Getting To The Bottom Of It

Memorial Day/again

You know, generally, I'm a well balanced individual. I have enormous joy, like receiving a phone call from my daughter in Egypt today and hearing the call to prayers in the background as she tells me of her trip down the nile. I have my share of sorrow, just this Saturday I had to put my dog Butch to sleep. He's been my loyal, loving companion for 13 years. My shepherd through arguably the most painful phases of my life. And though it was extremely painful and I wept uncontrollably as he passed, I know all dogs go to heaven and he is free as a bird and what I did was merciful and it's over now. I can see beyond the gritty, nasty surface and extract the beauty, compassion, the silver lining, but it is first with great devotion to my emotional truth. I can laugh, but only after I've paid homage to the vital presence of rage and sadness and fear. While the prospect of a permanent ban on off shore oil drilling dances in my head. I cannot deny the present grim and reprehensible circumstances. Things that blow right off the trauma scale. Ok people are you ready? because I'm about to take you down, take you to the bottom of the sea. The bottom, we are talking deep. In an effort to unleash your gushing self. You see as the days go by, things seem to be getting worse and the only way to lift up is to bottom out. Just in the last week we were informed that the leak in the gulf is probably ten or twenty or thirty times worse than we could have imagined. BP's failed attempt at a "top kill" an already terrible choice of title, leaves us breathless imagining that we won't find any relief from the much anticipated relief WELL till August. August. millions of gallons of crude continuously spews ghastly suffocating nightmares for any living creature in the vicinity. They call if the dead zone. 28 species; Orcas, Bottlenose dolphins, turtles, shrimp choking to death. Then there's the birds. I'm sure you've all seen images of these mortally wounded creatures sludging through the marshes. The severe injury and murder of these gentle, lovely, innocents is dreadful. then there are the already Katrina ravaged people of Louisiana, Mississippi, and other coastal area residents who are witnessing this tragedy that unfolds further into their future, their livelihoods, their wetlands, shores, beaches, the eyes and lungs of their elders and children on their laps. Sorrow doesn't express the depth of suffering. Avoidable, unnecessary malfeasance, incompetence, and misconduct, throw in cruelty and you have todays news of the Humanitarian aid flotilla drifting defiantly toward Gaza only to be met by the violent hands and arms of Israeli gunships who without remorse massacre human beings who came with only one thing in mind to help those who are in terrible need. the white house "deeply regrets' all of this . I don't think the white house, or BP, of the mineral managements service or Halliburton, or the Israeli government deeply regrets anything. One cannot tee up on the golf course when one is in mourning. One is pulverized, and if the tragedy is still unfolding, one is obsessed with finding solutions. I don't believe these folks have the ability or capacity to deeply regret, because if they did we would see a sign of emotion. Like the Representative Charlie Melancon's tearful testimony before congress. He could not speak because he was overwhelmed with grief. Imagine a CNN or CBS anchor breaking down, like a human being.That is what is appropriate right now, an outpouring of grief and wailing that would be heard around the world and act as a catalyst for all sentient beings to release a flood of sadness and pain that has been swelling in our veins with each and every trespass and intentional violation of our precious fragile flesh. For every oil spill, home foreclosed upon, pension stolen, every medical procedure denied or botched operation, For every woman raped, or cut, for every child kidnapped and indoctrinated in an army for every bomb, bullet and blast a cry would ring out. A liberation of emotion that could not be ignored or hung up on. Let these things break your heart let yourself in on the disaster, let it move you to a place that is forbidden. That hurts too much. The results will amaze you, because the weight of things such as these are on you. And the eruption of emotional response is the truth of our dwindling existence. Once you touch this untapped well. With this force of nature uncorked pick up the phone and call, radio stations, television, the white house, call congressional offices. Let them know how you feel. Here's a cou[ple of good numbers for you it's the mineral management services 800-200-gulf and(202) 364-5500 is the Israeli embassy in Washington.

Memorial Daze

Memorial day is upon us again, the newspaper is full of terrific sales if you don't already have enough stuff and you can afford to buy more. Traditionally, on this holiday weekend we lower the flag to half mast and honor of those killed in "service" to their country. The loss of these human beings and the ones caught in their cross hairs who also died reminds me of the senseless, waste of war. What are we fighting for? I can't remember. The continuation of this madness and the horrifying lack of services for returning Veterans, seems disrespectful to those bound to defend our nation. I mean, I'd understand if in fact, we were defending our nation from occupation, but...well. God Forbid we were attacked we'd be defenseless because our forces are far, far away in never come home land. We can use this sober anniversary to refresh the memory of those in charge. Let us remind Our President Barack Obama of the reasons why we elected him. Because his memory does not serve him well. I remember and you probably do too about the US out of Iraq promise, ah yes, I remember, How he didn't vote for the war and he didn't think it was a legitimate war and how we would withdraw by May of 2010. With only 7 days left in May he needs to, Act now! Yes, I remember. I recall how our mandate was to end war not escalate in Afghanistan where we have reached the grisly anniversary of over 1000 dead US troops and uncounted Afghanis in that treacherous region. Remember his campaign slogan for hope and change. We are here mired in not only two endless wars, foreclosure hell, unemployment nightmare, Big Bank bonanzas, and the largest environmental disaster in modern history. And Yes Oh and just a few days ago he said there would be a moratorium on all permits for off shore oil drilling and still 17 have permits have been granted complete with environmental waivers. Yesh, you would think that would be fresh in his memory, and if memory serves me right, the new bipartisan, climate legislation provides for more drilling, clean coal, and nuclear power. We must remind him that we voted for change that means, solar, wind, hydro. Let's call and remind him about his promise to reform Wall Street banks, yet after another historic bill bungles it's way through congress, according to the NYTs, CEo's are breathing a sigh of relief because far from a restructuring of the system they'll just have more regulation, akin to the Mineral Management services that regulate the issuing of permits to drill for oil. After All this pomp and circumstance passing voluminous legislation with teeny tiny slivers of reform, we are still in the same boat and it's surrounded by a monolithic oil slick, . It makes me sick, Which reminds me of all the amazing health care reform we were promised and while yes, now we cannot be denied coverage, the insurance companies are left to stick us with increases in premiums sharper than an IV needle. And the health care that we are provided is still a mysterious, often deadly toxic chemical soup from the pharmaceutical industry and other iatrogenic disasters. I remember my mother's surgeon apologizing because he opened a vein instead of an artery and would have to try again the next day. Ooops! Yes, I suppose we are progressing, but progress takes a long time and as far as I see it right now, this is crunch time and we're in a little bit of a hurry, Our dependence on war as foreign policy on fossil fuels for energy must end today. It's time for a peaceful sustainable revolution and it's within our grasp. Let me remind you that with the growing of industrial hemp, a mandate from George Washington, the father of our Country, we could replenish our depleted soil, provide fuel, food, and shelter. this ancient plant is deeply seeded in our collective memory. I'm here to remind you. Let's grow hemp. It's the antidote to many of our woes. because without that kind of radical change we'll all just be a memory.