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NEW YORK SOCIETY FOR ETHICAL CULTURE BLACK•WHITE•BROWN•MAN•WOMAN•TRANSGENDER•GAY•STRAIGHT•LESBIAN•BI•CHRISTIAN•JEW•MUSLIM•HINDU BUDDHIST•SIKH•HUMANIST•DEMOCRAT•REPUBLICAN•LIBERAL•CONSERVATIVE•PROGRESSIVE•INDEPENDENT•RIGHT•LEFT•CENTRIST•CONFORMIST REALIST•IDEALIST•ASIAN•EUROPEAN•AFRICAN•AMERICAN•NATIVE•IMMIGRANT•YOUNG•OLD•TALL•SHORT•LARGE•SMALL•BLACK WHITE•BROWN•MAN•WOMAN•TANSGENDER•GAYSTRAIGHT•LESBIAN•BI•CHRISTIAN•JEW•MUSLIM•HINDU•BUDDAHIST•HUMANISTTuesday DEMOCRAT•REPUBLICAN•LIBERAL•CONSERVATIVE•PROGRESSIVE•INDEPENDENT•RIGHT•LEFT•CENTRIST•CONFORMIST BLACK•WHITE•BROWN•MAN•WOMAN•TRANSGENDER•GAY•STRAIGHT•LESBIAN•BI•CHRISTIAN•JEW•MUSLIM•HINDU are to Oct. 29 BUDDHIST•SIKH•HUMANIST•DEMOCRAT•REPUBLICAN•LIBERAL•CONSERVATIVE•PROGRESSIVE•INDEPENDENT•RIGHT•LEFT•CENTRIST•CONFORMIST 9am - 4pm REALIST•IDEALIST•ASIAN•EUROPEAN•AFRICAN•AMERICAN•NATIVE•IMMIGRANT•YOUNG•OLD•TALL•SHORT•LARGE•SMALL•BLACK WHITE•BROWN•MAN•WOMAN•TANSGENDER•GAYSTRAIGHT•LESBIAN•BI•CHRISTIAN•JEW•MUSLIM•HINDU•BUDDAHIST•HUMANISTEthical NYC members $35 DEMOCRAT•REPUBLICAN•LIBERAL•CONSERVATIVE•PROGRESSIVE•INDEPENDENT•RIGHT•LEFT•CENTRIST•CONFORMIST Guests $50 nderstand: LUNCH INCLUDED BLACK•WHITE•BROWN•MAN•WOMAN•TRANSGENDER•GAY•STRAIGHT•LESBIAN•BI•CHRISTIAN•JANUAETHICAL OUTLOOKOctober 2019 DU BUDDHIST•SIKH•HUMANIST•DEMOCRAT•REPUBLICAN•LIBERAL•CONSERVATIVE•PROGRESSIVE•INDEPENDENT•RIGHT•LEFT•CENTRIST•CONFORMIST RSVP REQUIRED: HOW TO LISTEN TO OTHERS WHOSE OPIONIONS DIFFER FROM YOURS [email protected] 2 WEST 64TH STREET • NEW YORK,212.874.5210 x 1113NY 10023 • 212.874.5210 • WWW.ETHICAL .NYC SUNDAY PLATFORM Oct. 6 at 11am are to Dr. Susan Spieler, Just because you can hear does not mean that you are lis- , tening. Listening requires intention, attention, courage, and JUDYfounder of Sense-AbleROSEMARIN Strategies, has been coaching and counseling exec- Clinical Psychologist/Psychoanalyst curiosity. Listening is first and foremost to understand, not utives for over 36 years to help them to necessarily agree with another. In today’s culture, there is improve their communication and leadership skills. She is co-author of Be- family fracturing, Facebook un-friending, and an increased nderstand: coming An Exceptional Executive Coach, sense of “I am right, and you are wrong.” and has been a CareerPlus contributing LIVING IN THE In this highly interactive one-day workshop, you will learn how columnist at the New York Post. Judy has HOW TO LISTEN TO OTHERS WHOSE OPIONIONS DIFFER aFROM Masters in Counseling YOURS from CW Post to change limiting viewpoints, practice new skills so that and a Masters in Social Work from Adel- you can improve your understanding with others, and build phi University, and she currently teach- es classes in Listening and Happiness ANTHROPOCENE: greater understanding and community instead of perpetu- at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute ating silences and fractured relationships in your life. Note: (OLLI) at Ringling College, Sarasota, This is NOT a course in politics, for different opinions can be FL. Judy is a member of the Long Island Humanist Society. LOOKING AT OUR GLOBAL CLIMATE EMERGENCY found anywhere. Ethics in Action THROUGH A PSYCHOLOGICAL LENS WWW.ETHICAL.NYC th In the last decade, it has become increasingly 2 West 64 Street, NYC 10023 clear that we are experiencing a Global Climate Emergency. The existential threat that comes with acknowledging this is overwhelming. It causes many people to shut down and Continued on pg. 6 Tuesday, Oct. 29, 9am–4pm ALSO HAPPENING AT ETHICAL Members $35, Guests $50 (Lunch included) Information and tickets: https://festival.newyorker.com/tickets/ RSVP: Maggie Determann, 212.874.5210 x1113 FRIDAY, Oct. 11 7pm PATTI SMITH talks with DAVID REMNICK Just because you can hear does not mean that you 10pm FLORENCE AND THE MACHINE talks with JOHN are listening. Listening requires, intention, attention, SEABROOK and perform live courage, and curiosity. Listening is first and foremost SATURDAY, Oct. 12 10am INA GARTEN HELEN ROSNER to understand, not to necessarily agree with another. talks with MAYOR PETE BUTTIGEIG DAVID REMNICK In today’s culture, there is family fracturing, Face- 1pm talks with TERRI GROSS DAVID REMNICK book un-friending, and an increased sense of “I am 4pm talks with NANCY PELOSI JANE MAYER right and you are wrong.” 7pm talks with SARAH SILVERMAN ANDREW MARANTZ In this highly interactive one-day workshop, you 10pm talks with will learn how to change limiting viewpoints, prac- tice new skills so that you can improve your under- CONCERTS standing with others, and build greater understand- THURSDAY, Oct. 10 @ 7:30pm BEHIND THE LENS — MICK ROCK & HENRY DILTZ ing and community instead of perpetuating silences FRIDAY, Oct. 18 @ 8pm JUSTIN HAYWARD and fractured relationships. Note: This is NOT a SATURDAY, Oct. 19 @ 8pm AN EVENING WITH TOH KAY course in politics, for different opinions can be found SATURDAY, Oct. 26 @ 3pm THE LAURIE BERKNER BAND’S MONSTER BOOGIE on any subject. HALLOWEEN CONCERT LIVE! JUDY ROSEMARIN, founder of Sense-Able Strategies, has been coaching and counseling executives for over 36 years to help them improve their INSIDE communication and leadership skills. She is co-author of Becoming An Ethical Adventures - Walk & Bike........................3 Look Who’s Talking About Ethical.......................8 Medicare Savings Training................................... Sunday Programs................................................. Exceptional Executive Coach, and has been a CareerPlus contributing Young Ethical Explorers........................................ NEW: CLIMATE CIRCLES columnist at the New York Post. Judy has a Masters in Counseling from Ethical Enrichment..........................................4,5 Sharing Thoughts..............................................9 NEW: STORYTELLING WORKSHOP AMY SHWARZ CW Post and a Masters in Social Work from Adelphi University. She is a About Asylum and Immigration..........................5 AEU: Humanists International..........................10 member of the Long Island Humanist Society. Sunday Platforms............................................6,7 Thank You For Your Pledge...............................11 LEADER’S DESK DR. RICHARD KORAL GUNS, RIGHTS, AND REASON One recent evening, while driving in my car, I was is roughly the same. But cars have other uses. They stopped at a red light and I mused about how law abid- transport you to work and school and they have radios. ing I am. There was absolutely no traffic. No cars came Guns, on the other hand, are just designed to put holes along the road where I was stopped, waiting respectfully in people. for the light to turn. Clearly, the traffic regulation does Some 350 years ago, Thomas Hobbes published not respect me enough to exercise good judgment. The his book Leviathan which explained his contract theory red light rule is absolute and allows me no discretion. of law. In his telling, people once lived in a violent I am required to stop and wait, even if there is no one world of “all against all.” It was an awful existence coming. I’ve been driving for decades and I can see when where everyone lived in constant fear of predation by the coast is clear and it’s safe to go, thank you. More- enemies and life was brutish and short. So, to obtain over, I have to sit and idle my engine, burning gasoline safety and security, people granted a sovereign absolute that I purchased with my own money without compen- power in exchange for order. Thus, people compro- sation, all for the public good. That is what is called an mised freedom of action in exchange for the security “unfunded mandate.” So, my rights are clearly curtailed, in knowing that they would not be victims all the I am taxed and infantilized by this regulation. But, at the time. We know that Hobbes’s world was a philosoph- same time, I know that I ical exercise and that the might not make it across “The challenge…is to get the majority of gun owners situation he depicted was town alive unless I follow — the normal, rational, mentally healthy and civically an abstract construct. But the red light rule and can responsible gun owners — to finally agree [to] give up many people in the gun rely on others, generally, some of their rights to own certain kinds of firearms so debate treat it as a reality to do so, too. others who are not so responsible will not have them.” and say the choices that Functioning in a we face are just that stark. civilized society requires balancing rights. My 45-second They share stories of shoot-outs and explain the need to inconvenience versus the orderly passage of traffic. Some be armed and ready for mayhem at every moment. trade-offs are easier to negotiate than others. But I have The challenge in reaching a broader consensus in been puzzled by the difficulty many people have in bal- the gun debate is to get the majority of gun owners, the ancing rights against safety in the matter of gun control. normal, rational, mentally healthy and civically respon- Many elected officials seem to speak a different language sible gun owners, to finally agree that they should give than I do when they explain that gun access needs to be up some of their rights to own certain kinds of firearms open and unfettered. They and their constituents explain so that others who are not so responsible will not have it as a matter of freedom versus oppression. I can’t seem them. Just as I stop at red lights when I don’t really to see it that way. need to, but I do so because the broader traffic order August was a particularly cruel month. There were needs me to. They must see that society will benefit 53 deaths from “mass shootings” and nearly three times when they forego the crazy dangerous guns so that as many people were injured. These include the events others who shouldn’t, won’t have them, either. in Texas and Dayton, Ohio, the ones in the news. But Until regular gun owners see the wisdom of this there were as many as 16 mass shooting events in August modest sacrifice and until they wrest the debate away as reported by those who keep track.