In politics it is said, that when not fueled by hope there is a vacuum for fear to fill. Since artists turn to the muses, Clio, Euterpe, Thalia, Melpomene, Terpsichore, Erato, Polymnia, Ourania and Calliope we are exploring what they can offer us for inspiration to have the hope fueling politics. One giving Tuesday email I received began with this quote: “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face. We must do that which we think we cannot do.”

— Eleanor Roosevelt It was from the Divest-Invest team.

Calliope is considered the strongest of the nine and imposes justice in addition to serenity. Here Otis can expand our understanding of justice (video):
http://www.upworthy.com/watch-a-mans-reactions-to-the-modern-world-after-spending-the-last-half-century-in-prison?c=upw1&u=6ffb12f2d750fff1c628f4ed4366938bb526f1d5

And victims also deserve justice:
http://americamagazine.org/content/dispatches/chicagos-year-living-violently

Does this one help connect with hope?

And this analysis of a type of rhetoric is up Calliope’s alley, too (video):
http://therealnews.com/t2/component/hwdvideoshare/viewvideo/79972

Let us now turn to Thalia and her gift of [agricultural] science:
http://azdailysun.com/news/local/evangelicals-make-environmental-issues-about-caring-for-god-s-creation/article_ca2e6a46-89ac-57f6-870c-5e067c3350bd.html

Does it inspire faith and hope as people seem to change against the odds?

Continuing with Polymnia (mimic) :
http://www.break.com/video/mimic-octopus-in-action-1945423

An email update from: Andrew, Gan, Rae, Kate, Sandrine, David, Ariel and the Climate Ribbon team:
“Yesterday, none other than President Hollande came by and took a ribbon!…Meanwhile, in a cavernous buildspace on the outskirts of Paris, visionary artist Gan Golan and a team of volunteers are readying our core work: The Tree. Or as some have come to call it here: The Solidarity Tree. A beautiful, monumental wood-cut tree sculpture, soon to be draped with tens of thousands of climate ribbons from all over the world, that will be the centerpiece of major civil society events during these next two weeks of the COP21.”

Clio (history) reminds us of history we shouldn’t repeat:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2015/12/03/1000-american-rabbis-sign-letter-welcoming-syrian-refugees/?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-world%3Ahomepage%2Fcard

Do you think Erato might claim this kind of love, too:
http://www.upworthy.com/11-times-teachers-totally-blew-us-away-with-love-for-their-students?c=upw1&u=6ffb12f2d750fff1c628f4ed4366938bb526f1d5

Isn’t adding love to the world a worthy antidote to fear?

Let’s end with some laughter (video):
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=comedy+video&view=detail&mid=8EB553CEDD7BAD742B798EB553CEDD7BAD742B79&FORM=VIRE6

And thank you dear reader for joining me on this journey of discovery and quest for hope!

I didn’t expect to be prophetic when I identified yesterday with weeping. Thankfully the media is mostly taking time to learn about CA’s unique system for the incredibly vulnerable population of persons with developmental disabilities and Inland Regional Center’s (IRC) mission of caregiving to those that live in their region.

However, I have yet to see any make the connection that the 30,000+ persons served and their families are also victims in addition to the 600+ employees on site and all those from the public health department at the party (number not provided in reports I’ve seen) beyond the 30+ who were shot with about half already dead.

I also want to highlight the connection making it important that Governor Brown chose to cancel today’s tree lighting ceremony: traditionally it is done with a child who receives services from one of the regional centers like Inland. I see it as similar to why a flag is flown at half-mast.

In the past I knew and worked with folks at IRC as did others I still count as good friends. Yesterday we connected in mutual support as the news unfolded wondering whether any we knew were among the ultimate victims, yet knowing some had to have endured the trauma which unfolded. Gabby Gifford’s organization always asks signers of petitions whether their life has been impacted by gun violence; this is part of what she means. How many no longer go to movies at a theater or otherwise avoid locations being selected by such shooters?

Should we be shocked by the headline that called this event normal? It was the second mass shooting of the day. IRC staff members have been doing monthly drills for what to do in the case of a shooting, and some apparently thought this was a drill at first…and perhaps those drills can be credited with why no staff numbered among those shot.

It was early in the 1980’s the first time I experienced a bomb threat in my workplace, repeated at least once per decade. Thrice my building went into shutdown mode with a possible shooter, twice with an escalated domestic violence scenario and once with a disgruntled ex-employee profile. I am thankful there’s no suggestion of the first scenario in the reports I’ve read: that one is preventable with improved background check requirements.

Will we learn whether racial/ethnic/religious harassment and/or discrimination is part of the back story on this event? Will this be the one too many that finally gets action to make us safer from Congress?

No one story included all the elements I considered important, so I provide several which in combination do include all those elements. Please pause for a moment of silence to honor and support all the victims affected by this one who probably number more than 100,000.

And consider the challenge when the targets are the agency providing the services to help with recovery:

"Welcome to the San Bernardino County
Department of Public Health website

Our dedicated staff works to prevent epidemics and the spread of disease, protect against environmental hazards, prevent injuries, promote and encourage healthy behaviors, respond to disasters and assist communities in recovery, and assure the quality and accessibility of health services throughout the county."  http://www.sbcounty.gov/dph/publichealth/

http://thinkprogress.org/progress-report/san-bernardino-shooting/

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2015/12/02/the-inspiring-work-done-by-the-inland-regional-center-the-site-of-california-shooting.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2015/12/02/inland-regional-center-san-bernardino-shooting/76695180/

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/san-bernardino-shooting-authorities-respond-to-active-gunman/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/08/27/health/u-s-most-mass-shootings/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/03/us/what-we-know-san-bernardino-mass-shooting/index.html

Isis shouldn’t dictate how we address refugees: op-ed by Chelsea Manning
"We must not let Isis’s crimes dictate how we address the refugee crisis – or privacy
Some want to exploit the Paris attacks in order to justify seizures of power to meet their own political ends. We should not let that happen"
https://www.chelseamanning.org/featured/refugee

France Puts 24 Climate Activists Under House Arrest Ahead of COP21
'A gross abuse of power that risks turning the summit into a farce'

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/11/28/france-puts-24-climate-activists-under-house-arrest-ahead-cop21

People's Global Climate March 2015: Taking to the Streets for Our Future
Millions expected to take to streets ahead of COP21 – the Paris climate summit
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/11/29/peoples-global-climate-march-2015-taking-streets-our-future

When The Mountains Started Exploding: Devastation In Coal Country (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/when-the-mountains-started-exploding-devastation-in-coal-country-video_5658ad33e4b079b2818a6e60

Are these four stories connected by the thread of relationships to fossil fuels?  Do they support Manning's perspective?

Supreme Court Halts Historic Hawaiian Election
Opponents of the election say the process is unconstitutional and racially exclusive.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/supreme-court-halts-hawaiian-election_5658c6e8e4b08e945feb3ecc?utm_hp_ref=politics

Mindboggling…hard to even frame a question

Should domestic policy issue debates impact foreign policy like this?

Skewed Media Coverage Of The Abortion Debate Is Giving The U.S. A Bad Rap Abroad
The only voices that are heard come from the fanatics.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/media-abortion-debate-planned-parenthood-kenya_565c986ce4b072e9d1c29b69?vtjra4i

Ending with a Petition from Karen Feridun: "This isn't your typical petition with the option to add a message. This is all about the message, your message to President Obama. I'll be heading to Paris for COP 21 in a few days. I'd like to take with me your messages to President Obama on fracking and climate change. I can't promise that I'll be able to use them all in actions while I'm there, but I'll do my best and will definitely make sure that they are delivered electronically to him and to PA Governor Wolf…."President Obama, I asked people to write messages on fracking and climate change they'd like me to bring to Paris. Here's what they wrote. "

http://petitions.moveon.org/environmental-action/sign/taking-your-messages-1?source=s.fwd&r_by=491007

These Are Either the Best or Worst Political Presents We've Ever Seen

http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2015/11/candidates-etsy-swag-bernie-hillary

Did you ever receive a present as bad as this?  Was it a Black Friday shopping Deal?