Musings
Willits is having a 4th of July Parade in which the theme ‘Dissent is Patriotic’ has prominence. Why is it that Ukiah still has yet to gather together and recognize the importance of debate, dialogue and dissent? Do we really need to bury our heads and avoid the question? Memorial Day Weekend was busy and a welcome break from the usual, but it did strike me as a particularly hollow holiday, given that we have this time off so as to honor those who have died in the service of our country, and what seems to be the trend is to get wasted in some form and be a pain to those who are responsible and hard-working instead of thinking about any one else’s sacrifice.
I can’t say that I am glad that anyone ever died in a war. I am not all that keen on how many of my former students have gone to Iraq, bought the idea that this is a necessary war, and that they will be better off for having given their youth to the military so as to have college money, discipline, health care benefits. I’m not even sure this war is legal, let alone necessary. I am sure that there are some outrageous lies being told to millions of the world’s inhabitants so as to maintain war as an option and an economic bastion of financial gain.
I try my best to make peace be more important, by embodying as much of it as I can. I am human and get hooked into verbal wars at times, and do my best to calm and center when that happens, make amends and bridge those thoughts of isolation and division back to the unified field of Peace, Joy, Communion.
I hope your Memorial Day was memorable.
