Katherine Phelps

People who are impoverished are still citizens. People who are impoverished are still human. We only have “human rights”, when we include all humanity in the claim of those rights. When only the poor are required to take drug tests for their livelihood; When only the poor have no choice with who and where they […]

A dandelion is growing in your garden. If it spreads, it could choke out your newly planted carrots and tomatoes. Cut off its head and leaves, it will quickly grow back. Pull at it and break its root part way and it will also grow back. The only way to get rid of the dandelion […]

Starry starry night. Paint your palette blue and grey. Look out on a summer’s day With eyes that know the Darkness in my soul. Perhaps I am writing this for myself. Perhaps this is an unburdening for which I am seeking witness. Perhaps it is a fit of ego. Since I was a small child, […]

Peace is not the absence of war. Peace is not an acquiesence that keeps waters still, in order to not rock the boat. Peace is not reserved for those who meditate long hours. Though, we can all use moments of stillness in order to find ourselves, steady ourselves, and renew our focus on those things […]

I left my family. It’s one of the hardest things I have ever done: worse than divorcing a husband. I feel like I have ostracised myself. A number of family members have and have had narcissistic personality disorder. They have at times married others with their own pathologies. The more I understand about my family’s […]

I had a short sharp first marriage. The man to whom I was married told me after our wedding that he believed in making anyone who hurt him hurt twice as much, so that the person would never mess with him again. At which point I knew I had made a mistake. The question that […]

It’s not enough to shake your fist in outrage at the obvious villains of our times. It’s not enough to join a march and feel like you have acquited your duties as a good person. Worse is thinking duties have been acquited with a single monetary donation to this or that cause. We must actively […]

It’s okay to not be the biggest or the smallest. It’s okay not to be the strongest, fastest, or the most aggressive. It’s okay not to be the most attractive or charismatic. It’s okay not to be the wealthiest or the most powerful. It’s okay not to be any of these things: but are you […]

We tolerate difference. Not bad behavior. It is reasonable for people who worship cucumbers to tolerate those who worship smooth round stones. >>It is not reasonable to tolerate those who throw the round stones at cucumber worshippers. It is reasonable to tolerate the people who are long-hair-sexual. >>It is not reasonable for the short-haired to […]

We need universal social security as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We need democratic, equitable, and sustainable distribution of goods and services. We don’t actually need either money or financial institutions. These have been used to concentrate power into a few hands, then manipulate humanity through their desperation for status and survival. […]