Yum & Yuk

Looks like an interesting series on PBS: Women, War, & Peace.

From NPR: Native Survivors Of Foster Care Return Home. Lots of powerful questions about identity, child development, and government involvement.

Image: "The Mexican city of Juarez as seen through a bullet-pocked protective barrier from the American side of the international border. Ciudad Juarez has been plagued by drug-related violence and thousands of murders over the past several years. In the past four years, more than 3,000 policemen and soldiers have been killed by the cartels." source. (Cuidad Juarez is where you must go if you are processing to become a Resident of the US and live in Mexico, or entered the U.S. without documentation. Many of my clients are very scared to go even for a week or two, let alone to send family members there to process.)

From WNYC's Radio Rookies, an 8 min story about one teen - full of surprises and honesty.

Religious and queer? Yep, it happens! 15 Inspiring LGBT Religious Leaders. (I was lucky enough to see the Rev. Elder Jim Mitulski preach a few weeks ago at New Spirit, when my girlfriend and I were visiting the Pacific School of Religion (where she hopes to attend seminary beginning next year!))

What Do 396,906 Deportations Mean? 654,895 Children Lose A Parent.

Working with so many clients from Mexico, I'm shocked by the scope of the violence. I guess I always just stayed in my ignorant bubble and turned a blind eye, or assumed it was just as unsafe as any other part of Central America I was unfamiliar with. But it is outrageous, and the torture and killing of journalists and bloggers who dare to report the extent of the violence is shocking. One report, from NPR: Reporting On The Front Lines Of Mexico's Drug War: "Since 2006, 40,000 people have been murdered in Mexico as drug cartels battle each other and the Mexican military. Journalist Ioan Grillo traces how Mexico came to control drug trafficking in El Narco."

Annie Dillard, "Living Like Weasels" (thanks NK!)