Rev. Danny Fisher

A couple of days ago, the great Phil Ryan over at the Tricycle Editors’ Blog left me a comment asking if I’d seen the episode of PBS’s The Story of India about Buddhism (entitled “The Power of Ideas”). I did, and I must say that I really liked it a lot. Host/producer Michael Wood has a pretty unique, fluid, macroscopic approach that takes some getting used to, but once you’re into his groove it really works. I also thought a lot of his insights about Buddhism were well-articulated and striking. (In particular, I liked his ideas about the Buddha as “India’s first protester.”) And I thought the last moment of the episode was great: Wood is walking with a Buddhist monk, and asks him why he thinks Buddhism is still relevant today. “Because it’s true!” the monk replies earnestly.

Definitely check out The Story of India, episode two–”The Power of Ideas”–if you can. Check your local listings for showtimes. A clip from is below: Wood discusses the Buddha’s enlightenment…from beneath the Bodhi Tree in Bodh Gaya.

The great actor and “celebrity Buddhist” Richard Gere received the Joel Siegel Award last night at this year’s Critics’ Choice Awards. The award, which is named for the late Good Morning, America film critic and humanitarian, is their highest honor. You can watch Gere’s lovely acceptance speech below–it comes right after Amy Adams presents the Best Animated Feature Award to WALL*E.

Who’d have thought there would be so much talk about Buddhism and Tibet on an awards show on VH1?! Way cool, man.

Human Rights Now – The Amnesty International USA Web Log reports that Lasantha Wickramatunga, the editor of Sri Lanka’s Sunday Leader newspaper, was shot by unidentified gunmen while on his way to work. He died a few hours later of his injuries. AIUSA writes:

The Sunday Leader newspaper is known in Sri Lanka for its articles exposing political corruption in privatization deals and for drawing attention to human rights abuses in connection with the recent upsurge in fighting between the government and the opposition Tamil Tigers.

This isn’t the first time that the Sunday Leader and its staff have come under attack. In 2006, Mr. Wickramatunga was threatened with arrest over an article critical of the president. In 2007, the printing presses of the Leader group of publications were attacked by 10 armed men who threatened employees and set fire to some of the equipment.

Mr. Wickramatunga’s murder occurred just two days after the privately owned MVC/MTV television studios were ransacked by a gang of thugs. MVC/MTV had also been critical of the government.

At least 14 journalists or other media workers have been killed in Sri Lanka over the past three years. More than 20 journalists have left the country due to death threats. Others have been arbitrarily arrested, tortured and disappeared while in custody of the security forces.

Please take a few minutes to email President Rajapaksa (info@mahindarajapaksa.com) and Ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya (slembassy@slembassyusa.org). Tell them “An independent investigation into Mr. Wickramatunga’s murder and the other attacks on journalists is urgently needed now. His killers must be found and tried. Otherwise…more stories like this one [will be reported] in the future.”

This from Amnesty International:

The Leahy Law is a US law that establishes that no United States assistance shall be furnished to any unit of the security forces of a foreign country if the Secretary of State has credible evidence that such unit has committed gross violations of human rights. This law is one of the most important US laws with the capacity of ensuring that the US is not aiding abusive foreign security forces yet many human rights organizations have documented that we are in fact providing US assistance to human rights violators and recently Amnesty International issued a report detailing this. What will Senator Clinton do as the Secretary of State to ensure that the Leahy Law is being implemented appropriately?

[...]

…Ask prospective Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, about how she would support human rights if she is confirmed.

Call your Senator’s office and leave a message to ask your Senator to ask specific questions of Senator Clinton during her confirmation as Secretary of State. Get phone numbers and talking points here.

This from MoveOn.org:

President-elect Obama just laid out a bold plan for how to get out of this economic crisis and invest in 3 million jobs. It’s smart and progressive—doubling clean energy production, providing health care for laid-off workers, and offering real relief to struggling states.

But the most important parts are already under attack by oil and health insurance lobbyists, joined by congressional conservatives who want to replace these progressive provisions with tax cuts for the rich.

Only a massive public outcry will get Obama’s plan passed intact. Can you sign our petition to Congress to pass Obama’s economic plan right away?

A compiled petition with your individual comment will be presented to your Senators and Representative.

Sign the petition here.