Witches of Scotland Tartan Officially Registered

Serving as a living memorial and visual symbol following the successful campaign that secured formal legal pardons, apologies, and memorials for the victims, An official memorial textile created to honor the thousands of people—mostly women—who were wrongfully accused, tortured, and executed under Scotland's Witchcraft Act between 1563 and 1736. 

The black, red, gray, and pink design honors the thousands of individuals - mostly women - who were persecuted under the Scottish Witchcraft Act. 

Religion has been classified into hierarchies for centuries, with pagan spiritualities being placed on the bottom by Christian-dominated societies. 

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/see-the-new-tartan-pattern-created-to-honor-women-accused-of-witchcraft-in-scotland-between-1563-and-1736-180986172/

Hundreds of Students March to Cast Votes after Republicans Remove Their Ballot Boxes

Hundreds of students at North Carolina A&T, UNC Greensboro, and Bennett College walked about 45 minutes, then waited in long lines, to cast ballots on the first day of North Carolina's early voting after Republicans took away campus ballot boxes. For hours, students could be seen marching to their new polling places. 

The GOP-led Guilford County Board of Elections voted 3-2 along party lines to deny polling places at NCA&T and UNC Greensboro, which were present at both locations for the 2024 general election.

Hierarchical Republicans will use any control tactics they can dream of in order to keep their position in their hierarchies, including, of course, trying to stop those who would oppose them at the ballot box. 

https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/north-carolina-t-unc-greensboro-014543629.html

The Feminist Majority Foundation Speaks Out on the Cornell Rape Case

The Feminist Majority Foundation believes that the Cornell rape case is an established system of power designed to prioritize the wants and needs of men at the expense of women’s livelihood. 

"Universities have a responsibility to investigate allegations of sexual violence and provide survivors with meaningful avenues for reporting and support. When institutions fail to do so, survivors can be left navigating both the consequences of the assault and the consequences of the institution’s response."

Concerning the current case at Cornell:

"The lawsuit and public outrage has prompted District Attorney Matthew van Houten to reopen the case. But it should not take this much pressure to secure justice. Accountability must extend beyond the individual perpetrators to the system and cultures that allow sexual violence to go unaddressed."

https://feminist.org/news/the-cornell-57-how-educational-institutions-fail-women/

Human RIghts Champions Meeting in Sweden

More than 100 human rights defenders from over 50 countries are meeting in Sweden to share experiences, build networks, and strengthen their work. Defenders’ Days is an international conference for human rights defenders, providing a safe space where participants from across the globe can meet, exchange experiences, and learn from one another. 

“We are witnessing democracy and respect for human rights come under pressure in many parts of the world. At the same time, human rights defenders continue to stand up for others, often at great personal cost. For a few days, they have the opportunity to come together, build networks, and strengthen one another for the work ahead,” says Sofia Walan, Executive Director of Civil Rights Defenders.

We applaud people who risk their lives and livelihoods to break down the hierarchies of our world. 

https://crd.org/2026/10/12/they-risk-their-lives-for-human-rights-now-they-are-coming-to-sweden/

Coastal Land to be Returned to the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians

In 1855, the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians ceded much of their ancestral land as the U.S. ratified treaties across Oregon and drove Native people onto smaller parcels.

But now, a 6.82 acre area called Rocky Shores, located south of Yachats in an undisclosed area will be returned to the CTSI.

“This was part of our ancestral territories, and it was also part of the coast reservation,” CTSI Natural Resources Director Angela Sondenaa explained. “There was 100 miles of the central Oregon coast that was included in that reservation through treaty. And those promises were broken.”

The Siletz tribe won’t open up Rocky Shores to the public, a decision meant to protect its ecosystem from traffic. But some CTSI officials said they might hold organized events there for invited guests soon.

With lands returning to Native peoples, we can have hope that even more of the hierarchies that have dominated this country will be broken down, and in whatever ways possible, groups such as Native people can regain some of what was lost in the past. 

https://www.klcc.org/environment/2026-10-05/siletz-tribe-land-back-rocky-shores-yachats?fbclid=IwY2xjawUyni9leHRuA2FlbQIxMABwZG9mAWJyaWQRMWlMY2VVSHlQTUU5Um80SGhzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEebpXi5fXyZDkxUDwVG2Ij_3W5VpLuuDmGUo535cCjHtf3te-dh5cqolQyOEY_aem_BsRCg85R4Hkf-BWWSnV15g

Minneapolis - Turns Warehouse into 100 Tiny Homes

Taking seriously how our hierarchies favoring the wealthy are harming many of our citizens, Avivo Village was created in Minneapolis. designed to be a dignified, safe, and COVID-aware alternative to outdoor encampments, housing people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. The tiny homes were built in a warehouse. 

Since opening December 2020, and through July, 2026, Avivo Village’s success is measured by:

• 873 total individuals served since opening in December 2020
• 339 individuals moved on to safe, permanent housing
• 261 overdoses have been reversed
• 21 babies were born to Avivo Village residents
• 41% of people housed identify as Native American
• 49 veterans served
• 73 pets (dogs and cats) have lived with residents

https://avivomn.org/avivovillage/

Six Men with Down Syndrome Serve at Mass with Pope

Pope Leo XIV has confirmed the place for people with disabilities in the Roman Catholic Church. 

Six young men with Down syndrome served at Pope Leo XIV’s Mass at the Place de la Concorde in Paris on September 28.

A letter signed by the six young men asked for the privilege of serving at the Pope’s Mass during his visit to Paris.

Their participation highlighted the important contribution that people with Down syndrome can make to the life of the Church when given the opportunity to serve.

In our hierarchical society, we often disregard people who aren't high on the abilities hierarchy, and believe they can't contribute. Obviously, that assumption is incorrect.

https://catholicconnect.in/news/six-young-men-with-down-syndrome-serve-pope-leo-xivs-mass-in-paris 

We Don't Hold the Top of Our Hierarchies Accountable for Violence

We have all been programmed not to hold the top accountable for their negative actions, but to pass the blame down to "lower" groups. 

This Facebook post illustrates the trend:

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=122113474461404112&set=a.122097265869404112

Portland, Oregon United Methodist Church to Expand into Affordable Housing

Montavilla United Methodist in Portland, Oregon is replacing a deteriorating building, and replacing it with Las Nuevas Rosas, an Affordable Housing apartment complex, with a new space on the first floor for the church to do ministry. 

"This allows the Church to just be the Church, not a landlord, or a service provider," Riggs said. "We get to know and love our new neighbors ,and craft with our neighbors, and develop new ministries that meet the needs, spiritual and otherwise, of the church God is calling us to be, instead of the church we used to be."

Church programs serving the community will also have designated space in the new building. 

https://www.umoi.org/newsdetail/montavilla-umc-to-be-torn-down-for-new-affordable-housing-complex-19952279?fbclid=IwY2xjawURO8pwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMXQxbnZud3hXM1pNZ084b1lzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeu4ikpQBSHOh0SOMTkE0Ds3Quj1F4GCI44yAxwxroD9rt0YUDWJerNCpm1g4_aem_mkHB3JMIeyOWVbDEwyPrJA

Women are Supposed to Disappear when Hierarchical Religion Shows Up

France’s Eiffel Tower was closed after employees launched a protest after a Hindu religious delegation visiting the monument over the weekend allegedly requested “limited interactions” with female staff.

The incident which took place on Saturday resulted in a meeting by workers on Monday. 

A delegation of 100 people linked to Hindu group Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, or BAPS had made a private visit to Eiffel Tower.

The General Federation of Labor trade union said "And all female employees were instructed not to go through or cross certain areas while the delegation was present." They condemned the “workplace instructions that led to female employees being sidelined, replaced and rendered invisible on the basis of their gender".

As usual, hierarchical religions, who use religion as an excuse for exclusion and discrimination, expect everyone else to adjust their lives so the hierarchy can prevail. 

hhttps://www.the-independent.com/news/world/europe/eiffel-tower-hindu-closed-b3046477.html

Maine Court Denies Mother Taking Daughter to Conservative Church

Wonderful example of hierarchies masquerading as a religion. 

The Maine Supreme Judicial Court held that a father could restrict his ex-wife from taking his daughter to a particular church in which the pastor disparaged the father during the service and preached on topics that affected the relationship between father and daughter.

The mother was taking their child to services at Calvary Chapel Greater Portland where the pastor testified to teaching about the terrors of hell and of the Great Tribulation. Bradeen said this led his daughter to question why her father and his other child would not be going to heaven. Without consulting with her ex-husband, the mother also arranged for the child to be baptized, took their daughter to a political rally with other church members, and allowed her to go on a retreat where she was not permitted to have her cell phone. 

The mother also took their daughter to a church service where the pastor offered a six-and-a-half-minute-long prayer, during which he referenced her ex-husband by name, described him as in need of salvation, accused him of attacking the church, and described the child as being persecuted. Bickford did not remove her daughter during the prayer, which Bradeen argues has endangered their relationship. 

https://firstamendment.mtsu.edu/article/bickford-v-bradeen-maine-supreme-judicial-court-sept-1-2026/

Gloria Steinem.- A Great Leader for Great Causes

Calling herself “an entrepreneur of social change,” Gloria Steinem helped usher in sweeping cultural transformations. For more than half a century, she personified the women’s movement and became its most enduring symbol.

As part of the women's movement in the 1970's and 1980's, we, Charlotte and Harriet, saw Gloria Steinem many times at national and state ralies. She was a great leader and inspiration. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/03/us/politics/gloria-steinem-dead.html

Interaction with Dogs Can Improve our Lives, Scientific Study Proves

We know that human-dog interaction brings meaningful emotional support and health advantages. Using electroencephalography. researchers revealed that petting a dog and making eye contact stimulates higher brain activity in the beta and gamma frequency bands compared to touching a stuffed toy dog. Interactions with a dog can improve attention and concentration. 

interactions with dogs can increase brain activity in the beta and gamma power spectra in healthy participants, thereby activating attention and concentration. Additionally, the subjective evaluation of emotions indicated that engagements with dogs elicited positive emotional responses.

The more we break down the human/animal hierarchy, the better for us and the world. 

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-45639-2

Can Dolly Parton Give Us a Way to Respond to Being Treated as a Lower Group?

“Dolly,” Barbara Walters asked, “Where I come from, would I have called you a hillbilly? … When I think of hillbillies, am I thinking of your kind of people?” 

“I think you probably are,” Dolly replied. “But we were very proud people, people with a lot of class. It was country class, but it was a great deal of class. And most of my people were not that educated, but they are very, very intelligent. Good common sense — horse sense, we called it.”

Dorie Clark, the author of this article, calls Parton’s move the “label upgrade” strategy, and it’s a way to simultaneously maintain your dignity and disarm the person who’s talking down to you.

Dolly is neither denying she’s a hillbilly, nor getting mad at what could easily be seen as an insult. Instead, she claims the label and revises what it means.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/31/when-someone-talks-down-use-dolly-partons-simple-trick-maintain-dignity-disarm-communication-expert.html

Inclusivity Brings Church Back from the Brink

Glendale United Methodist Church in Nashville, Tennessee has been revised. Nine years ago, only 12-25 people attended weekly services. Now the number is 125. 

Steven Adair, a church leader who has attended the church all his life, knew that changes had to be made or Glendale would eventually close.

“I watched my church die a slow death in front of my eyes for the first 30 years of my life,” said Adair, leads the communications outreach at Glendale among other duties.

A welcome message is read out loud every Sunday:

“We at Glendale United Methodist Church want you to know that no matter where you’ve come from or where you are going; what you believe or what you may doubt; what you are feeling or just not feeling; what you have or don’t have; and no matter the color of your skin, who you love or how you identify — all of you are welcomed into this community of faith by a God who loves you and knows you by name.”

Glendale made itself visible as a friend of LGBTQ people by participating in the annual Nashville Pride parade and festival.

https://www.umnews.org/en/news/inclusivity-brings-church-back-from-the-brink?utm_id=97758_v0_s00_e0_tv4_a1demo0ecs1j8o&fbclid=IwY2xjawTgcO1leHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFPNmVTZmxuMzJzcjU5U2w1c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHgy8PY_lk7eAtAIk82yZK5WV5dyIesnS0h1q9Wfq-HnC6ylehfPQcGnZuvGq_aem_AzqCkQaK3DSQ479YvHG31g

Mormon Retention Among Young People is Decreasing

From another source: “While Mormon retention looked solid in the early 2000s, in the years since, as Millennial Mormons moved through emerging adulthood, they began exiting the LDS church in dramatic, unprecedented numbers,” according to sociologist Christian Smith. 

In his recent book, Smith stated that “Why Religion Went Obsolete,” the LDS church was once “legendary for its impressive retention rates among young people.” 

As our population is coming to grips with how hierarchies keep people engaged, perhaps this is an example of how more younger people are rejecting hierarchical religions along side other hierarchical institutions. 

https://religionnews.com/2025/12/10/us-gen-zers-and-millennials-are-leaving-the-lds-church-data-confirms/

UN Human Rights Chair Opposed by Countries of Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu.

Men considered by some to be the three most dangerous in the world - Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu - lead countries that oppose the appointment of UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk for a second term. 

Men who are so intent on building hierarchies with themselves on top, such as Trump, Putin, and Netanyahu, are predictably opposed to efforts to call out countries and people who refuse to treat people with dignity and respect. 

The 27-nation European Union stated that is wholeheartedly supports the reappointment.

https://apnews.com/article/turk-human-rights-chief-united-nations-61dc91622d141da0aba689e6436ea47c

Advice: Don't Engage with White Supremists

Advice about the Patriot Front:

"Their message to America, especially on the Fourth of July, is to reinforce the idea that America was founded as a whites-only nation. That is their goal, that’s what they hope to achieve in the end, that is their end state.

"If you are a random passerby and happen to be in their vicinity, I would recommend that you don’t engage unless you are within earshot of law enforcement or authorities or have somebody else with you and have a plan to leave the premise if you need to. But otherwise, the best course of action is to not engage with these folks."

For many of us who could encounter any hierarchy-building Trump supporter, we have decided staying away is the best recourse, including family members and former friends.

https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/who-are-the-masked-men-who-marched-in-dc-with-confederate-flags/4126668/

Rapinoe: Women National Soccer Players Have More Experience in Dealing with Outside Issues Than Men

Megan Rapinoe, a star of the Women's National Soccer Team, compared the experiences of the women's and men's teams when dealiing with interference and negativity from Trump.  She said:

“So, not only does this [men’s] team not have like a core of older players who are used to that, but none of these players talk about anything, ever, like, for the most part. I think in men’s football, just like in general, there’s not a lot of players who are choosing to use their platform or to, you know, broaden their scope of pressure and responsibility.”

Rapinoe also suggested U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino’s teams often thrive as underdogs and argued it might actually have “been better for us to play without” Balogun.

“But I think in general they didn’t handle the pressure of the quarterfinal well,” Rapinoe added. “I don’t think they handled just all of the circus that was around their team very well.”

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/megan-rapinoe-world-cup-donald-trump-us_n_6a508de5e4b08b2da6898a24/amp

Bill to Build the Smithsonian American Women's HIstory Museum Fails after Republican Prejudices Prevail

The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum has been years in the making — and now, transphobia is threatening to derail the whole thing. 

By a 204-216 vote, House Democrats pulled support after Republicans ammended the legislation to require that transgender women be excluded. 

Democrats cautioned that the amended version of the bill also gives Trump too much sway over the museum’s design and location. 

Despite the roadblocks to its physical construction, digital exhibitions from the women’s history museum are available online now, as are classroom resources for teachers and a state-by-state guide of women’s history in America. 

https://19thnews.org/2026/05/smithsonian-american-womens-history-museum-bill/