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I was asked to give some spiritual/theological reflections to my congregation on Earth Day.  Here goes.

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As Unitarian Universalists, we affirm and promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part.

Personally I think its funny that we felt the need to add that last bit – "of which we are a part."  If there is an interdependent web of all existence then of course we are a part of it, right?  But the need to add that last bit underscores our feeling of separateness.  We humans as separate from the rest of creation, from Earth.  We as individuals separate from each other. 

As a culture, we celebrate our independence instead of our interdependence.

Here's an article on msnbc about the reaction of Asian Americans to this tragedy.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18178194/site/newsweek/

I called home last night (home being San Francisco where my parents and brother are). Their responses were interesting. My mother was incensed that the initial reports identified the shooter as Chinese. What she didn't say but what I inferred was her worry that there would be an anti-Chinese backlash. (Tho personally I'm not sure if people who are inclined towards backlash bother to make such a distinction between different Asians. Remember Vincent Chin.) My brother was more direct, voicing concern about an anti-Asian backlash in general.

I'm hearing people complaining about a double standard/hypocrisy with respect to Don Imus' comments. The argument goes something like this: Imus used the same words that "rappers" use, and they don't get in trouble. So why is it that black men are allowed to say "ho" but when a white man says it all hell breaks loose?

Ignoring for the moment that for as long as power is held predominantly by one group in this country a "double standard" is not a double standard, this debate ignores the central issue. (so what else is new?) What Imus said was wrong, it was racist, even if he had not used the words that he used. It wasn't "nappy-headed hos" that was the problem; it was the judgment that he was making about the women's Rutgers team.