Over $315 million – that’s the amount of money raised by presidential candidates for the 2012 election cycle as of January 31, 2012. In addition, over $51 million had already been cultivated by “super PACs” (Political Action Committees) to influence the presidential primary elections. With 9 months left to go before the U.S. presidential election in November 2012, it had become crystal clear that the bank accounts of the campaigns were destined to swell beyond the imagination – long before the next President of the United States was to be installed.

There are no longer any limits on fundraising and spending by the super PACs, due to the impact of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2010. As a result, the super PAC organizations can essentially create “trust funds” for the candidates of their choice.

Super PACs are spearheading intense campaigns unfettered by the campaign contribution and spending limits that the candidates themselves must adhere to. If candidates engaged in the exact same kind of campaign fundraising and spending, they would be subject to prosecution under the law.

By January 2012 alone, super PACS had spent over $28 million to try to control the outcome of the early primary elections. During that same month, Mitt Romney spent over $18 million, while the super PAC operated by his former aides spent $14 million. Meanwhile President Obama accelerated his fundraising and increased campaign funds raised so far to a total of over $136 million.

Ironically, this vast amount of money being solicited and spent has not resulted in a more informed conversation about the positions, programs, actual viable solutions, and strengths that would allow us to judge the fitness and readiness of each of the candidates to represent the country.

Instead, it has led to a series of media funded “debates” that have the graphic and verbal aura of an unfortunate addition to the reality show circuit. There is an increasing level of “trash talking” that really isn’t worthy of recycling – it would be better for the environment to dispatch it to an incinerator where the toxins could be filtered out and dispersed.

While the candidates stand at their podiums, and pontificate, any semblance of proactive action to implement real solutions has once again ground to a standstill in the United States. Meanwhile, a vast majority of the media, candidates, and elected officials appear to be on a mutual mission to divert the public’s attention to the sideshow of the campaigns, rather than the issue of real productivity, and solutions to the nation’s pressing daily challenges.

It is an unfortunate, stultifying election cycle occurrence. Obsessive and redundant media coverage regurgitates variations of the same conversations again, and again in “news studios” which are increasingly starting to resemble slick entertainment shows with flashy sets, graphics, and pronouncements that are often disproved by the time the next primary rolls around.

The critical burning question is: How can the candidates become relevant to the American people?

The solution is that actions speak. We, at Expand or Contract (?) are offering a framework within which the candidates must demonstrate concretely how they will not only enact solutions in the future if elected, but more importantly, implement actual solutions right now, by putting their money where their mouths are.

 The proposal is this: What if the 99% and 1% actually join together and compel every candidate to take 50% of their campaign funds, and immediately start funding programs that they feel are essential to the health and growth of the United States. Let’s call it a “Trust Fund for the American People.”

Just like medical students who must invest in a residency to demonstrate they have the skill to manage the health of their patients, and similar to how law students must engage in mock trials to show that they have the gravitas to function effectively in highly bureaucratic settings – let’s require the candidates to engage in the critical thinking and action that is required to save their “patients and clients” – the American people.

By way of example, Meg Whitman, former CEO of EBay spent $177 million to run for Governor of California in the 2010 election. It was the most expensive campaign in California history. She outspent her victorious opponent, Governor-elect Jerry Brown $1 to every 25 cents. Whitman dedicated $144 million of her own fortune, and still failed to win the hearts, minds, and votes of the electorate in the process. Meanwhile the schools, roads, access to medical services, income, and job opportunities in California were all crumbling like buildings in the wake of a devastating earthquake. This scenario sounds eerily similar to the 2012 United States Presidential Campaign.

 Imagine if 50% of Meg Whitman’s $177 million, and 50% of Jerry Brown’s $36 million in campaign funds were designated to focus on the programs and solutions of their respective choices. That’s over $106 million actually allocated to solving real and present problems. It would have presented a clear choice of precisely what each candidate genuinely stood for, and a demonstration of their abilities to make meaningful use of their available “budgets.”

Shouldn’t this be the actual litmus test for whom you would like to elect to positions of such monumental importance?

So, let’s start with the 2012 U.S. Presidential Candidates. Actions Speak. Take the poll at www.expandorcontract.com. Tweet, Facebook, email, mail, and call to and about the candidate of your choice, and be explicit: “Invest your money where your mouth is.” Do the same with the rest of the mainstream media to get them engaged in the “Trust Fund for the American People.” While you’re at it, don’t let members of Congress off the hook. Remind them that the United States is “for the people, by the people.”

To read related articles at EorC, click to:

Positive Politk: “12-Step Program for Congress”

http://expandorcontract.com/a-12-step-program-for-congress/

Mind-Body Connection:  “Why Congress Should Apologize to the American People”

http://expandorcontract.com/why-congress-should-apologize-to-the-american-people/

Evolutionary Leaders: “A Call to Conscience – There Is Nothing Wrong with Power If Power Is Used Correctly”

http://expandorcontract.com/a-call-to-conscience/

Positive Politk:  “2012: A Once in a Decade for Women Aspiring to Get Elected”

http://expandorcontract.com/2012-a-once-in-a-decade-opportunity-for-women-aspiring-to-get-elected-mary-hughes-the-2012-project/

Two international airports serve the area, offering a great choice of airlines and competitive flight prices to San Francisco (SFO) and Oakland (Oak) for a weekend getaway or layover en route to another destination. Virgin America is the hot ticket that has brought luxury back into the experience of flying.

The Joie de Vivre hotel group has an impressive line of boutique hotels starting at an eye-opening price of $89 – a rate rarely found in major cities – particularly when it feels as if you’ve arrived at your own chic pied-à-terre.

A late afternoon arrival is perfect timing to catch the sunset and rising moon on the promenade and patios facing the water at the San Francisco Ferry Building. Originally the intersection and transportation hub of Maritime interests, the rich architecture of the Ferry Building Marketplace is now the center of some of the finest food purveyors in the city.

Blue Bottle Coffee is ideal for an espresso or organic micro roasted coffee. Visit Miette for pastries that send you straight to the Right Bank in Paris. Mariposa Baking Company is a fantastic gluten-free alternative.

San Francisco is legendary for its literary roots. The Book Passage is an independent bookstore in the Ferry Building that honors renowned authors famously associated with the city a la Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg – as well as cutting-edge writers of the present. Monthly literary salons, seminars, and three summer writing conferences cultivate your visit to this bookstore where you will always experience the fabulous gestalt of great new finds.

Before dinner, travel the wine regions of the world while wine tasting at the Ferry Plaza Wine Merchant. Discover the unexpected in this intricately curated list of wines. The option of tasting 2oz. pours allows you to explore a remarkable spectrum of flavors and styles of wine. Appetizers include regional artisan cheeses and the best Coppa this side of Italy.

Dining is an art form in San Francisco. The Slanted Door is an innovative Asian-fusion restaurant just a few doors away, with a stupendous view of the water and the vibrant lights dotting the Oakland Bay Bridge. Prepare yourself for an experience that is so outstanding, you’ll feel like you’re having a culinary hallucination.

Can you even visualize Organic Chicken Claypot with caramel sauce, Thai chili, and fresh ginger? Or Wood Oven Roasted Day Boat Red Snapper with jicama-blood orange slaw, and cucumber-lime dipping sauce?!

The sommeliers’ are spot on in their wine recommendations. It’s as if they have the clairvoyant ability to discern everything you love in a wine. They combine that with the acumen to pair each course with precision for a perfect outcome. Book ahead, because the word is out that this is a mind-bending and palate-enlightening exploration for the intrepid.

Awaken in the morning and have breakfast at the Ferry Building Farmers Market. It’s world known, and locally worshipped. You’re likely to be mingling next to some of San Francisco’s most famous chefs who shop here to customize their seasonal menus. Graze through gracious samples of artisan cheeses, preserves, and decadent specialties like Capay Canyon Ranch Butter Toffee Almonds that taste like a bite-size version of sticky toffee pudding.

After that, catch a leisurely ferry ride over the Sausalito. You’ll get the vantage point of a 360° view of the S.F. Bay area – Angel Island, Berkeley, Golden Gate Bridge, and yes – Alcatraz Island.

Alcatraz is the infamous home of Al Capone and other notorious gangsters who received “housing assignments” at this maximum-security federal penitentiary. Tours are available allowing you to become immersed in the rich history of the island that dates back to the Civil War, and to one of the most influential protests to ensure the rights of Native American Indians.

At first glance, Sausalito can have a kind of tchotchke vibe, but dig deeper, and there’s much more to be found. Antiques and artists are on the back streets at the bases of the hills. A walk north along Bridgeway leads you to the Bay Model Visitor Center with hands-on exhibits to observe and learn about tidal actions, currents, and ecology. The 3-D hydraulic model of the San Francisco Bay and Delta areas is impressive.

Live like a local while reclining under the pergola at Bar Bocce. Give a game your best shot while sipping excellent wines by the glass, and gazing at the sailboats moving by at brisk and languid paces. All of the menu items are unique and impressive. Salt Cod Fritters with Very Zesty Citrus Aioli and a salad of Dungeness Crab, Sunchoke, Avocado, Bacon & Blood Orange are a great start.

SF Weekly and SF Gate are fantastic online sources to survey the latest entertainment and dining options for the evenings, and days for that matter. The music scene in the city is diverse, theatre is often cutting-edge, and unique special events are happening every weekend.

Sunday is a great day to slow the pace before you head out of town, and absorb some more of the culture that represents part of the pulse of the city.

North Beach is just a 20-minute walk from most of the major hotels. Classically known for its Italian influence, the blocks in the neighborhood are punctuated with espresso bars.

City Lights is equally ubiquitous as a legendary bookstore and symbiotic literary home of great thinkers and writers from virtually every discipline. Their common bond is a reputation for turning a discerning eye on life. It’s also considered the epicenter of the anti-authoritarian Beatnik movement of the 1960s.

The elegant Asian Art Museum and the SF Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) are both another easy 20-minute walk, this time in the direction of Union Square. The museum galleries at SFMOMA have expansive high ceilings and space that accentuate the modern art and fascinating rotating exhibits. Caffè Museo elevates the stature of museum dining with a great menu.

If you haven’t had a chance to catch a ride on a streetcar yet, the intersection of Powell and Market just below Union Square is one of the starting points. The Powell line provides interesting and panoramic views, some of which are archetypes from Hollywood movies like The Rear Window, Bullitt, and MILK.

Step off at the other end of the line and you’ll find yourself at Fisherman’s Wharf, ready to linger over a ubiquitous bowl of San Francisco clam chowder, sourdough bread, and locally brewed Anchor Steam beer.

48hrs in San Francisco. Every hour savored. It’s only a matter of time before you’ll be planning your next trip back.

In the1950s people who chose to be single were considered cursed. Now, it’s considered liberating. “For young adults it’s a sign of distinction and independence. It is a mark of success. Most people who live alone do it by choice. They willingly pay a premium for the privilege of living alone. Increasingly, people are not willing to settle for living with the ‘wrong’ person,” according to a study and book published by Sociologist Eric Klinenberg in 2012 – Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone.

In Going Solo, Klinenberg’s research also pulls back the curtain on assumptions about single people that have proven to be myths, such as “the single narcissist.” Single people are more likely to participate in the public realm volunteering time for causes, making monetary donations, and supporting the arts. In addition, heavy users of social media, a common pasttime among singles, are less likely to become solitary behind their devices, and more likely to follow up and interact in person.

Single person households currently represent 28% of the U.S. population, which is the highest rate in the history of this country, and the numbers keep going up. In the late 1950s, 70% of the adults in the U.S. were married. Today that population has dropped to 51%. This dramatic change in perspective and lifestyle over the last 50 years is a result of identifiable influences that have had a profound impact on urban planning, advertising, consumer products, and the economy.

The roots of the growing international phenomena of thriving singles may be found in the perquisites afforded the growing middle class, and interestingly, in Dr. Spock (the highly-influential pediatrician, not the Star Trek icon). As families could afford homes and apartments with a bedroom for each child, the process of early childhood individuation was cultivated. Dr. Benjamin Spock encouraged, even admonished parents to believe that placing infants in cribs, and not allowing them to sleep with parents was essential to raising an independent and self-sufficient child into adulthood. Increasingly, going out on one’s own was considered a rite of passage into adulthood.

These powerful influences were adopted at a time when one of the single largest generational populations was emerging: the post WWII baby boom. Klinenberg’s study asserts that:

“The extraordinary rise of living alone is among the greatest societal changes since the baby boom. Until recently, no culture in human history had sustained large numbers of people in places of their own.

Today more than 40% of households have just one occupant in cities such as Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Denver, St. Louis, and Seattle. In Manhattan, nearly 50% of households consist of a single occupant. The rate is similar in London and Paris, and a staggering 60% in Stockholm.”

Even during challenging economic times, single people have a profound and positive impact on society. “Singletons are fueling the economy. They spend more discretionary dollars than their married counterparts. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that consumption by U.S. singles contributes $1.9 trillion to the economy annually,” explains Klinenberg.

Industries are taking notice, especially at a time when they are competing heavily for consumer’s disposable income. Advertisements are now prevalent showing single people instead of obvious couples. This highly targeted advertising is directly aimed at promoting products to the population of over 32 million single people who live alone in the U.S., and even greater numbers abroad.

Real estate developers are designing upscale rental properties to resemble destination living resorts, inviting social interaction for singles, and providing amenities like health clubs, movie theatres, and yes – day care for pets.

Klinenberg notes that: “The 24/7 work culture, which has shattered the barriers between personal and professional life, makes living alone more attractive. Over-connection is the problem of our time. Solitude gives us a chance to reconnect with ourselves and others with depth and meaning.”

Ironically, the modern family structure can be more disconnected than the lives of single people. Increasingly, families can be seen sharing the same living room, while being virtually oblivious of each other, as they text, iPad, iPod, Netflix, and online chat their way through an entire evening.

In contrast, singles tend to form “tribes”, often specifically for the purpose of breaking away from those devices, and interacting on a highly personal and social level. This has resulted in the vibrant gentrification of neighborhoods with the uptick of independent restaurants, coffee houses, wine bars, shops, and cultural events. “Neighborhood cultures develop around single life. Solo living is…in vogue.”

The food and beverage industry has observed and responded to this demographic accordingly. Advertisements for alcohol are featuring groups of friends vs. the limited strategy of couples. Restaurants are installing communal tables to enhance mingling opportunities. Travel tours are being designed to appeal to singles. Klinenberg recounts: “Even DeBeers, which long pitched its diamonds as the embodiment of a couple’s romantic bond [of engagement and marriage], has sold a ‘right hand ring’ for unmarried woman who want to treat themselves to elegant jewelry.”

In the U.S., when it comes to singles there are about 18 million women, and 14 million men. Home purchases by this demographic have escalated dramatically, especially among women, who buy at more than twice the rate of men. Singles purchase more than one-third of the homes in the U.S., and realtors are taking note, and marketing accordingly.

This trend can be expected to expand exponentially on an international level as economies continue to grow. Klinenberg has determined that “European countries already display higher rates of living alone than the U.S., and there are sharp increases in emerging markets such as China, India, and Brazil, that suggests that many choose to live alone whenever there’s sufficient wealth and comfort.”

As Klinenberg observes: “Not long ago most women (and a great number of men) viewed getting married as the key moment in the transition to adulthood. But for a growing number, buying (or establishing) a home has become a powerful way to pivot from one life stage to another. It’s a signal, to themselves and to those who know them, that they’re embracing their independence and that they’re ready to invest in themselves.”

Klinenberg concludes: “The Great Recession forced many Americans to
make sacrifices. The economic downturn has deprived many young people
of the means to go solo.” However none of that has deterred a significant
part of the population from savoring the epiphany that single living is an
affirmative choice.

Eric Klinenberg is Professor of Sociology, Public Policy, and Media, Culture, and Communications at New York University, and editor of the journal Public Culture.

Despite that decisive action to muffle the court proceedings, the justices cloaked in robes were impotent to prevent the trial from being re-enacted live on stage and broadcast internationally on the Internet.

On March 3, 2012 The American Foundation for Equal Rights and Broadway Impact joined with playwright Dustin Lance Black and a star-studded cast to present “8.” As is often historically the case – it took artists, imitating life, to bring forth the critical issues and facts, to illuminate them for all to see.

This is how the fallacy of the U.S. Supreme Court’s silencing of the trial of Proposition 8, banning gay marriage in California, was brought to light:

Directed by Rob Reiner – the dynamic cast included: Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Kevin Bacon, Martin Sheen, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christine Lahti, Mathew Morrison, Matt Bomer, Chris Colfer, John C. Reilly, and Jesse Tyler Ferguson, among other talented actors who participated bro bono.

How ironic, that the U.S. Supreme Court aided and abetted in the throttling of free speech by refusing to allow the trial to be aired. How chilling, that the same U.S. Supreme Court Justices will likely hear an appeal of the lower court decision which overturned California Proposition 8. Can the U.S. Supreme Court Justices be relied on to confer “Equal Protection” of the law with a track record like this?

The foundation of the rights of U.S. Citizens is embodied in the United States Constitution. The Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses are fundamental to the belief system that the country was founded on:

“No State shall make or enforce any law…[to] deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law…nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” – 14^th Amendment to the United States Constitution

Historically, the U.S. Supreme Court has applied “strict scrutiny” when laws had a “suspect” component of discriminating against a politically powerless class or unpopular minority, or, if the law adversely impacted a “fundamental right” or interest.

If either of these instances existed, then the legal Constitutional standard has been that the law should be upheld only if it is “necessary to achieve a compelling governmental interest.”

Many years back, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the right to marry is a “fundamental right” protected by the Due Process Clause and that “direct and substantial interference with it should be subject to strict scrutiny.”

Previous court rulings have determined:

“The decision to marry is a fundamental right and marriage is an expression of emotional support and public commitment.” Turner v. Safely

“The right to marry is of fundamental importance for all individuals.” Zablocki

 “This court has long recognized that freedom of personal choice in matters of marriage and family life is one of the liberties protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.” Cleveland Board of Education v. LaFleur

U.S. Supreme Court case law from 1984 underscored and affirmed that: “The Constitution cannot control [private biases] but neither can it tolerate them.” In 1992: California’s obligation is to treat its citizens equally “not to mandate its own moral code.”

The same must be said for all states in the United States. It is disingenuous for any elected official or candidate to say that the issue of marriage equality should be left to the discretion of each individual state. The candidates or elected officials both believe in and defend Constitutional Rights, or they do not.

As the case determining the fate of marriage equality moves through the court system on its way to the U.S. Supreme Court, it is critical to recognize that fundamental constitutional rights are at stake here, and that silence is a form of complacence. The denial of rights tends to lead to the erosion of other rights – and our dignity towards each other.

The American Foundation for Equal Rights has an extensive website outlining the organization’s actions to secure Marriage Equality, and how you may participate: http://www.afer.org

Leslie Gainer interned with the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, and went on to become a public policy lawyer based in Washington D.C.

Leslie is the Publisher and Editor of Expand or Contract (?) !

“Remember, everything we say, everything we do carries power. Even if you sing softly, be sure of where you’re going. You’ll know when it’s time to kick it up, and ride it!” – Brenda Lee Eager

Brenda Lee Eager is a singer, performing artist, and songwriter whose lyrics and music have made hits possible for recording artists such as Prince, Ray Charles, and Aretha Franklin, to name a few. She has also toured and recorded with R&B royalty: Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Smokey Robinson, Roberta Flack, Donnie Hathaway, Linda Hopkins, Maxine Weldon, Nancy Wilson, Norman Connors, Gerald Butler, and her beloved friend Teena Marie.

Brenda Lee Eager has stories to tell. They are as rich, deep, and multi-layered as her music is diverse: Gospel, R&B, and Jazz. 

The common denominator is that they all have soul. That’s how one of her big hits for Prince came about, in the wee hours of the morning, when the rain was falling outside, and tears of longing were trickling inside. She turned the challenge of life into the catharsis of a song when she switched on the light and wrote the song “Somebody’s Somebody.”

 Prince performing “Somebody’s Somebody” on The Rosie O’Donnell Show

Brenda Lee Eager began singing at the age of 3, and by the time she was a teenager, she had started writing songs. “We had no television at the time, so I read a lot, and had a vivid imagination. I loved to write stories and poetry. A blank sheet of paper became my canvas.” 

“We did have a radio that played rhythm and blues at night, and gospel and the great quartets on Sunday mornings. My first love was Mahalia Jackson. She would wrap her soul around a song and use her whole body to express it. What a voice! Strong as a mountain yet would caress you like a mother with her child.

Then there was Sarah Vaughn. What phrasing and color. I called her my liquid singer, because she was flowing smooth like warm butter…in and out of octaves…sassy…. smooth. I wanted to sing music like that Miss Sarah.”

By 9^th grade, music and melody started naturally attaching to her words, and songs began surfacing. The first, not surprisingly, was a love song: “Gonna Get a New Boy.” Then, as the Vietnam War intensified and began to take its toll on her recently graduated classmates, social justice themes emerged in her music. In 10^th grade she wrote about the induction of her boyfriend into the military: ‘Don’t Take Him Away.” 

King’s Club in Pritchard, Alabama was where she began her first professional singing gigs. It wasn’t New York, which she had briefly explored musically and forsaken. However, she used the Alabama club as an opportunity to hone her craft, confident as she recalls the self-observation: “I’m singing my songs, right here where I am. The faces I see make me know…someday, I’ll take that ticket to ride…and someday, you’re gonna see me.”

The next stop was Chicago, where she met other talented musicians, singers, and producers. One of her admirers was Don Cornelius, who a few years later launched the groundbreaking musical television show “Soul Train.” 

Cornelius has been credited with bringing Black soul and dance music into the living rooms of teenagers throughout the United States. Soul Train came at a critical time when the nation was being challenged to establish peace through civil rights, a dissolution of the Vietnam War, and women’s rights in response to massive demonstrations of civil disobedience. His show subtly led to an integration of cultures among youth, a change that the laws were still impotent in codifying. Cornelius concluded each show with the moniker: “Love, Peace and Soul.”

 Brenda Lee Eager and Jerry Butler on Soul Train

4-4-68 Life and Death

“I was at my mother’s house, having the worst nightmare of my life. In the dream, I was in a country church and there was a funeral, I was feeling such grief that I could hardly breathe. Just as I got close enough to see who it was, I screamed, and sat straight up in bed. Nine hours later, after a brutal period of labor, my beloved daughter was born. When I awoke, my mother had tears streaming down her face. I panicked, thinking about the baby. Biting her lip she said: ‘The baby is fine. They just killed Dr. King.’” 

“One year later, I joined the [civil rights] movement traveling with the Rev. Jesse Jackson to sing freedom songs of the times, and the hopes and aspirations for the future.” Brenda was part of a group called the Ben Branch Orchestra & The Pipperettes. They sang at rallies, get-out-the-vote drives, and picket lines. “At meetings it was common to see people like Harry Belafonte, Bill Cosby, Quincy Jones, Nancy Wilson, and Sammy Davis. These people risked their careers to take a stand for justice and equality.”

Jesse Jackson negotiated a record contract for the Piperettes with the famous Sax Records in Memphis. One year later Brenda was released from her contract so she could record with the legendary Jerry Butler. Their record became a hit and they were booked as headliners at the iconic Apollo Theater in New York City. 

Don Cornelius asked Butler and Eager to go to Los Angeles to appear on Soul Train on the same episode that also featured Ike and Tina Turner. Having left Chicago in a blizzard, and landing in L.A. amidst the sunshine, palm trees, and happening music scene, Brenda “knew I had landed in heaven and it would become home.”

Billy Osborne of LTD was also a major collaborator and their songs were recorded by Aretha Franklin (“Just To Be Loved”), Mavis Staples (“More Than Beautiful”), and Gladys Knight (“Friends”). It was Billy who introduced Brenda to Ray Charles, whom they wrote duets for. She recalls: “I loved working in the studio with Mr. C. He could work the [sound] board as well or better than anyone else.”

The historic 1979 “No Nukes” concert that ran five nights at Madison Square Garden (and was also turned into a film) brought Brenda together with artists that included Michael McDonald, Chaka Kahn, Bruce Springsteen, James Taylor, Carly Simon, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. This led to an extensive collaboration and recordings with Graham Nash.

 Brenda Lee Eager performing at the No Nukes Concert at Madison Square Garden 

“Collaborating is sacred to me. It’s kind of like a communion of souls who give birth to music that marries lyrics and melodies.” 

Brenda Lee Eager is a prolific songwriter and performer who continues to expand her horizons. She has written, directs, and performs in her one-woman show: Brenda Lee Eager’s Classic Soul Review. She directs and writes original music for T.H.E. “The Heaven on Earth Choir.” With a career continuing to expand as each year progresses, Brenda Lee Eager has already composed and published hundreds of songs.

“When you’re a singer/songwriter, you can’t stop. A song will wake you up in the middle of the night. It will creep into your dreams at three in the morning. Don’t think you’re going to remember it in the morning, you won’t! You have to write in down, record it then. The universe is funny, it will give you what you ask for, but you’ve got to take it when it is being given.”

Brenda Lee recording with Charles Miller

Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Marilyn Monroe…. Each engaged in hand-to-hand combat with their addictions, caught in the vortex of the precarious distance between Heaven and Earth. 

The “highs” they experienced are faint competition for the currents of grief that always seem to be eddying around them – ruthless and ever-present regardless of the kind of momentary altered state they may have achieved. 

While there are no panaceas to ensure victory over addictions – can the ancient roots and modern practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Acupuncture make the difference between life and death? For some, the answer is a definitive “yes.”

Laraine Crampton, BS, MA, MATCM, LAc and faculty at Yo San University of Traditional Chinese Medicine explains:

Substances that tend to be addictive are often ones that interrupt the body’s internal climate. For example, cocaine creates this burst of hot energy that is very similar to flooring the accelerator on your car. Just like your car, it heats things up, speeds things up, consumes fuel, and creates a very exciting response. It stimulates the brain to fool the individual into feeling terrific, while convincing the user they’re free from ordinary sensations like hunger, and pain. But, when you stop taking it, life gets very uncomfortable, because everything seems to go very slow again, or seem unsatisfyingly ordinary. 

Meanwhile, the tissues that have been disturbed by that expenditure start to complain. So, if you drive your car 100 mph around the clock for three days, you know you’re going to run low on oil and gas, and the spark plugs are going to start to get fouled. Cocaine has that deceptive nature, in that it creates that acceleration, that excitement, but when it’s gone, all of the consequences in the body are uncomfortable. It creates a desire much like the intense cravings of new-found romantic love, to be back at that wonderful feeling of stimulus and excitement. Thinking in natural terms, it is great to have the expansive feeling of a bright, hot, summer afternoon.  But, if you keep in that state 24/7, then you suffer the consequences  prolonged exposure to excessive heat, and everything from your heart to your head suffers heat stroke.

In the case of alcohol, it speeds up the use of insulin, creates internal heat and provokes dehydration, which leads to desire for more liquid. This eventually creates a situation of both excess moisture, or dampness in the abdomen, and generalized dehydration and heat, thus leading to a craving for more drink. Alcohol acts as a sedative, but the impact on blood sugar interrupts sleep, so a person often reaches for another drink to renew the sedation – which is not a viable correction for the sleep cycle. 

Q: What types of addictions have you successfully treated with TCM and Acupuncture?

Over the years I have worked with people using acupuncture to overcome addictions to smoking, and sugar; to tone down their cravings, and to lose weight. At the other end of the spectrum I’ve worked with people with  chemical addictions: painkillers, cocaine, and anti-anxiety medications and anti-depressants. There are several, increasingly well-known treatment centers in Los Angeles and around the world in which acupuncture is integrated into the treatment process for those who want to receive it. 

Q: Many people are curious about acupuncture but their knowledge does not yet match their curiosity. How can acupuncture be used to treat addictions?

For strong addictions, acupuncture can calm the nervous system in ways that are analogous to chemical sedatives, but without the side effects. So when someone comes in with an intense craving, with acupuncture, they are able to relax and to be free of that craving for a period of time. 

With acupuncture, herbal medicine, and dietary therapy, they can begin to rebalance. Almost always, an addiction leaves a strong imbalance in its wake – damage to the stomach, lungs, and nervous system. So it’s important to rebuild what has been injured as a result of the addiction, or may have been missing in the first place.

Q: Addictions are notoriously insidious in their ability to dominate people’s lives and impede recovery – despite multiple attempts at various treatments and therapies. How effective is Acupuncture and TCM?

For those who have really committed themselves to recovery, there’s been a very good rate of success. It’s not a simple process, however. I’ve had individuals come in for addiction care and get clean and lapse multiple times before they eventually stay clean. So it’s not an instantaneous, ‘Here, come for acupuncture. I’m going to put some needles in you, and you’ll be fine.’ But I have seen quite a few people really shake off their ‘monkeys,’ and be able to move ahead into the lives that they want. 

Q: What is the origin of Acupuncture and how would you describe the practice of Acupuncture in terms of how it is administered?

Traditional Chinese Medicine is one of the oldest medicines in the world, and therefore one of the most deeply researched in terms of millennia of practice. 

Our oldest texts tell us that the Ancients discerned a map of the body, charting how and where energy flows. They were able to determine and identify a network of points throughout the entire body that are inter-related. They learned that when pressure was applied to a particular “acupoint”, it could lead to healing in a corresponding part of the body. Some say Daoist monks meditating in caves literally perceived this energy network and mapped it out for us. 

The maps that we have today of the acupuncture pathways, which are called channels or meridians, are very similar to the ones that were developed 2,000 or more years ago. 

The meridians are distinct from muscle, tendon, ligament, or circulatory pathways – including the spinal cord. Essentially, meridians are energy circulation pathways through which the body’s energy travels. This form of energy has become known as ‘chi’. Some people believe that chi is its own form of energy, separate from the circulatory system, while others insist that ‘chi’ is all about oxygen and blood circulation, not a mysterious ‘energy’.

Another way of thinking about the meridians, or channels of chi flow, is somewhat like the New York subway system. When you’re looking at New York with the naked eye, you don’t necessarily see the subway system, but you see where it emerges, where people come up the stairs from below. Similarly, one way of looking at acupuncture points is that they are where the network of the human body emerges to be influenced.

When that vital life energy is moving freely, everyone can see a person’s vibrance and health. When illness or injury occurs, the quickest way to make note of that is to see where the energy is blocked. Acupuncture was discovered as a means of restoring free flow. Finding where the blockage is that is causing that person illness, injury, or pain – and removing it, by inserting a very thin needle into the appropriate place in the body, can free up the flow again and get things moving.

Q: So the Ancients, through a process of experimentation and in the case of monks’ intuition, developed a diagnostic system that determines the problematic issue in the body, and then a treatment. What is the diagnostic system they ascertained and is currently used?

The pulse and tongue are essential diagnostic tools. The tongue is somewhat like a barometer to look inside the body and see the level of fluids, flow, accumulation, and deficit. It lets you see the relative atmosphere within the body. The tongue provides a glimpse into the inner climate, and into functionality. 

When you listen to the pulse, it is a process of listening through your fingertips, to get a glimpse as to how the organs are functioning. The beat, sound, and feel of the pulse can help zero in on parts of the body. You can listen to determine the condition of each organ – the heart, lungs, stomach, liver, etc. – and the tissues around them. Your organs speak to you about the condition of your life.

For example, if a patient comes in describing shoulder pain and frequent stomach aches, we can listen to the pulse to discern whether they’ve got shoulder pain due to stress, or whether they get shoulder pain because it’s referred pain from an ulcer. 

When meeting with a client, my chief interest is in listening to their pulse and looking at their tongue while assessing other manifestations in their body, posture, activity levels, voice, etc. All of this tells me quite a lot about how Yin and Yang are cooperating together, or not. The Yin and Yang are the forces responsible for the body’s metabolic equilibrium. All of these observations are a very useful doorway in for me to begin diagnosis. 

Evaluation and treatment is a partnership process. A question and answer time is very valuable along with the individual coming in with their whole list of issues. Sometimes I spend the first hour of the first visit just listening. People have a lot to say about their poor neglected bodies and the challenges in their lives. 

We are so intimately connected to what’s happening inside and outside of us. It’s all interconnected. If our body and organs are not functioning well we can be strongly influenced by that emotionally, spiritually, and in the expression of ourselves in our lives. The converse is true as well. 

One of the most thrilling moments in my practice is when you hear a client say: “Your needles have brought back my joie de vivre.”

Laraine Crampton was a successful producer and journalist whose body began sending increasingly loud messages that it was time for a significant lifestyle change, and discovered TCM as the path to her health. 

She recalls: “I’d had a crescendo of having one career, then adding another on top of it.  As I started to get well I asked my self if I wanted to squander my health going back to deadlines 24/7. After just a few weeks of auditing a TCM class, I found myself awed and amazed.” 

She enrolled in the four-year Master’s professional program in Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine at Yo San University in Los Angeles, California. 

Laraine Crampton, BS, MA, MATCM, LAc is now a member of Yo San’s prestigious faculty, and is the editor and co-author of Chinese Medical Herbology and Pharmacology. She is a highly valued member of the Master’s Clinical Faculty supervising 4^th year interns at the Yo San Community Clinic.

In the United States, virtually everyone has seen devastation wreaked on friends, family members, neighbors, or colleagues. We are being challenged, individually and collectively, on almost every level imaginable, personally, financially, emotionally and spiritually. Some would say we have reached a breaking point, but I disagree.  

What we have reached is a birthing point and, what we are experiencing are the birth pains of a New Nation. 

We are a nation that is greatly in need of repair and restoration, and from which we can once again grow and prosper. We must reinstate our foundation as a nation that subscribes to and supports our fundamental right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. These are not merely the tenets and laws of the United States, these our inalienable rights. As human beings, these are the laws of our Maker, the divine law. If the Founding Fathers of this country insisted upon these laws, so then must we. 

As we move forward to fully birth this New Nation, each of us must step up and commit to not just limiting, but overcoming, our individual challenges and obstacles. 

We must also commit to uplifting our lives and the lives around us. We must remember who we are and what we are made of. The American spirit from which we come is truly an invincible one. We must remember that we created this country from nothing but inspiration, imagination, and perspiration – one nation, with liberty and justice for all. Certainly with the foundation we have been given, and our designer genes, we can re-birth this country into something more and greater than it is! 

However, there is much work to be done and we can no longer afford to sit passively and wait for someone else to do it for us. Or worse yet, wait to become victims of a system that is no longer working for the vast majority of the people of this country. 

We are still the most powerful, capable people in the world. Yes, we’re a bit worn down and bruised, but our journey here is far from over. Within each and every one of us still lies untapped potential and unlimited possibility. 

As a Business and Money Coach, I work to help people to fully see and embrace their true value and worth. I need you to know that just because the economy is bad, or your business is down, or you’re unemployed, it does not mean you are not worthy or valuable. 

Tying your self-worth to your net worth is a slippery slope and not something I recommend you do. 

How much money you have or do not have at this moment is not a measure of who you are. The brand of clothes you wear or car you drive can never truly define you because they are not a part of you. They are merely external accessories. I know…you look great in that outfit but when you go home at night and take it off, you are still you and that person in the mirror that you see is equally magnificent. 

Now more than ever we need to be reminded that the “gold” we seek is not out there somewhere, it is “in here” – inside of each and every one of us. 

We create and manifest our external reality on the basis of what lies inside of us. Often, I hear my clients say, “I think I need to go back to school or get a new degree” and my response is generally this: “Maybe. But first, let’s do an inventory of what’s already inside of you and see how you’re leveraging that.” 

We all have amazing assets already inside of us that are often not well utilized or leveraged, and therefore do not provide us with the results we deserve and desire. 

Your “inner assets” consist of the specific skills, talents and abilities you have acquired during your lifetime through life experience, education, and/or work experience. I call this the “Bank of You,” and it’s important to look inside the vault periodically and fully inventory all that you are, all that you achieved and the gifts that you have, that, if fully owned and leveraged, will source you financially.

The average American may not have much money these days, but we are still an asset-rich country because our most valuable assets are us! The people! It is high time we stopped looking for the answer outside of ourselves. The answers lie within us, and the sooner we gather together and stop talking about all our problems and begin working together to create solutions, the sooner we will begin to thrive. 

We are giving birth to a new world…one way or another. It will either be a world that we have consciously created, or a world that we have inherited by default. 

We’ve all seen the previews of that coming attraction, and I for one would rather not like to see the default movie. Instead, I say, let’s get busy and gather our resources from within and from without…people, community, creativity, and innovation, and begin to form alliances and collaborations that we can leverage and uplift us into the possibility and potential borne of the idea of YES…WE CAN! 

May the force be with US.

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Deborah Price’s book, Money Magic: Unleashing Your True Potential for Prosperity and Fulfillment is available for purchase in our Inner Compass Lifestyle Store.

Deborah Price is the Founder and CEO of The Money Coaching Institute. She works with individuals, couples, businesses, corporations, and non-profits. You may contact her at:

www.MoneyCoachingInstitute.com
1129 Industrial Ave., Ste. 208
Petaluma, CA 94952-6529
(707) 782-9054
(800) 639-0977
Email dprice@money-therapy.com

As the annual celebration of Martin Luther King’s birthday approached, Texas Congressman Ron Paul directed a spotlight on King, pointing to him as a vibrant and admirable role model for achieving positive societal change. If there were more “kings” like King, the world could be a much better place.

Candidate Paul referenced key points in Dr. King’s approach as a blueprint for how to live life individually and collectively, grounded in:

• Nonviolence in Actions and Words
• Persistence in Principles and Solutions
• Righting Wrongs
• Moving Forward for the Collective Good

In a sense, Congressman Paul was echoing the perspective of Abraham Lincoln, who espoused that: “The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people, whatever they need done, but cannot do at all, or cannot do so well for themselves.”

The prevailing times, and behavior of many, brings to mind the poignant words of Dr. King:

“There Is Nothing Wrong with Power If Power Is Used Correctly.”

So often, we look to our elected “leaders” to carry the torch and light the flame of progress in these respects. Yet, too often, they fail us.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. did not ask us to sit idly by and wait for leaders to do the right thing. Instead, he has inspired legions of individuals over generations to act individually and collectively for the greater good. We have learned time and again, that with inspired action, “We Shall Overcome.”

Every individual and leader has encountered tremendous challenges while they have lived life aspiring to contribute to positive societal change. As you consider your own place in progress, take solace in knowing that, as Dr. Michael Bernard Beckwith recounts:

“Every mystic, sage, or awakened master whose autobiography or biography I have read has experienced the dark night of the soul,” yet they have taken stock, and continued on the positive path. Take inspiration from that, and consider the following experiences from people who were not “famous leaders,” yet lived with purpose, and as a result, led by example, even if they never realized they were being seen as leaders.

An 82 year-old Republican from California, who had never voted outside of the party, voted to elect Barack Obama as President of the United States. Why? Because that person saw someone who was highly capable, intelligent, inclusive, and opted to talk with people, rather than at them.

A 103 year-old woman from Texas voted to elect Barack Obama. In doing so she said: “This is probably the last election that I will have the opportunity to vote in, however, it is the most important election in my lifetime.”

She lived to see Barack Obama elected, and died two weeks later, just four days short of her 104^th birthday. In her lifetime, she had seen and directly experienced monumental societal injustices, and awe-inspiring actions for the greater good. As a woman, she had to wait, but ultimately was granted the right to vote. As a student at a women’s college in Boston, she observed racist and anti-Semitic policies first-hand. African American students were not allowed to live on campus, and Jews were often discriminated against in classes. Several years later, she helped establish the library at Brandeis University in Boston – one that was devoted to tolerance and inclusiveness. She embraced the exhortation of another Bostonian, John F. Kennedy, who suggested: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”

Dobie Gray was born July 26, 1940, in Simonton, Texas, into a family of sharecroppers. He did not grow up with many “advantages.” He did, however, love music, and lived to create it. After making his way to California in the early 1960s, Gray got a break and appeared in a Los Angeles production of the musical “Hair.” He recorded his first chart hit, “Look at Me,” after a chance meeting with Sonny Bono, an executive at Specialty Records. The hits just kept on coming. Gray’s music was performed by artists as diverse as Ray Charles, Etta James, Johnny Mathis, and John Denver. He toured Europe, Australia, and Africa. In South Africa, during Apartheid, Gray insisted on performing before integrated audiences.

In 1991, Apartheid was repealed. In 1993, a multiracial, multiparty transitional government was installed. The first nationwide “free” elections were held in 1994. The African National Congress won the majority of representative seats, underscoring the power of freedom, and making history.

Dobie Gray has continued to contribute to positive social change, even following his death. In 2011 at the age of 71, he willed a significant portion of his property and future earnings to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN. He never had the opportunity to have children of his own.

Throughout history, individuals have chosen to acknowledge adverse conditions, and in their own way, strive, and lead by example to initiate positive social change. At times, collective action has had profound consequences as well.

Consider the “Arab Spring of 2011,” and the profound democratic transformations in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, and Libya. Are Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, North Korea, and potentially Iran, next? These seemingly miraculous transformations have been sparked by the actions of individuals, and when accumulated collectively, have changed their worlds for the better, as well as the world around them. However, as we have seen time and again, change does not always come easily, nor is it necessarily lasting….

In 2008, millions of people crossed party lines to elect Barack Obama President of the United States. Unfortunately, the fatal flaw of human behavior that came next was the death knell sadly known as complacency.

Merriam Webster defines complacency as: “self-satisfaction especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies.”

The President-Elect made an unfortunate miscalculation. Either he relied primarily on advisors and aides to maintain the unprecedented coalition of Independents, Democrats, and Republicans who had elected him; or he did not realize the critical importance of keeping intact the “coalition of America” who had come together in an unprecedented manner, fortified and inspired by the promise of peace, hope, and change. This “army of citizens” devoted to working for positive change was left in a hold position immediately following the election. The vibrant momentum of their force was never regained. This vibrant “flight for change” ran out of fuel while waiting for orders to land.

In either case, this proved to be a fatal mistake for the United States, with adverse consequences that have reverberated worldwide.

But Really, When Our Leaders “Fail” Us, Why Do We Accept Failure?

While members of Congress and other international leaders can dig in their heels and dwell in inaction – with catastrophic consequences for their constituents and others throughout the world – we as individuals could never even seriously consider behaving the same way. To do so would mean loss of our jobs, homes, vehicles, etc…and the list goes on. Of course, that is happening to many of us anyway because we don’t live in bubbles where we are insulated from all of the other conditions around us.

How do we avoid the perpetuation of this “Lord of the Flies” mentality that seems to drive our “leaders” to further destruction? They seem to be in this perpetual game of “Survivor” to see who they can applaud next getting “voted off the island” of their respective elected or self-anointed governing bodies around the world. Meanwhile, who really wins? As we observe this macabre “reality show”, don’t we tire, and ask ourselves, “What next? How do I not only survive this, but thrive in spite of it?!”

Historically, there have been, and will continue to be, significant challenges along the paths of our individual lives and those in the world we inhabit together. In this current “Great [Worldwide] Recession” businesses are collapsing, infrastructures are crumbling and millions of people are losing their jobs and their homes.

Our “leaders” seem befuddled at best, self-absorbed, vindictive, and of dubious values and commensurate actions at their worst. As another famous quote reminds us:

“If You’re Going through Hell, Keep Going.”

It is time for an individual and collective “Call to Conscience – There Is Nothing Wrong with Power If Power Is Used Correctly.” Let’s use our power, and use it well. Consider your options, and answer the question: “Will you Expand or Contract (?)!” Make a choice.

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Leslie Gainer is the Publisher I Editor-In-Chief of Expand or Contract (?)!

She is a graduate of Northeastern University School of Law – specializing in public policy. Leslie has worked on civil rights cases, and co-authored federal consumer protection legislation in Washington D.C. related to the banking and financial services industries. She also co-created successful campaigns to ensure their passage into law.

Leslie participated in launching impactful environmental protection programs: the Recycling and Waste Reduction Program for the City of Los Angeles; and the Offshore Oil and Coastal Protection Program for the American Oceans Campaign, which was founded by Ted Danson.

After all this, it was time for a good drink. Opting for the healthiest choice – she joined the California wine industry where she worked with wineries and created her own business “Fermentations,” which she trademarked and sold after 13 years.

Not one to be complacent, she continued to observe and participate in positive social change, whenever possible. The past decade or so has been a time of often inspiring but sometimes potentially soul-destroying world events. Opting to be a part of the movement to live and act in the positive, with those who choose to inspire and inform – on Dec. 31^st, 2011, Expand or Contract (?)! experienced it’s “EorC Spring” to provide a forum for an International Community committed to positive change.

In the past, when I found myself in situations that generated too much cognitive dissonance, and I knew that the only healthy path to take was to retreat and reflect; the ocean had always become my sanctuary. Why was it reversing, and becoming my nemesis? 

The answer was stunningly non-negotiable. Rather than acknowledge the riptide, and the skill I knew to flow with it, and through it, I had become angry, and obstinate, accusing the ocean of betraying me – instead of the actual truth: that I had defied it. 

All of the signs had indicated that today was not the day to plunge in and navigate the conditions. Yet I did, driven by my overriding desire and ego, which were vociferously propelling me into a battle against my intellect and wiser instincts. The Ego’s grasp on my better judgment was complete. Here I was, risking my life, for my Ego.

Throughout life, the ocean had provided me with potentially infinite guidance and opportunities to explore and expand as a human being. It had been a mentor, friend, and sustenance for my soul. 

My earliest memories were of gazing out at the horizon, observing and gauging the currents, conditions, and formation of waves. On any given day, and within minutes, the circumstances could change dramatically: sometimes calm – often vibrant and thrillingly engaging – other times highly turbulent and leading to potential danger. 

How to navigate the circumstances became a metaphor for life. The question always came down to, would I follow my inner compass that provided infallible instincts guided by nature and observation. Or, would I let my intellect and ego, filled with the myriad influences of others, become the omnipotent judge and jury defining my next steps, gradually eroding my originality and spark in what I sought and manifested in life. 

A surge from a huge wave grabbed me, and my energy began evaporating with the speed of steam being sucked through a downward grate. It became crystal clear that I had arrived at this massive ocean precipice as a result of my obstinate progress on a route that was not hospitable.  

At every juncture in the past when I had listened to my inner compass, the path unfolded with relative ease and grace. In contrast, when I tried to muscle through a situation, there was always rough going and spirit-diminishing hand-to-hand combat. My unyielding ego, clothed in the robes of my intellect, used its interrogatory talent as a weapon against my own inner GPS and the desire for deeper fulfillment that emanated directly through messages from my soul. 

Now, as the raging whirlpool effect of the riptide started to suck me beneath the waves – a combination of spin and agitation cycles pulling me under – I panicked, struggled, and grappled until my last bit of strength diminished, like the final EKG before flat line. 

I realized, and accepted with recrimination and resignation that my ego had taken me to a place where I had no power left. I had allowed it to take me to a location that had always terrified me in life: death. 

I was drowning….

I was jolted from this reverie as I faced a wall of water resembling a mirror. Shockingly, I recognized myself. Looking into my own bright vibrant eyes singed with a look of bittersweet sadness, I began to let go. 

The tension that had been rippling through my body like a high voltage current converted to a gentle massaging flow throughout my meridians. 

Then, like a Technicolor film, all of the most vibrant moments of my life projected on the wall of water in front of me. The ego had no place in the film, because each of the experiences I was viewing, and re-experiencing, had been generated by following my inner compass. This is how I had imagined the bliss I had hear Buddhists refer to. 

In that moment, I consciously realized that I no longer feared death, because the journey into this current state of being was the summation of all of the experiences I valued most in life. I relaxed, and said my goodbyes as the film continued to roll….

Stunningly, I felt a huge hand, as soft as a cushion beneath me, and it began propelling me upward at a speed and velocity that was startling. I wondered who had noticed, and come to save my life. I was actually annoyed at being jostled out of my reverie. 

Then quite suddenly, my head broke the surface of the ocean. I traveled like a projectile several feet up into the air – as if I’d been shot out of a canon. When I landed, and splashed down onto the surface of the water – there was no one there but me.

Many impressions remain imprinted within me from that day. 

At the age of 12, I had become inculcated with the understanding and assurance that I would never again fear my own death, and that my Inner Compass and Spirit had the infinite power to guide me to the best in life, as long as I let it, and my actions, speak.

• Leslie Gainer

Founder of Expand or Contract (?)!

In honor of that, we offer an opportunity for the positive transformation of Congress. We borrow from the 12-Step Program of Alcoholics Anonymous, and have created: “A 12-Step Program for Congress.”

We will encourage them in every step along the way, as long as they prove that they are diligent. We will pledge to be their “Sponsors,” just as we have been driven to find “Sponsors” in our own Al Anon program, which we have had to join – because after all, in this era of chaos – we have become highly co-dependent – and need to work on our own steps as well.

Here is the custom-made 12-Step Program we designed specifically for Congress:

1.“We admitted we were powerless over alcohol our own behavior—that our lives had become unmanageable.”

In an article published in the Los Angeles Times on November 23, 2011, Kathleen Hennessey of the Washington Bureau reported that Congress seems to have arrived at the 1^st step:

“Less than 10% of the public says it approves of the job Congress is doing, a statistic that hangs over all that happens in the Capitol these days. A chart, put together by Sen. Michael Bennet, identifying things more popular than Congress: the list includes President Nixon during Watergate (24%), BP during the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (24%) and the U.S. adopting communism (11%).”

Hennessey goes on to add:

“Following yet another failure to come up with a plan to reduce deficits, the mood on Capitol Hill has switched from frustration and disillusionment to open self-loathing.”

Great news. It sounds like Congress has taken the 1^st Step.

2. “Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.”

“Lawmakers announced the bipartisan committee’s stalemate by news release, then some hopped on airplanes and headed home for Thanksgiving, where at least their families appreciate them. But if polling is any indication, those family members are among their few remaining fans,” she opines.

This sounds like a good start on the 2^nd Step. Family first, God next?

3. “Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”

Perhaps Members of Congress should seriously consider, and act on Step 3 – the decision to turn will and lives over to their God – i.e. their constituents – all of them – not just the well-moneyed lobbyists, PACS, and other “special interest groups.”

After all, many Member of Congress, invoke “God” frequently, maybe it’s time for them to be sincere in their invocations, and honor the God that serves us with “justice, and liberty, for all.”

4. “Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

Hennessey goes on to report the condition of Congress:

“Dysfunction, occasionally impaired judgment, an inability to get things done — Congress can add one more: Low self-esteem. In the self-flagellation is a mix of frustration and empathy — an attempt to show voters that lawmakers understand why people don’t like them. They feel your pain. You think watching them flail and flounder to accomplish once-routine tasks is hard? Try being a part of it.”

Congratulations Congress. That definitely does sound like you’ve made a “searching and fearless moral inventory.”

5. “Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.”

How about starting with an apology. One that is sincere. A huge and authentic apology.

As Beverly Engel (LMFT), points out in her column in EorC Mind-Body Connection: Why Congress Should Apologize: “If our two major political parties cannot lead by example and begin to listen to one another and compromise with one another, how can we hope for Democracy to flourish?”

Congress owes the American people and the International Community an apology.

6. “Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.”

Engel notes: “Congress has the opportunity to be a powerful role model for change in the United States by admitting their mistakes, apologizing, and then being willing to open their hearts and minds to one another.”

Does Congress have enough humility to take the 6^th Step?

7. “Humbly asked Him to remove our short-comings.”

Congress’ intransigence is an illness of the intellect – a manifestation of soul-destroying behavior that has had profound and disastrous consequences for the United States and the International Community. Humility appears to be critical at this juncture. Without it, no amount of “triage” can save their reputations, or for that matter instill a respect for their ability to cure the ills they have created.

In AA it is known that this type of addictive behavior is a disease. If the NIH had jurisdiction over Congress, perhaps we would have had a “cure” by now. Is Congress ready for a cure?

8. “Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.”

That’s a long list. But there is no time like the present. Perhaps Congress can call for a “special session,” as they so often do when they cannot get their work done during normal work hours. A little “overtime” might be well-invested, if they can begin their 12-Step Program in time for the 2012 State of the Union, and show a genuine commitment to start the new year – and hopefully new era – on the right path.

9. “Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.”

It’s unfathomable to think that Congress can do even more harm, than it has to date. But sadly, history does tend to repeat itself – and mightier societies have fallen. The consequences for not making amends, and continuing on the same course are potentially dire when we look at the course of history.

As Deborah Price points out in her column in EorC Currency Money Matters: “The History of Money”

“The Romans created the first global marketplace and the first consumer-oriented society. Quick to discover how money could buy them almost anything, the Romans went on a spending binge that would ultimately destroy them. (The phrase “shop till you drop” was probably first used during this era!)

Rather than becoming producers themselves, the Romans relied heavily on the outside world for goods of all kinds. When they ran short of money, they simply financed large armies to plunder riches from other lands. Between their ever-rising military costs and insatiable and extravagant lifestyle, the Romans finally hit bottom by the end of the fourth century C.E. when their empire fell.

This great money-centered society managed to survive for nearly a century, only to fall beneath the weight of its own greed. Instead of facing their own responsibility (as is true of all addicts), the Romans blamed money for their demise. The fall of the Roman Empire was followed by the period known as the Dark Ages, and money, the convenient scapegoat, all but disappeared from Western Europe for nearly one thousand years. “

10. “Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.”

I think we’ve covered that.

11. “Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we say they understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.”

Congress says “The Pledge of Allegiance” when they start their sessions. Maybe it’s time for prayers. After all, even our currency, our $1 bills say: “In God We Trust.”

12. “Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics other Members of Congress, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.”

As Beverly Engel reminds:

“An apology has more than the power to soothe wounds or mend relationships. In some instances, it even has the ability to rehabilitate an individual, resolve conflicts, and restore social harmony. While an apology cannot literally undo harmful effects of past actions, if done sincerely and effectively, an apology can be remarkably healing.”

It is often said, that sometimes a person, or society, must reach rock bottom before even beginning to consider fundamental change. If now is not that time, than when will it be? Can Congress really afford to engage in this dance with the death of our country any longer?

Thank you to Kathleen Hennessey for her brilliant article – which may very well become an integral part of propelling Members of Congress to embrace their own 12-Step Program to restore themselves to sanity.

By the way, the program is free. No budget bills, or cash funding is required. The only currency required is the willingness to engage in fundamental, positive, and permanent change.

In the words of the AA Program, it is an ongoing practice: “It works, if you work it.”

The 12-Step Program always celebrates milestones in sobriety with “Birthday” celebrations. They mark and reward the incremental markers of your progress and growth. So, in anticipation of Congress’ commitment to their 12-Step Program, we offer this song of encouragement and inspiration:

To read related stories at EorC, click to:
Currency Money Matters: “The History of Money”
Mind-Body Connection: “Why Congress Should Apologize”