Saturday, September 12, 2026
Via FB
We the people have the power to dictate our future, but only if you decide to stand up for yourself, your community and your country.
Time to end all this nonsense, and take our country back.The senate and house republicans are not doing the job they were elected to do.Everyone is welcome to help the Democrats win the midterms, independent, and reformed republicans if you want to take your country back. If you’re looking for values, integrity and affordability on healthcare, gas prices and everyday essentials. Vote for a better future, where everyone is united against evil.We the people have the power to dictate our future, but only if you decide to stand up for yourself, your community and your country.
Time to end all this nonsense, and take our country back.
The senate and house republicans are not doing the job they were elected to do.
Everyone is welcome to help the Democrats win the midterms, independent, and reformed republicans if you want to take your country back. If you’re looking for values, integrity and affordability on healthcare, gas prices and everyday essentials. Vote for a better future, where everyone is united against evil.
We the people have the power to dictate our future, but only if you decide to stand up for yourself, your community and your country.
📌9/11 REMEMBRANCE: THE GAY FAMILY WHO DIED TOGETHER, BUT HAD TO FIGHT TO BE REMEMBERED AS A FAMILY
9/11 REMEMBRANCE: THE GAY FAMILY WHO DIED TOGETHER, BUT HAD TO FIGHT TO BE REMEMBERED AS A FAMILYOn this 9/11 Remembrance Anniversary, we remember Daniel Brandhorst, Ronald Gamboa, and their precious three-year-old son, David Reed Gamboa Brandhorst—a gay family whose lives were tragically taken together aboard United Airlines Flight 175 during the September 11 terr
orist attacks.
They were among the innocent passengers aboard the second hijacked plane that crashed into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
Three lives. One family. Gone in a single moment.
Daniel and Ronald were not just partners. They were parents, building a family and raising their young son together. David was only three years old, with his entire life ahead of him
Their story is a painful reminder that behind every number counted among the nearly 3,000 victims of 9/11 was a person with dreams, relationships, families, and people who loved them.
But what makes their story even more heartbreaking is what happened after the tragedy.
In the aftermath of 9/11, surviving same-gender partners and LGBTQ+ families faced additional legal and financial struggles because domestic partnerships were not yet fully recognized by federal and state laws. Many partners had to fight for survivor benefits, compensation, inheritance, and the right to be acknowledged as family.
Imagine losing the person you love—and then having to prove that your relationship and your family deserve recognition.
The deaths of Daniel, Ronald, and David became part of a larger conversation about equality, family, and the urgent need to protect LGBTQ+ families during times of tragedy. Their story helped highlight the injustices faced by same-sex couples and contributed to advocacy for stronger protections and support for LGBTQ+ families affected by disasters.
Twenty-five years later, we remember them not simply as victims of terrorism, but as a family.
A father. His partner. Their little boy.
They should have had more birthdays, more holidays, more family memories, and a lifetime of love ahead of them.
Instead, history remembers them as three names forever connected by one of America's darkest days.
Daniel Brandhorst. Ronald Gamboa. David Reed Gamboa Brandhorst.
Three lives. One family. Forever remembered.
May their love, their family, and their memory never be forgotten. 
Via Daily Dharma: Keep the Mystery
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Via GBF \\\ "The Power of Words: Practicing Right Speech in Daily Life" with Laura Burges
A new dharma talk is now available on the GBF website and podcast:
The Power of Words: Practicing Right Speech in Daily Life – Laura Burges
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Ryuko Laura Burges invites us to consider how our words shape our reality and whether they serve as a force for division or healing in a troubled world.
Laura demonstrates the profound weight our speech carries, by drawing on a tender story about giving her hundred-year-old mother permission to let go, as well as an ancient tale of the Sufi weaver-poet Kabir whose gentle prayers calmed a sick child while his sharp words exposed a priest’s rage.
She frames Right Speech—one of the foundational spokes of the Noble Eightfold Path—not as a set of rigid restrictions, but as an encouraging mental guide to ease suffering for ourselves and others. Laura shows us how mindful communication is woven through all ten traditional Buddhist precepts, warning against the subtle ways we can “kill” someone’s enthusiasm with harshness, “steal” time through repetitive complaining, or use slander to elevate ourselves above others.
To help us navigate our everyday conversations with greater integrity and compassion, Laura offers a clear roadmap for reflection before we speak. She encourages us to pause and examine our inner motivations, highlighting several key practices for bringing our speech into harmony:
- The Four Filters of Speech: Pausing to ask ourselves whether what we are about to say is timely, true, helpful, and kind—noting with a smile that by the time we ask all four questions, it might be too late to say anything, which is often for the best!
- The Loving Inner Witness: Extending Right Speech inward by replacing our harsh, judgmental inner narrative with the voice of a supportive friend who guides us with tenderness.
- Guarding Our Thoughts: Remembering the ancient teaching from the Dhammapada that thought manifests as the word, the word as the deed, the deed into habit, and habit into character.
By cultivating a mindful pause through meditation, Laura reminds us that we can catch our habitual reactions and choose words that foster connection, ease ragged hearts, and bring genuine peace.
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Enjoy 900+ free recorded dharma talks at https://gaybuddhist.org/
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