What's in a name?

Why Candles and Lemons ?
My heroes on the left are the people like Molly Ivins and Jim Hightower who realize that you can only stay sane in this work if you keep a sense of humor--laughter isn't just the best medicine, it's also the most potent source of energy for the fight (n.b. I thought that even before Monsters Inc.), and the most powerful antidote to the drumbeat of militarism and the grinding din of the gears of capitalism. Laughter is also a sign of something: it's a sign that we still have hope, and it renews that hope. My intent is that this blog will be a place for us to share hopes--and laments, of course--but the title is meant to be a reminder that we're after light and lemonade.

The discussion and the vote referred to in the post below confirmed what we already knew: that there is a core of folks who are interested in resisting militarism on campus, and more importantly, in promoting peace. That is a hopeful realization, like the light of a candle in a dark night. (I had thought of the title even before the tenebrae service last night, but find it all the more appropriate an image now, on Good Friday.) As we confer together, let's concentrate on lighting candles rather than lobbing grenades.

The second word in the title refers to the trite advice about what to do when life hands you lemons. And folks, we've got a bushel of 'em. And I think that each of the lemons provides us with an opportunity for engagement and conversation--with each other and with others in the community who may hold different views. Watch your email box for an invitation to a lemonade and lemon bars party at the L-Ps (we're working on the date).