Day 310 -How Our Beliefs Can Ruin Someones Life

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/09/muslim-boy-arrest-clock-sparks-outrage-150916143739052.html

A young student from Texas - Ahmed Mohamed - got arrested fro making a clock, because the teacher thought it resembled a bomb.

How is this still a thing?

Why are so quick to judge something based on our beliefs and ideas and perceptions of others ? How can we ever reach a point of equality when are all so judgemental?

Stopping Exploitation with a Living Income Guaranteed

 

When you hear about drives that got their licenses suspended you probably think it was because of reckless driving, but it is not the case.

In Florida 88% of suspensions were due to failure to comply with summons or fines.

Now here is things get extremely problematic and nonsensical – Most people drive to work so losing your car affects everything in your life. In New Jersey a Survey was done that found that 63% of low income drives that lost their car also lost their jobs.

How are they supposed to pay their fine if you take away their means of paying it?

It gets worse:

There are private probation companies that supervise people that have minor offenses and collect their outstanding fines at no costs to the courts, instead they get their money from the probationers in exchange for their services.

Here is an example of how that works based on an actual event:

One Woman was fined $25 for not wearing a seat belt as well as $16 for the court costs – a total fine of $41. She was unable to pay the fine at that stage and thus was handed over to one of these private probation Companies. Now here is where things get really messed up:

She was then put on a monthly payment plan in order to pay the fine, but the costs of this payment plan was $35 per month. All moneys that the woman sent in was applied to the service fees first before going to the actual fine, meaning she first has to pay the $35 before she is able to pay the actual $41 fine. Now, she I not able to afford that $35 monthly fee, so this is starting to accumulate – eventually she sat with a $299 bill PLUS the $41 fine. Eventually if you  cannot afford the bill you can be sent to jail because you cannot afford the bill.

Here is another terrifying example of this Ruined Hariet Cleveland’s Life:

“Cleveland’s $140 monthly payment – $40 of which went to fees – was a terrifying burden. She lost her day care job during the recession and was barely scraping by. She paid what she could, even when it meant her money was only going toward the company’s fees.

Finally, Cleveland didn’t have any more money to give. She received a notice in the mail: Pay $2,714 or go to jail. Not long after, a police officer arrived and arrested her while she was babysitting her grandson. A judge sentenced her to 31 days in jail because she was too poor to pay.” - https://www.splcenter.org/news/2014/08/26/splc-lawsuit-closes-debtors%E2%80%99-prison-alabama-capital

These Companies are making money out of people who have none. Why are we punishing people for being poor? This is an Impossible situation for low income people where they really have no way out. This kind of exploitation is something that must be stopped.

This is something that we can change with a better system, one that considers the individual needs of people in different situations. Not only would these people above live far better lives with the Living Income Guaranteed, but we can implement solutions to stops the obvious exploitation of people in these situations so that no person’s life get ruined just because they are poor.

Day 308 -What Sets you Off?

Ever had that single event that set you off? And then afterwards you asked yourself where all that anger and rage came from? Or even that one moment that where you became overwhelmed by stress? How does all that happen?

Day 307 - Stuck in the past? Fearing the Future? Never Living In the Present?

We always look back at life wishing we lived it more when we had the chance. Then we look at the future and fear the unknown. But when it comes to the Present – why don’t we live life to the fullest?

Day 306 - The Power Of Silence

There is the Power in Silence that many are not Aware of  - Use it:

Day 305 - You really cannot Save This World

Nope, That is Impossible.

But There is something else you can do - have a listen.










www.desteni.org

Day 304 - How to hide from Life:

 

 

Well, you can’t.

I’m sure many of us have had those days where you simply dread the next day or what is to come. Where you simply do not want to face what lies ahead and want to simply run away and hide somewhere. I had many such moments in my life, where I wished I had a genie to wish the problems away, unfortunately that is not how life is.

Right now I do not want to face tomorrow, because tomorrow we will have to let one of our horses go. I know what is involved - losing someone close to you is sad and painful. I know what is coming tomorrow and I do not want to. But the fact is that tomorrow is coming whether I like it or not.

What can we do in these situations? Hiding is not an option, we cannot hide from life. We cannot choose to not face certain points and events in our lives. But within these events we actually do have a choice – and the choice is how we respond to these events. It’s how we direct ourselves and who we are within all these events and happenings.

So no, we cannot hide from our lives, but we do have choice. To trust ourselves that whatever comes no matter what that we are able to get through it Instead of going into that “ I can’t do it, I don’t want to do it, please make it go away” experience within yourself.

So even though tomorrow is a dreaded day – I will face it head on.