Fall 2021

Volume 8 Social Justice Issue 3

The BeZine

Volume 8 September 15, 2021 Issue 3

Social Justice
and
Hunger

Cover art: Exchange 1900–2021
Digital Landscape from Photos (Winona, MN, USA, and Jerusalem, Israel)
©2021 Michael Dickel

Introduction

The theme for the fall issue of 2021 is Social Justice and Hunger. The divide between those who have too much and those who don’t have enough widens daily, linked to social justice, climate change, and war, hunger remains one of the largest causes of death globally. It has been with us for untold centuries—Biblical commandments include feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for orphans. Many times, the causes my derive from beyond our activities.

However, most of the time, human activity causes hunger. And when hunger comes from other causes, human activity can help alleviate hunger. At the root of all economies, people need to be able to access food and protection from the elements. All of our systems leave too many people on the streets with inadequate clothing and shelter, and not enough to eat.

In these pages, we address this issue from a variety of perspectives, while calling for social justice for all.

May peace prevail on earth.

—Michael Dickel, Editor

Poetry

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Essays

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*Cover art: Exchange 1900–2021*
*Digital Landscape from Photos (Winona, MN, USA, and Jerusalem, Israel*)
*©2021 Michael Dicke*l

Thousand and Millions | John Anstie

One hundred thousand
Poets for change,
so many voices and
carefully chosen words, seem
to be decaying into the void
of the anechoic chamber.

Earthly Fathers praying
for the Establishment,
that sets the stage
and casts its values
in concrete, steel,
plastic … and carbon.

Leaders of the World,
whose balance sheets and
rational, numerate intellect
measure only a notion
of success. What is that?
What is success?

For aren’t we just that,
a wealth of rich and
creative intelligence
that is the only hope
for our universe
to understand itself?

Heavenly Mothers ask us:
why digitise and monetise
and worship at the alter
of the great god, Thworg,
when we are imbued with
richness beyond measure?

Escape to the stars, if you must,
but answers will be found not
in the vanity of space-time travel,
but here, with unaided vision
they lie in the green and blue,
right before your disbelieving eyes.

Permit your heart to rule
even if only one day a week, when
the visceral, and the common sense
can overrule logic and intellect, and
that subliminal noise in our head
will slowly awaken the conscience.

Maybe, one day we’ll be more than
Seven Thousand Million Poets for Change!
No more sleepwalking through life
The time will come. Greatness beckons.
It’s in the wind, this beating heart,
a movement beyond the gaze of mortals …

Homeless Ain’t Home | Gayle Bell

In our journeys, we have met people with amazing talents. Many have computer or skilled trades; but are unable to get employment. Businesses are leery to hire them. Because of cultural differences, or individuals who identify as GLBTQY are not always welcome or safe inside of intuitions. Some have beloved pets they do not want to put away. Some have difficulty finding work because of previous jail time. One woman; former military has a degree in psychology; giving up the bottle has been challenging.

Our church tries to help with obtaining ids, shelters, recovery houses, but because of the challenges of the individual, the cycle continues. Our church feeds over 440 people a month. We provide bagged food for them as well. Our weekly brunch continues to have new faces at our door. We implore our church members to make casseroles, beans, soup and other hot items for them.

We distribute clothes from our thrift store. We rarely have hygiene items for them. Even if we did, we cannot provide a place for them to clean up. Our local grocery store will not allow them to use the restroom. We are not able to open ours to them because of previous drug use, or sexual abuse in our church bathroom.

Betty was homeless on the streets of Portland and Dallas for 5 years. She was following her former partner whose alcohol abuse kept them out of shelters. Portland had coffee houses and other places for the homeless to obtain a meal, provide recreations and showers so they did not have to be on the streets. People who had food stamps could barter for other goods and services. She advised there was a place every block that would serve 3 meals a day to the individuals. Betty created a cookbook there; the proceeds went directly to the food pantry. That is what we are trying to do with ours

My family and I moved to San Francisco to escape an abusive marriage. Me and my 2 kids were lucky, there was Raphael House; they had a door you could close and call your own. I was fighting crack and alcohol abuse. With my kids love, I got clean and sober when we came back to Dallas.

From Cookbook, Pending Publication benefiting St Matthews Food Pantry

to heal the world | Michael Dickel

I don’t much like reading any more
as I’ve read more than enough
explanations accusations rationalizations
incarnations of old disputations
empty words for empty stomachs
nothing to sink teeth into for many
while exorbitant feasts for a few
yes, I’m even tired of these words
writing reading listening while
wild fires forage famines feast
diseases prevail over
results of my every action
reactions to human infestation

		    rushing toward entropy

	crisis the turning
	teshuva the return to

		healing requires movement

			(re)direction turning inertia
				toward tikkun olam

teshuva — to return, usually used in the sense of returning to (the Jewish) faith, from Hosea 14:2–3: “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity. Take words with yourselves and return to the Lord. Say, "You shall forgive all iniquity and teach us good, and let us render bulls our lips.”
———
tikkun olam — the healing (or repair) of the world (or creation), according to Kabbalah, this is our purpose as humans.

The Hypocrite’s Creed | F.I. Goldhaber

All life is sacred and begins at conception, but we must
	deny life-saving medical care to the poor;
	deprive needy children of food, shelter, clothing;
	beat, bomb, shoot, hang to death men, women, children. 

Deeply held religious beliefs require tax exemptions, and
	forbid paying for women's reproductive health;
	deny funds for science education/research;
	allow financing of civilian-killing drones.

Children are a gift from god, a reward from him, but we must
	rip children from their mother's breasts, their father's arms;
	warehouse them in tent cities despite extreme heat;
	cage, torment, and traumatize them while they're alone.

Religious freedom must always be protected, but we must
	ignore Muslims', Jews', Sikhs', Pagans', Hindus' rights;
	reject religions that conflict with our beliefs;
	obligate others to observe our holy days.

The bible is god's word, taken literally, but we must
	claim verses we disagree with are old fashioned;
	invent prohibitions never mentioned in text;
	judge harshly those who follow actual scripture.

States retain sovereignty and powers not assigned, but
	must not be allowed to legalize cannabis;
	can't protect the Internet from telecom greed;
	can't pass sanctuary laws to protect migrants.

We must save sex workers from human trafficking, but we must
	eliminate safe ways for them to find clients;
	force them onto the street, vulnerable to pimps;
	allow police to rape, rob, arrest, murder them.

The homeless crisis is a city emergency, but we must
	criminalize public camping, sitting, sleeping;
	protest attempts to open neighborhood shelters;
	fight rent control and minimum-wage increases.

Congress must cut taxes and frivolous spending, but must
	slash payments only for the rich, adding trillions to the debt;
	spend more on defense than seven countries combined;
	take food away from babies, seniors to compensate.

The hoax pandemic became an emergency that requires
	huge corporate bailouts, no strings attached;
	loans to small businesses, with myriad conditions;
	pittance pay outs that won't cover rent to minimum-wage slaves.

All life is sacred and begins at conception, but we must
	only make testing available to the rich and celebrated;
	sacrifice seniors and children to save the stock market;
	prevent "prioritizing human life over economic stability".

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The BeZine

Introduction

Table of Contents

Poetry

Fiction

Music & Video

Essays

The BeZine

Be Inspired…Be Creative…Be Peace…Be

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