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Opportunity knocks yet again…

On January 12, 2010, the island nation of Haiti was hit with a major 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The capital city of Port-au-Prince as well as other areas, were utterly destroyed. The results, catastrophic, the devastation, total.  As horrific as was the destruction, the aftermath is equally or more so.  Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere.  There is widespread unemployment and the  greater percentage of the population live on about two dollars a day.  As a result of this major event, those who had very little to begin with, now have even less. Video and images coming out of Haiti depict scenes that rival war zones. Much of Haiti has been left in ruble. The streets are lined with the deceased, the injured and the displaced.  Most structures have collapsed, the few that are left standing, are uninhabitable for fear of eventual collapse, due to many aftershocks, some of which, are earthquakes in and of themselves.  Sanitary conditions are non existent, no electricity, no food, no clean water, no facilities at all with which to treat the injured or house and bury the dead. The concern over the ensuing days will turn to disease, dehydration and starvation.  Many of those who died, both in the initial quake and in the devastating circumstances that followed, will never be counted or identified.  Many have been laid to rest in unmarked, mass graves due to the simply overwhelming amount of corpses lining the streets.   The eventual death toll will be in the hundreds of thousands. Haitian born musician, Wyclef Jean, refereed to the current conditions in his home country as an apocalypse, I would tend to agree.

Thankfully, the international community is swiftly responding, relief efforts are underway.  Several countries have sent and are sending rescue teams, food, water, medical personnel and mobile hospital facilities. However,  due to the limited airport facilities, damaged roads and infrastructure, facilitating set up and distribution will take some time. Time is a luxury many can not afford, aid delayed, will undoubtedly translate to lives lost. This is not to place blame or make wrong any rescue attempt, it is merely a statement of fact. This current tragedy is eerily reminiscent of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, which, on August, 29 2005,  devastated the gulf coast states of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. The costly lessons learned then,  due to delayed rescue efforts, seem to have served America and the world well in responding swiftly to this disaster. Still, from what I can see, the challenges here are far greater than the ones posed by Hurricane Katrina.

The above is merely a statement of what is so,  purely observation.  The question that now begs to be answered is, what significance do we now wish to give this event? I have heard it said, that everything happens for a reason. It is my humble opinion, that there is no particular reason for anything, save the reason you give it. So what is the meaning we can give to the event of this catastrophic earthquake? What can possibly make sense of so much hardship and death? It is a times such as this, that we are reminded of what is truly important.  EACH OTHER!! I believe every death, no matter what the cause, is to remind us of how very precious life is and to do all we can to mitigate all manners of the experience we call death. How can we now mitigate the hardships now faced by our sisters and brothers in Haiti?

Opportunity yet again knocks on humanities door, the opportunity to provide comfort, compassion and relief. The opportunity to strip away the petty differences that previously divided us and acknowledge our shared humanity, our shared hopes, dreams, desires, joys and sorrows .  I am of the firm belief, that the international community can rebuild Haiti. I am certain an all out effort to do so, would result in Haiti being restored to well beyond its former state. We do not lack the ability, the technology or the resources. What we may lack however, is the desire. Money should be of no concern here, (see my previous post on the economy, poverty, disease and needless suffering, posted 1-10-10, for my thoughts on this subject) what is of utmost importance, is human life. Could money ever be a valid reason for not providing for the comfort, well being and future of another human being?  Humanity’s potential is unlimited, if we would only allow it to unfold. Our only limitations are the ones we place on ourselves.

As noble as are all the relief efforts, as admirable are are all the donations pouring in to aid agencies, charities and foundations of all kinds, no matter what their mission statement or their purpose, they will consistently fall short of their goals without constant infusions of capitol. This is not to say they are not worthy of our time, energy, efforts and donations. I myself am involved with charitable organization and have donated to the relief efforts in Haiti. I simply observe that, to me, it seems all these endeavors  merely  place a small bandage on a gaping wound. The gaping wound that has humanity in its grip, is the illusion of separation. The idea that some of us are more worthy than others, more deserving, more entitled, somehow better.  The illusion manifests itself in the way conduct our daily lives and is starkly demonstrated by what we are now witnessing in Haiti, and have witnessed previously, in the aftermath of disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis and so on. We will not ease any of these experiences to a considerable degree with the same thinking that created them in the first place. NONE of the difficulties humanity faces are economic, political or military in nature. ALL of humanity’s challenges are spiritually based and that is the only level on which they will be solved. We must shift our society from being profit driven, to being humanitarian driven.  Actually, we can remain profit driven, we simply need to redefine what we view as profit. Is it more important to amass possessions and currency, or can we somehow shift our priorities to derive satisfaction, contentment and profit from the well being of our fellow humans? I am of the firm belief that we can. We need not grow our economy, we need not grow our military, the only thing we need to grow, is our spirituality. We are all interdependent. We are all connected, we are all One. Anytime we disregard any individual, group or nation, we lose out on their potential contributions to our lives. When someone’s daily existence is in question. When thoughts are consumed by where the next meal is coming from, or whether or not the rent will be made, how can we expect that individual to rise to their fullest potential? Multiply this by the oppression of a people, a race or a nation and you begin to understand how we as a species are cheating ourselves.

I have also heard devastating natural occurrences such as the Haiti earthquake referred to as “acts of God”. I respectfully disagree. I look at them as acts of man. We have, over and over again been informed by the scientific community, that our disregard for the planet is threatening our very existence. Yet, we choose to ignore the information. All this destruction of our environment is done in the name of profit and progress. Yet, where is the profit or progress in the destruction of the planet for future generations? Are we truly that short sighted? In addition, think not that the violent way in which we conduct ourselves on this planet does not reflect itself in nature. I am sure that you have had the experience of walking into a room and sensing the tension contained within. I have often heard the expression that the air or tension is so thick you can cut it with a knife. Now, imagine the tension that war and violence on this planet create in the atmosphere of our beloved earth. I am certain that reduction and elimination of war and violence would be reflected in nature. Events such as hurricanes and earthquakes would be less intense. Mother Earth would make her adjustments in a much gentler fashion. A meteorologist on CNN recently mentioned, that along any given fault line in the earth’s crust, that there are usually either numerous, less intense, deep quakes over a period of time or shallower, more violent ones. Haiti sits atop one such fault line. Perhaps, just perhaps, a kinder, gentler humanity, would result in a kinder, gentler, planet.

I stand convicted that there is hope for humanity. Our planet can heal itself. The only thing we need to do, is heal ourselves of the illusion of separation. We can all make a long list of what is wrong, of reasons why something will not work. Go ahead, make that list. Look at it, acknowledge it, take responsibility for it, but don’t live there. To quote author and lecturer Marianne Williamson, ” I see you war, I see you violence, I see you poverty, I see you disease, I see you needless suffering, I see the ways in which we and our own government participate in the systems that keep these things in place, BUT I DENY THEIR POWER OVER US”! Yes, I know it seems like an overwhelming task, to quote author Neale Donald Walsch’s Conversation with God series, “By what would you like to be overwhelmed? Something coming at you, or something coming from you”? I invite you to be part of the solution. It all starts with you! In your heart, in your home, in your community. The fact that you have come to this commentary and read this far speaks volumes as to your intention and desire to be the change you wish to see in the world. There are a million different ways to become a catalyst for change. Get involved in something that is bigger than you. Want more peace in your life? Cause another to have it. Want more love in your life? Cause another to have it. Is it enlightenment you seek? Cause another to know they are enlightened. In giving these things to another, you give them to yourself. The very act of giving love, peace, enlightenment or whatever it is in life you desire to another, will cause you to know you had it to give all along. Once again, I invite you to be the change.

Thanks for stopping by. Be well. Join the conversation.

Today my day began as many others have, I woke up in my comfortable bed, in my comfortable home. I had breakfast, showered, brushed my teeth, put on clean clothes and headed out the door to work. During the coarse of my day, I ordered lunch from a local restaurant, did some shopping for food and various household items, went to the gym, came home, showered and prepared dinner. My day also involved in varying increments, television, email and several trips to a clean, sanitary restroom. I am sure that, more or less, your day was about the same. Nothing overly remarkable, relatively routine.  To our sisters and brothers in Haiti, what I just described as routine, would be considered nothing short of miraculous. Even before the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated the capitol city of Port-au-Prince, the greater percentage of the population there would have given a body part to live a life many of us consider routine.

Eighty percent of the population of Haiti live below the poverty live, as a result of the earthquake, those who had little to begin with, have little more than the clothes on their back. Homes are destroyed, infrastructure decimated, there is no food, clean water, no sanitation whatsoever, no formal hospitals to treat the injured and no where to house or bury the dead. Relief efforts are underway but are slow in coming due to the logistical nightmare created by the earthquake. Time is certainly a luxury Haiti does not have. The death toll will undoubtedly rise as time slips by without basic necessities. This is just a brief description of the nightmare that Haiti is now living. The images and video presented by the media is nothing short of heart wrenching.

In the coming days, I will post a more in depth piece on the earthquake in Haiti, but for now, I wanted to post this small plea. Please, please, please, do whatever is in your power to assist. You can find a list of legitimate charities listed on CNN’s website at www.cnn.com/impact. In addition, you can use your cell phone to text “Haiti” to 90999 and a $10 donation to the Red Cross, will be added to your cell phone bill. I am certain most of us could manage $10. Whatever your situation, whatever life circumstance you are dealing with in this moment, it is most likely not as devastating  as what is now being experienced in Haiti. I will explore, in my next post, how within this tragedy, lies the opportunity to not only transform Haiti, but our planet.

Thanks for stopping by, be well, be peace. Join the conversation.

and the agreements we hold about them

For over a year now, we have witnessed the havoc the recent economic downturn has wreaked,  both locally and globally.  Property values have plummeted, investments have dwindled and unemployment has risen dramatically.  Retirement plans have been scrapped, many have and still are, loosing their homes, lives have been irreparably altered, and in some cases, even lost. Crime, homelessness, stress, stress related disease, and blood pressure rates have all risen. Prescription medication use for depression, stress and pain has risen. We have all felt the effects in some way. I have seen endless stories of people who have done everything right and through no fault of their own, are now experiencing devastating circumstances.

I consider all of the above , to be needless suffering. They are all due to the agreements that we hold. We agree that we are separate from each other, we agree that some of us are better than others, we agree that some of us are superior to others,  more deserving, more entitled  and the list goes on and on, but I think you get the idea. We actually agree that how much money one has, or lack there of can, determine whether a person lives or dies, how insane is this? Think about this, take a moment right here, right now and think about that last statement. I personally would find it impossible,  to look into the eyes of another human being, and refuse them food, clothing , shelter, education, health care or any other basic necessity, simply because they lack funds. Every person on the planet deserves access to all the basics of life, simply by virtue of being alive. Every life is significant, each human being is as special as any who have lived, are living now, or will live in the future.

You may think this to be quite the statement, how can this come to be, how can we ever meet everyone’s daily needs? How can we afford to? Easily, by agreeing that we can.  We do this already, on a daily basis, though on a much smaller scale. We meet the daily needs of our spouses, children, parents, beloved family members and close friends without even a thought of reward, reciprocity or compensation. We do this because we want for all of these fine people to be happy, healthy and able to follow their dreams and fulfill their potential. All we need to do, with respect to the rest of the planet, is expand our view of family. Another reason we care so well for our families and friends, is the contributions they make to our lives, they care for us, validate us, love us and bring their own special, individualized gifts to our lives.  By not allowing every person on the planet access to their daily needs, we as a society, all lose. We are cheated of the potential contributions to our lives, that another, halfway across the globe, in poverty’s grip, can not make. How can we expect someone to rise to fulfill their potential, if their every thought is consumed with matters of daily existence?

I come to this line of thinking from the perspective that we are all connected, we are all truly One. We are one species, on one blue planet, in the vastness of space. To quote Dr. Carl Sagan, “An organism at war with itself, is doomed”. As you can imagine, when explaining this perspective to some people, I am met with rolling eyes and comments like airy fairy, Utopian type thinking. And that is OK, you can still come to the agreement,  to meet everyone’s needs  from the perspective of whats in it for me, my only concerns are for myself and my family. How you ask? Simple. What if someone, halfway across the globe, previously denied the opportunity to follow their dreams, suddenly obtained it? What song might that person sing, what screenplay might they write, what might they invent, that would enrich your life or the life of your family? And if that is not good enough, what if such a person were to find the cure for a disease that has taken or will take members of ones family? I have not found anyone who would argue with that last statement.

So now comes the question, how do we get there? I have a small suggestion. Rethink, revisit, reevaluate and revise our system of economics. We may even want to eliminate all together,  this thing we call money. I am of the firm belief, that we do not need cash to run this planet, we would be better off without it. As I have previously mentioned, I do not have all the answers, but I am sure that better minds than mine can find some. Perhaps the concept of money can kick in at some point beyond the basic necessities of life, after the needs of all are met and everyone has the opportunity to bring to fruition, the gifts they have to give.  Think about it, almost every societal ill is tied to money. In a world without money, crime rates would plummet. What reason would there be to steal, embezzle or commit fraud of any kind? For the most part, whenever anything illegal, shady or questionable happens, it has been said, follow the money and you will find the answers. Money can do nothing for you, it is just a piece of paper, it can not feed you, care for you, shelter you, clothe you, or keep you healthy, We only agree that it can. Actually, there is nothing at all wrong with money, it is our thought /agreement about it.

I would like at this time, to give a brief vision of what a world without money would look like. A broader, more detailed version can be found in my yet unpublished book, A Profane Road to a Profound Life, which I am sure Oprah will choose shortly, for a book club selection. Well, lets put it this way, if Oprah were to hold up my book and say, its worthless, don’t buy it, I would still be grateful, for that alone would make it a must read. Ahhh, but I digress, on to my vision, this post is getting quite long and I don’t want to lose you. There is virtually no facet of life that would not benefit from a cashless world. No one would be unemployed, if I came to you tomorrow and said, the money you have in the bank, your investments and retirement plan are now worth nothing, you would, most likely, not be too pleased. But, if I also told you, you would never have to worry about food, clothing, shelter education or health care, you might want be interested in hearing more. If I again told you, that what would be required of you would be about 10-15 hours of service a week, to perform the daily functions necessary in your community, you may be further intrigued. Beyond those 10-15 hours, you are free to follow your passion. Learn, teach, write, heal, research, sing, dance, whatever you wish. You may even find that service to your community is your passion and you may elect to do more than the 10-15 hours. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “If you want to be great, wonderful. If you want to be recognized, wonderful. But recognize, that the greatest among you, will be your servant”. In a world without money, those who serve, will be held in high regard. The great among us indeed.  Were you to give the above scenario to every person on our planet, the greater percentage would sign up for it in a fraction of a heartbeat.

Were we to make this shift tomorrow, I am of the firm belief that in less than 10 years we will cure most or all diseases, reverse global warming, eliminate from the human experience homelessness, poverty, hunger and improve the quality of our lives far beyond anything we have dreamed of. Instead of simply making a living, we will all begin to make a life. Instead of seeing money and power as our god, we will see each other, as the most valuable resource on the planet. Of course, our current state of consciousness requires a little tweaking before we can make this shift. But remember, you can still do all of this from a whats in it for me consciousness, you just need to be aware of all your missing out on when others are oppressed. It is really not that big of a jump to make.

the mechanics of the shift

To explain in depth how the logistics of all this would come to be, would lengthen this post considerably. So I will attempt a brief idea of the vision. Keep in mind, this is just one mans vision, I am in no way, shape or form attached to this as the only way. There are many roads to the same destination, it matters not what road we take. OK, Here goes. Since we no longer use cash, all of the structures  we now use for financial purposes, will no longer be needed. This will immediately solve homelessness, we will have more than enough room to house those that need homes, with room to spare. Walk through any shopping mall, walk down any commercial strip , and you will see store after store, that sell the same products. We will no longer need all of these stores, as we will now only be interested in providing the best product possible. This will result in just a few different manufacturers for any given product, strictly for the sake of variety, not quality.  Additionally, there are a myriad of stores that we will be able to discard entirely, I call them stores full of stuff that nobody needs. They usually offer things such as souvenirs, figurines, novelty items and the like. All of these products are manufactured for the simple goal of making money, they add nothing to anyone’s life or their decor, they usually wind up collecting dust on a shelf somewhere until people  tire of them, ultimately, they take up space in a landfill. The elimination of all the duplication of stores, as well as the stores full of stuff that no one needs, will lessen the burden we place on our planet by not requiring the raw material for all the extra products as well as the waste products caused by the factories manufacturing said products.

All of the people that were previously involved in the financial arena, manufacturing and retailing of the products I just spoke of, will now be free to pursue their passion and significantly add to society, instead of consuming their time with their previous pursuits. Many of which brought no joy to them at all, they can now begin to make a life, instead of making a living. All of these people will also now be able to put in the 10-15 hours of service I spoke of previously, which is why the amount of time required is so small. Most doctors, nurses, researchers and all those involved in the medical fields will most likely remain there. Most entered the field in hopes of being able to help others and that will not change, I would imagine, these fields would grow exponentially with financial concerns out of the way. This would provide the benefit of many more talented minds, working on cures for diseases and physical ailments, making great strides in eliminating them from the human experience. Most people would now be able to “work” in their communities rather than commute to where they can make money. This would just about eliminate traffic and significantly cut down on the pollution caused by the consumption of fossil fuels. I am of the firm belief, that our beautiful planet would begin to heal itself if we just give it the chance. Besides this, we will have many more researchers working on correcting climate change. We will quickly begin to wonder why we previously showered our entertainers and athletes with dollars, yet left our researchers and teacher begging for pennies.

This shift will also benefit us greatly in he reduction of stress and stress related disease, most of which are all brought on by the anxiety, concern and worry of making a living. I have a close family member, who suffers from depression, a good deal of which is brought on by the stress of daily existence. Were this to be removed from their experience, I am certain the condition would greatly improve. I recently witnessed two co-workers retire, as a result of having more time to themselves, they began pay more attention to their health. They both lost a significant amount of weight, feel better, look better, are happier, and are off their blood pressure and diabetes medication. Not to mention the improved quality of their lives from spending more time with their families. This is just a small example of the benefits of this new agreement. There is no facet of life I can think of, or that has been presented to me, that would not be improved. Feel free to question me on this, I welcome the dialog and the possibilities it may provide.

So finally, in closing, let me say once again, I am not attached to this vision exactly as it is presented here. There are many smarter, brighter, wiser minds than mine, that can take this idea, mold and shape it  many different ways. What I am attached to is the results, the improvement of the quality of the human experience and the healing of our beloved planet. Would you care to join me, in the thought and hold the space in your heart for a new way forward?  A new experience for our species? A new agreement!!

Thanks so very much for stopping by. Be well, Be peace. Join the conversation!

From his book, The Audacity of Hope, President Barack Obama states, and I paraphrase, “Large scale social change can only come about as a result of a local awakening, not as a result of outside interference”.  It would seem that our sisters and brothers in Iran are now going through such an inner awakening. I am saddened to see the ferocity and viciousness of  their governments response, violence and bloodshed, on the part of the government and the protesters, seem to now be a daily occurrence. The government has pledged a swift and crushing response to future protests. I am of the firm belief that the reforms  sought, can be attained non violently on the part of the protesters, though their will indeed be violence on the part of the government.  Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. have already demonstrated the efficacy of non violet protest.

Whether or not this is possible, the people of Iran may, at some point, require outside assistance in their quest.  Some days ago,  Republican Senator John McCain, issued a statement calling on the Obama administration for a stronger response to Iran’s current difficulties, despite the administration’s previous statements in support of the protesters and calling on the government of Iran to cease their crackdown. Whether Senator McCain was just posturing politically or spoke in earnest,  I am unsure. How much of a stronger response is the Senator calling for ? I for one, would would be unable to support any military response at this time. Our women and men in uniform are currently stretched way too thin and are extremely overused.

In the event, the inner awakening happening in Iran, requires outside assistance at some point. I believe such assistance needs to be in the form of a coalition, one that is comprised of largely by middle eastern nations. The United States and its allies alone, can not bear the full responsibility of policing the globe. We can not simply waltz into another country without the full support, in all aspects, of the Arab World. In closing, my thoughts and prayers go out to our sisters and brothers in Iran. May their quest for reform be swift, productive, safe and peaceful.

Thanks for stopping by, be well, be peace. Join the conversation!

The Christmas Day Attempt

On Christmas Day Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, a young man of 23, boarded Northwest airlines flight 253, and shortly before it was due to land in Detroit, attempted unsuccessfully, to detonate explosives hidden on his person. Thankfully, alert, quick thinking passengers and crew were able to subdue him before any major damage could be done. Needless to say, a harrowing experience for all involved. Further developments bring us news that he had become radicalized and received  material and instructions in Yemen. The group claiming responsibility for the attempt is Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Apparently, Al Qaeda is now a franchise operation, kind of like McDonalds perhaps? A previously thwarted, attempted airline bombing, brought us Richard Reid, otherwise known as the shoe bomber. As a result of his hiding explosives in the soles of his shoes, we are now required to remove our shoes at airport security checkpoints. Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab hid his explosives in his underwear, giving us the underwear bomber. Or as I like to refer to him, the crotch bomber. I can only imagine what will now be required at airport security checkpoints. I can easily imagine a day, when there will be no luggage allowed on planes at all and one will be required to strip naked for the flight, be strapped into their seat, not allowed to speak or use the restroom. Upon completion of the flight, you will be allowed to redress after exiting the plane. Sounds extreme I know, but not unbelievable. OK, I digress, sorry, just had to get that off my chest. This is truly not a laughing matter and I promise to behave for the remainder of this post.

I believe that General Stanley McChrystal, some time ago, spoke of Yemen being the newest safe haven for Al Qaeda and it would seem he is correct. Yeman’s government is unable and ill equipt to stem Al Qaeda’s growth. As a result, The United States has been assisting them in their efforts, so, it would now seem that we, (The United States) are now getting more involved in yet another country in the Middle East. I am afraid, there is much done in our name around the world, both known and unknown, that does not speak well of us. Umar Farouk AbdulMutallab, when questioned as to motive for the Christmas day attempt, said it was in retaliation for United States sponsored bombings in Yemen. The United States is seen as occupiers by many in these countries, with every country we enter, with every bomb, with every bit of collateral damage we cause, we create a new, rich, fertile group of individuals, ripe for recruitment as extremists by groups such as Al Qaeda. We spend unfathomable amounts of money, time, energy and effort in the attempt to disrupt and disable extremest groups, all of these things can be measured and outlandish numbers can be attached to them. But how does one measure the untold amount of human suffering? Thousands of lives altered, irreparably changed, maimed or lost, on both sides of conflict. I often see and hear of stories of our brave, courageous women and men in uniform, being deployed time and time again. We are told of a certain percentage of them that return suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. I could not disagree with these findings more. They ALL have PTSD! No individual can return from a combat situation unchanged or unaffected, these babies have witnessed things no human being should. As horrific as their experiences were when deployed, so should the opposite be true for them upon their return. All of their needs should be attended to with compassion, caring, understanding, gratitude and love. I personally, am humbled by their depth of character and commitment, and grateful for their service.   The words homeless and veteran should NEVER be put together in the same sentence.

I am sure most would concur with my thoughts and feelings on our uniformed forces. Now, picture if you will, a young man or woman in Afghanistan, Iraq or Yemen, their village, school, town or city destroyed by bombs made or supplied by America. Perhaps many family and friends killed. No resources, no where to turn, few options to rebuild a life. One can easily see how such a person, or one that very much identifies with such a person, can easily fall into extremism.  Don’t get me wrong, I am not excusing the actions, merely attempting to explain them and trying to attach a human face, feelings and emotions. Too often we are quick to demonize and dismiss those we do not agree with, calling them crazy, lunatics, madman and the like.

Republican Congressman Ron Paul, on CNN’s Larry King Show, airing 12/28/09, had a rather spirited discussion with economist Ben Stein about our involvement in Yemen. You can view it on you tube or Congressman Paul’s website at http://www.campaignforliberty.com/. The Congressman asked Mr. Stein why we should be in Yemen, and his reply was to defend our allies against terrorists. The Congressman then asked why they were terrorists. Mr. Stein proceeded to demonize and dismiss the extremists, calling them crazy, lunatics, maniacal, things along that line. The conversation quickly deteriorated from there. It seems that Congressman Paul advocates removal of our troops from various regions of the Middle East. I could not agree more. There are many issues that need to be addressed right here in The United States, our troops, efforts, resources and energy can be utilized much more effectively here. I am not saying we abandon our allies, merely remove ourselves from combat mode where possible. Extremism is very much like a cancer that has metastasized throughout the human body, you can not remove it with one or two surgical procedures. As we have seen, the cancers we attempt to remove, we simply spread to other areas to regrow.  Though there are many extremists that are beyond dialog, I believe that the greater percentage would be willing to dialog with the hopes of having their needs met. As humans, we all want the same things, to be heard and validated, to love and be loved, to live in peace with freedom and the opportunity to fulfill our potential. Most become radicalized because they do not have these things and have no hope of ever obtaining them.

Not every country in the world will have the same vision of what freedom and opportunity and human rights looks like as we do. We alone, are not the world police. As former President Bill Clinton once said, “The power of our example, is far greater than an example of our power”. There are many in this country that do not have freedom, peace and opportunity. We have yet to live up to our finest ideals. Don’t get me wrong here, I would not want to live anywhere else, I love this country and am grateful I was born here. That said, just as most love their family and would not want to be born into any other, we can all acknowledge things about our family that are less than perfect, doesn’t mean we love them less. Do I have all the answers? As I have previously mentioned in other posts, not a chance. I have simply observed that what we are now doing, and have done, for far too many years, is not working. A favorite definition of mine for insanity, is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results.

Be well, Be Peace. Join the conversation!

Destruction, devastation and opportunity…

The following is a post from my previous website. I thought it would be pertinent to re post it here as we have just marked the 5 year anniversary of the South Asia Tsunami. Though much has been done, much more is needed, as is true of much of the human condition in general. I can not begin to imagine, what progress could be made on this planet, were all our efforts, energy and attention to be focused in this direction. I am of the firm belief, that we can cure any disease, reverse global warming, provide food, clothing, shelter, health care, education and eliminate poverty for every person on the planet. All that is required, is a very simple, yet very complex shift in consciousness, to live and demonstrate on a daily basis, that we are all interconnected and interdependent, we are one species, one organism, on one planet. We are indeed,  all One. To quote Dr.Carl Sagan, “An organism at war with itself, is doomed”.  And now on to my previous post.

The destruction and devastation visited upon south Asia on December 26th 2004, is nothing short of mind numbing. The number of fatalities are unfathomable, 150,000 and growing as I write this. The conditions the survivors face are equally horrific. Lack of clean water, food, shelter and virtually no infrastructure threaten numbers far greater than that taken by the tsunami. In as much as I am saddened by this event, I am similarly awestruck by the outpouring of love,generosity and compassion displayed by the international community. The relief effort being undertaken is of historic proportions. As huge as was the tsunami, larger still has been humanity’s response.

Once again, humanity is given the opportunity to rise to its fullest potential. Sept.11, 2001 was one such opportunity. Gone are the insignificant differences such as race, creed, ethnicity and nationality that previously divided us. In there place are love, compassion, understanding, shared grief and the determination to do whatever has to be done to reach out, ease suffering and provide relief. Once again, a slumbering humanity is awakened to its interdependence upon each other and to what is truly important. Life itself! Let us use this grand opportunity to remain awake, to raise our consciousness to the levels we are capable of. As we have so admirably displayed in the days and weeks following the tsunami, the potential of humanity is far greater than we have previously demonstrated.

As traumatic an event as the tsunami was and as mind numbing as were the numbers, we shamefully have allowed far greater horrors to exist. There are many on this planet that die daily of starvation. There are many that die of preventable diseases. Wars, both known and unknown, are claiming untold numbers. Our outrage in relation to death seems to hinge on two factors. Time and visibility. The millions who have perished over the years due to such preventable conditions as starvation, disease and war due so over a period of time, not in one fell swoop as with a disaster such as a tsunami. Similarly, the events are not as visible, they are not being updated daily in the papers or media. What we don’t see on a daily basis, we don’t acknowledge.

Once again, the grand opportunity humanity has been given is to awaken to its true potential. We are each others keeper. We are all connected, all One. If we can restructure our planet and live up to these truths, if we can cause this event to be the catalyst for us to live up to our potential (and I am of the firm belief we can), then not one life lost shall have been in vein. Please use this opportunity and rise to your fullest potential.

Please reach out to our brothers and sisters in south Asia or in whatever region of our planet you choose, unfortunately there are many, in great need of assistance. you can donate with the International Red Cross at www.redcross.org. or Unicef at www.unicef.org. or look into Relief Web athttp://www.reliefweb.int for a list of countries and emergencies.

Be well, Be Peace. Join the conversation!

Some days ago, the United States Senate passed health care reform by a vote of 60-40, avoiding a possible GOP filibuster. Observing the unfolding process, over the many months it took to this point, was not much different than observing a group of unruly preschoolers fighting over a new toy. But enough of my observations. What the final result will be, what the final bill will look like, is still to be determined. What I know for sure, is that health care reform is very needed. Will the final result be perfect? I highly doubt it, will it please everyone? Not a chance. But it is a start.

It has been said, that you can tell how evolved a species is, by how it treats the least among them. By this measure, we can hardly consider our species evolved. We have not even advanced to the point where we can agree not to kill each other. Whatever the issue, be it health care, the economy, global warming, poverty, violence, war or any other societal malady that plagues us, we must move beyond our basic agreements. I will explore in more detail, in future postings, what changing our agreements could look like and what benefits we would derive from doing so. One major agreement we hold, with respect to health care, is that your well being, your health, your very existence, is dependent upon the numbers in your bank account or the health care plan your employer has chosen for you. We actually agree that money, or your lack there of, can determine whether or not you live.

Health and wellness care is not a privilege, it is a right! Health care for all is not socialized, it is civilized.  Every life is significant, each one no more, or no less special than the other. We need to regard the life of another halfway across the globe, as significant as the life halfway across the room. Lovely statement, I am sure many would agree, but please, take a deep breath, and reread that last statement. We need to regard the life of another halfway across the globe, as significant as the life halfway across the room. Over several years, I have made this statement repeatedly and have been chastised for it by many of my friends and family. You see, I make such a statement fom a belief that we are all connected, we are all One. I feel every woman to be my sister, every man my brother. But enough of all that spiritual, pie in the sky, Utopian type thinking, what do I know anyway?!

Most would agree that, stricken with illness, without any hope for assistance, would significantly lessen the ability of an individual to rise to their fullest potential. How can a person possibly aspire to be the best they can if they are uncertain of their health and well being?!  One particular discussion comes to mind. Some years ago, Oprah Winfrey, opened The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in Africa. A very beloved family member of mine, who suffers from various physical difficulties,   expressed their dismay that Oprah “took care of all those black kids in Africa, instead of kids here in the states”, despite the fact that Oprah has done much domestically as well.  I asked the following question, what if Ms. Winfrey would have opened this academy 20 or more years ago? What if, as a result, one of the children attending the academy would have found a cure for one of many ailments you are now dealing with? Would it still be such a bad idea for her to have done so?! Needless to say, there was not much of a coherent reply.

Seeing every life as significant need not come from a belief that we are all One. No pie in the sky, Utopian type thinking needed here at all. You can easily come from a mindset of whats in it for me, my concern is only for me and my family. Whenever an individual, group, or nation is disregarded, cast aside or in some way, shape or form, oppressed, we all lose. We are all cheated of their possible contributions to our lives. What song would they sing, what novel would they write, what disease would they cure? The poetry category of this blog contains two poems, “Brand New Day” and “I Miss You” that speak directly to this question. It is not the quality of the poems, or the lack there of that matters, it is the possibilities they present that does.

I am of the firm belief that we can cure most or all diseases, reverse global warming and cure all of our societal ills, if we would simply drop the agreement that some of us are better than others. We need to create a world that works for everyone or we will have a world that works for no one. So, in closing, care to help in creating that world? Who knows what possibilities it holds for you??

Thanks for stopping by. Be well. be peace and join the conversation!

With the holiday season upon us , I wish to take this time to say God Bless You and yours, may you always know the happiness and peace that is your birthright. As you hurry along your appointed errands, do them with the knowledge that you are a physical manifestation of the Divine,  as are all others on the planet. We are all daughters and sons of God. Yes, that is correct, we are all Goddesses and Gods. The only thing that keeps us from demonstrating that, is knowing and believing it to be true. We are all the Saviors we are waiting for. The world will be a better place, when we decide it should be. As well as being physical manifestations of Divinity, please remember, we are also, very much human. Perfectly, imperfect humans. So don’t be too hard on yourself when you don’t always demonstrate your Divine nature, I for one, could not make this claim. Recognizing that you are not, when you are not, is quite an accomplishment.

It matters not what holiday you celebrate, just as it matters not what you choose to call the God of your understanding. For that matter you need not even be attached to the concept of a God. I am certain that all of us believe in life, it is pretty self evident, we are all alive. I consider God and Life to be the same thing. The concept of being a part of something much bigger than self is easier to grasp when the evidence for it is right before you. There are approximately 6 billion of us on the planet, that does not even include the myriad of other life forms we share the earth with. I would say that qualifies as being bigger than self.

So,  as the holidays approach, I wish to make a few suggestions that may make the season a little more joyful and less stressful. I feel all ground to be holy and every moment to be sacred. That said, one need not stress about being able to spend a particular day in a particular place. Simply because a day on the calendar is designated a holiday, does not make that particular block of 24 hours any more or less special than another. Every day is a holy-day. Most would agree, that God/Life is omnipresent. Everywhere at all times. So in this, we see, that if God/Life is with us always, how can anyplace or anytime be more holy or sacred than right here, right now?! While there is a wonderful sense of peace and inspiration to be gained, in gathering with like minded individuals, in the house of worship of your choice, the ground you stand on, the structure that you are in at any given moment is as sacred as any other.

My lovely wife Marie and I, for many years now, have ceased the practice of buying adult friends and family gifts. Everyone we know, more or less, has what they need. We see no need to deal with the stress of trying to figure out what to get everyone. For the most part, gifts are usually put aside, discarded, given away or forgotten about. We usually celebrate with close friends and family by getting everyone together, well before the calendar holiday,  for an afternoon of food and drink. I can think of no better gift than to provide another with the nourishment necessary to live.

At these events, we usually suggest a few charitable organizations close to our hearts should our guests feel the need to spend any money. How much better would our world be if we all did that? I am reminded of a bumper sticker I recently saw, “Live simply, so that others may simply live”. Eight words, that if, were practiced by all, would change the planet. There is a wonderful website that I heard about recently called redefining Christmas. www.redefine-christmas.org It is dedicated to the idea that instead of giving loved ones gifts, you donate to a charity of their choice in their name and ask for the same for yourself. I assure you, it will be a much more satisfying, fulfilling gift giving experience and no need to lug around packages or clutter your home with things you will most likely never use.

Below are the suggestions we offered at this years holiday gathering, please feel free to partake of one or all if you feel so moved.

http://ww5.komen.org/ (breast cancer research)
http://nyc-dop.com/ (help create a culture of peace and non violence)
http://cityharvest.org/ (feeding hungry New Yorkers daily)

In closing, I wish you a wonderful holy-day, everyday! And a happy, healthy, peaceful and abundant 2010. Join the conversation!!

In the papers of late, do appear,
News of devastation, both far and near.
Hurricanes, tsunami, earthquake and war,
Cause personal and planetary tension to soar.

Where will it end? Does it all seem lost?
Will the end of our species, be the ultimate cost?
We have the technology, it could be too late,
If violence and fear, we do escalate.

I’ve looked over the mountain, seen the promised land.
We can rise above it all, peace close at hand.
Our deliverer has come to proclaim the news,
A joyful future is assured, if unity we choose.

Where is this deliverer? For you see none.
Who would convince humanity, we are all One?
Who would have the ability, who would be the source,
Of such consciousness, what enlightened force?

Look into any mirror and you will find,
Such a deliverer, so strong of mind.
You need not wait for another, these things to do,
For you are the force, it is all within you.

Overwhelmed by the task? The order too tall?
You need not cure the planet, feel free to start small.
Be peace in all you do, with compassion & love be free
Come from your heart always, be the change you wish to see.

J.Allegro, 2005