Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. (Mt 5:4). Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. (Mt 5:6). Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. (Mt 5:9). The above well known verses are from the Sermon on the…
Life Changes
The Clanging Cymbal has been quiet for months due to the illness of its editor. Not Corona Virus. But a nasty little problem I have had since I was born. It exploded on me some months ago, becoming far worse than at any previous time in my life. Scary because many of the symptoms mimic…
The Drums of War
The drums of war are beating. The President of the United States has killed the top Iranian general. What will Iran do? We can only wait and see. The drums of war are beating. “War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.“ Says the song by Edwin Starr. The drums of war are beating. What…
Impeachment
I have been offline for a while, ingesting all the impeachment goings-on. What I’m discovering is that I am tired of it…the lies, the rhetoric, the nastiness, the degradation of others, the torpedoing of reputations, the name-calling, thé corruption…all of it. Just impeach him already! I have heard all of the garbage spewed from the…
A Schoolboy Stunt
If today didn’t take all! I have not commented much about the impeachment goings on. But today’s schoolboy stunt by the Rethuglicans who are not on the House Intelligence, Foreign Relations or Oversight Committees deserves excoriating comment. These people sought to derail today’s scheduled hearing by rushing the secure conference room where the hearing was…
Betrayal
Betrayal is the ultimate act of treachery, turning your back to one who has helped you or loved you. The only thing more painful than betrayal by a friend is the death of a loved one. Betrayal defies all common sense, all logic, all rational thinking. Betrayal, by definition, destroys trust. Betrayal destroys relationships and…
October is Domestic Violence Prévention Month
October is the month which puts a spotlight on Domestic Violence Prevention. For the past 40 years, the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has been highlighting the dangers of domestic violence and its effects on survivors. Some sobering statistics: —— 1 in 3 women and 1 in 4 men per minute experience some sort of…
What is a Social Activist?
Perhaps it is better to start by defining what social activists are not. Social activists are NOT crazy nut jobs who don’t have anything better to do than to walk around carrying picket signs. Social activists are not mentally ill. Social activists are not haters of America, their states, their cities or their communities. Social…
A Change in Plans
This blog was launched yesterday, Oct 1, 2020, with the idea of making it the voice of a group of like-minded people. Since the launch, the perspective of the group has changed. We, members of ARCWP, are used to controversy, because what we do is, in itself, controversial. However, the work that we do for…
Hello! Welcome to the Clanging Cymbal!
This is a blog by social activists for social activism in its many forms. The world is a scary place right now. We, in the United States, are watching our democracy being dismantled brick by brick by a wanna-be dictator. Where I sit right now, in Southwestern Pennsylvania, the high temperature predicted for today is…