-type back-alley providers. And, in doing so, it puts women's lives at risk. There is nothing pro-life about that.

Revenge vs. justice for terror suspects

This evening, after a very dramatic 24+ hours, the authorities in the Boston area finally captured the second suspect in the marathon bombings. The first suspect - his older brother - was killed last night in a shootout with police.

The captured suspect, Dzhokar Tsarnaev, suffered at least one gunshot wound and lost a lot of blood, but hopefully doctors can patch him up well enough to survive and face justice.

Not everyone is happy that the younger Tsarnaev is alive. This morning, I discussed the case with a conservative acquaintance I'll call Judy (not her real name). Judy was relishing the death of the older Tsarnaev and she couldn't contain her excitement as she assured me that the police would kill the younger one as well.

Unfortunately, that kind of reaction is not unusual. Many people react to tragedies with such knee-jerk responses. In doing so, they're really seeking revenge rather than true justice.

I told Judy that I'd rather see the suspect taken alive. I explained that by taking him alive, we could potentially get lots of important information from him - his motive, whether there were other accomplices or even a terrorist cell in the area, and more. Then we could make him face his victims and their families in federal court, and lock him up so he can't harm anyone else.

Judy didn't want to hear it. She just wanted blood. "They'll kill him," she said, nodding her head, apparently trying to reassure herself. "They'll kill him," she repeated.

And I was thankful that Judy doesn't work in law enforcement.

What the Senate's background-check vote shows us

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate blocked the Manchin-Toomey background checks amendment via a 54-46 vote (60 votes needed). The amendment would have required background checks on all commercial sales of guns, thereby closing the gun show loophole.

Their cowardly votes suggest that maybe those 46 senators believe that criminals, crazies, and terrorists should have unfettered access to firearms.

Or, perhaps more likely, their cowardly votes suggest that those 46 senators care more about appeasing the NRA than they care about the safety of their own constituents.

And they have the nerve to call themselves leaders.

Rumor mongering vs. journalism

Today was a bad day for journalism.

All afternoon I saw headlines announcing that a suspect in the Boston Marathon bombing was in custody and was headed to a courthouse.

Those reports appear to have originated with the AP. And those reports were dismissed by the officials who would know.

So the real truth is far less satisfying. But I'm proud that I didn't jump on the bandwagon that perpetuated the rumor.

In my very first college-level journalism course, I was taught to question everything. Indeed, the professor said: "Check everything out for yourself. If your mother tells you she loves you, check it out!"

While I'm sure that many AP reporters have mothers who really do love them, they need to stop taking other things for granted.

And the blame doesn't stop with the AP. Every news organization that forwarded the false report is equally to blame.

Shame on all of them!

Are terrorists really cowards?

With the Boston Marathon bombing, as in the case of virtually every other terrorist attack against US interests, the politicians and talking heads refer to the acts as "cowardly".

But is that really an accurate assessment?

I think launching a terrorist attack takes some major cojones, and a very strong commitment to one's own values, for better or worse. Isn't that the opposite of cowardice?

Accordingly, I wonder if perhaps the "coward" label is maybe thrown out there loosely in an attempt to make the perpetrator feel small, which might lead some of the more mentally/emotionally unstable of them to make a mistake that might result in their detection and prosecution. (This doesn't make it wrong.)

What do you think?

Today would have been Rachel Corrie's 34th birthday

Today, April 10, 2012, would have been Rachel Corrie's 34th birthday. But, sadly, Rachel is not here to blow out the birthday candles on her cake. That's because she was crushed to death in March of 2003 by a US-made Caterpillar D9 military bulldozer in Rafah while acting as a human shield, trying to stop the unlawful demolition of a civilian Palestinian home. She was only 23 years old.

I call myself a human rights activist, but Rachel was much more so. In my work, for the most part, I hide safely behind my keyboard. Rachel, on the other hand, voluntarily placed herself in physical harm's way and paid the ultimate price.

My admiration of Rachel couldn't be greater, nor could my grief at her ultimate demise.

April 9 is Equal Pay Day

Tuesday, April 9, is Equal Pay Day 2013. This date symbolizes how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to catch up with what the average man earned in 2012 here in the U.S.

According to the Business and Professional Women's Foundation, women in the U.S. today on average make only 77 percent of what men earn. For women of color, it's worse: The 2009 earnings of African-American women were 67.5 percent of all men's earnings, with Latinas earning a mere 57.7 percent of all men's earnings.

As long as this gender gap continues, we're second-class citizens, with our time and labor worth less - and valued less - than those of our male counterparts.

Let's make some noise!

>> Download a fact sheet and other Equal Pay Day resources at the Business and Professional Women's Foundation website here.

UN approves global Arms Trade Treaty: Good news, bad news

The good news: Today, the United Nations General Assembly voted in favor of a first-ever global Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the international flow of weapons. 154 nations voted in favor, and 3 against (Iran, Syria, and North Korea), with 23 abstentions. The signatory process will begin on June 3, and the treaty will enter into force 90 days after the 50th nation ratifies it.

The United States bravely voted in favor of the treaty despite intense pressure from the National Rifle Association, which opposes it. Apparently the NRA would prefer that warlords and other human rights abusers be allowed unfettered access to all the deadly weapons they need to oppress the masses.

Now, the bad news: According to Reuters, the NRA "has vowed to fight to prevent its ratification by the U.S. Senate when it reaches Washington." The NRA is saying that the treaty "would undermine domestic gun-ownership rights" - which is not true.

So, when the time comes, will the Senate give in to the NRA, or will it stand strong for human rights?

Stay tuned, with fingers crossed in hopes for the latter.

In Aurora or anywhere, death penalty is not justice

Prosecutors in the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting case have rejected the defense's offer of a plea deal in which suspect James Holmes would have pled guilty in exchange for life in prison rather than the death penalty. The prosecution wants to go for the death penalty.

Some are saying that the death penalty would bring true justice and closure for the victims' families. According to CBS News, the best friend of one of the victims who died in the shooting reacted to the decision by saying, "I had a huge adrenaline rush," he said. "I love the choice, I love it, I love it ... I hope I'm in the room when he dies."

This friend apparently loves the prospect of more death, more killing. As if Aurora hasn't seen enough of that.

The death penalty may make some families feel better. But that's not about justice, it's about revenge. It's an emotional reaction rather than a thoughtful one. And it doesn't necessarily bring closure. In fact, the opposite may be true.

When a killer receives a life sentence, the victim's family gets immediate closure. They know that he will spend the rest of his life behind bars, with no freedom and in very harsh conditions, having to think every day about the reason he is there.

With the death penalty, on the other hand, families are forced to revisit the crime for years, often decades, through the necessary appeals process. Each step reopens that wound.

Some might say that the system should be sped up to avoid the years-long wait. But a look at the more than 300 former prisoners who have been exonerated in this country based on late-arriving DNA and other evidence makes it clear that we cannot rush it. We need to be sure that we are punishing the right person. There is no excuse for executing the wrong person - something that has happened at least a few times.

Even where guilt might seem obvious - as in the Aurora case - we must play by the rules to ensure equal justice for all. Otherwise, we are no better than the Taliban.

SCOTUS, DOMA, and Prop 8: Now we wait

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments concerning the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage for all federal and interstate purposes as a legal union between one man and one woman.

Yesterday, they focused on California's Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage in that state.

Predictions by analysts are mixed. Many seem to think that the Supremes are more likely to overturn DOMA than Prop 8.

But, all things considered, anything could happen.

So now we wait. Decisions in both cases are expected in late June.

In the meantime, I hope the majority of the Court will recognize that denying to gays and lesbians basic rights that are available to everyone else is simply bigotry - and bigotry should not be the law of the land.

Another Dem senator to retire; majority status at serious risk

It's looking more and more challenging for the Democrats to keep their majority in the U.S. Senate, let alone achieve a supermajority, in 2014.

Tomorrow, Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) will formally announce that he will be retiring from the Senate after his current term and will not seek reelection in 2014.

This comes on the heels of similar announcements by Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Carl Levin (D-MI), and Jay Rockefeller (D-WV).

I can't say I blame them for wanting to get out of there. But the prospect of the GOP picking up some of their seats is frightening.

Same-sex marriage goes to SCOTUS

This week, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two important cases related to marriage equality:

• On Tuesday, March 26, in Hollingsworth v. Perry, they will consider the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot initiative that outlawed same-sex marriage in that state. Their decision in this case could potentially set a precedent for other states and start a rippling effect through the court system nationwide.

• On Wednesday, March 27, in United States v. Windsor, they will hear about the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which defines marriage for all federal and interstate purposes as a legal union between one man and one woman. The Obama administration and Justice Department stopped defending DOMA in 2011, having determined that it is discriminatory and therefore unconstitutional. But House Speaker Boehner and his crew have taken the matter into their own hands, and they continue to spend our tax dollars in their fight to defend DOMA and uphold bigotry and inequality as the law of the land.

According to a recent Washington Post-ABC poll, a majority of Americans - 58 percent - now believe that same-sex marriage should be legal. But 58 percent of Americans won't be making the decisions in those two court cases. Given the current makeup of the Court, anything could happen in either case.

Decisions in both cases are not expected until late June. Stay tuned, with fingers crossed for equality.

Today is World Water Day. Are you part of the problem?

Today, March 22, is World Water Day. This date is observed each year to promote public awareness about issues related to clean water resources. And I am going to reiterate some concerns that I shared on this day last year, because unfortunately they are still relevant.

Access to clean water has become a big problem in some highly populated areas of the world. A big part of the blame goes to bottled water companies, who have taken a natural resource that had always been free and turned it into a corporate commodity that westerners - particularly Americans - willingly pay for. As they do so, clean, drinkable water becomes a scarce resource for poor people in developing countries where much of our bottled water supply originates.

Think back 20, 30, or 40 years. When you were thirsty, you turned on the kitchen faucet and poured yourself a glass of water. You thought nothing of it.

These days, I don't know many people who would drink the water from their kitchen faucet without at least filtering it first. I myself use a Brita water filter pitcher at home.

But that's not convenient enough, or glamorous enough, for some people. So they buy their drinking water in bottles. By the case. I see it flying off the shelves every time I go to the supermarket.

These same people who complain so loudly whenever gasoline prices go up past $3 per gallon think nothing of paying $10 per gallon for their drinking water. And they won't listen to the fact that bottled water is no cleaner and no safer than tap water, and often comes from the very same sources. To them, carrying around a bottle of commercially sold water is a status symbol, just like their big, bloated, gas-guzzling SUVs. If it's expensive, then it must be better.

And, by supporting the commercialization of water - by willfully paying corporations for something that they could otherwise get for free - they are compounding the problem. If drinkable water is something you have to pay for, then the poor will not be able to afford it. And, without clean water, it is impossible to survive.

If you buy and drink bottled water, you are part of the problem.

Please invest in a nice refillable water bottle and fill it from your tap - filtered or otherwise. It's a much more responsible example to set.

Join me this Saturday night in observing Earth Hour!

On Saturday, March 23, at 8:30 pm local time, individuals, businesses, and municipalities around the world will turn off their lights for one hour - Earth Hour - in a show of concern for climate change and commitment to finding solutions.

I have participated in Earth Hour the past five years, and it always felt good. I plan to participate again this year, and I hope you will join me.

Earth Hour was started in 2007, and has been growing larger year by year. According to the Earth Hour website, "Earth Hour 2012 took place in more than 7001 cities and towns in 152 countries and territories across all seven continents. Hundreds of millions of people switched their lights off for an hour, and the campaign experienced its biggest growth since 2009."

To find out more, go to www.earthhour.org.

A shameful 10-year anniversary

Today, March 19, 2013, marks the 10-year anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq - a country that played no part in the 9/11 terror attacks, and which posed no detectable threat to us. It was a war based on deceptions.

And what do we have to show for it?

• Saddam Hussein and his two sons are long dead.

• Abu Ghraib is fading from the public memory.

• More than 4,000 American troops lost their lives, and more than 32,000 were wounded.

• Countless innocent Iraqi civilian men, women, and children were killed or maimed.

• More than $800 billion taxpayer dollars were wasted.

• And America lost its moral standing in the world.

Can anyone other than a stubborn neocon truly say that the war was was worth it?

Maryland abolishes the death penalty - but...

Today, with a 82-56 vote in the House of Delegates, Maryland became the 18th state to abolish the death penalty - and the first state below the Mason-Dixon line to do so. The state senate had approved the measure last week. Governor Martin O'Malley, who sponsored the bill, is expected to sign it into law shortly.

NAACP President Ben Jealous (@benjealous) - formerly my Amnesty International colleague - tweeted: "We are keeping our promise to Troy Davis state by state."

Natasha Minster (@nminsker), Campaign Manager for Safe California, tweeted: "US standards of decency evolved"

Kevin (@GreenOctopus) tweeted: "One more victory against barbarism."

And Governor O'Malley shared the following words:"With today's vote to repeal the death penalty in Maryland, the General Assembly is eliminating a policy that is proven not to work. Evidence shows that the death penalty is not a deterrent, it cannot be administered without racial bias, and it costs three times as much as life in prison without parole. What's more, there is no way to reverse a mistake if an innocent person is put to death."

While I will certainly be raising a glass of wine in celebration, there is one possibility that could undo today's progress: According to the Baltimore Sun, "[d]eath penalty supporters could still petition the repeal bill to a referendum in the 2014 election, giving Maryland voters the final say. Polls show the death penalty still has the support of a narrow majority of voters."

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that doesn't happen.

And let's move forward towards ending the death penalty in every other state that still thinks it makes sense to kill a killer in order to show that killing is wrong.