With so much frustration evident in many of my post and my anger at the course of this administration and hence this country . . . I find myself wanting to take some kind of action instead of my constant whinging about. I can complain all I want and I do as you, dear reader, have no doubt surmised.
In the end though, what type of civil disobedience is effective? Effective in the sense of affecting change and not just fulfilling my selfish desire to whinge more publicly. This is about my own sense of disaffectation to be sure but I do know that people are suffering and dying because of American actions at home and abroad.
Is civil disobedience any more effective or efficent at being a 'change agent' (gotta love that BS talk!) than writing?
I remember the example of the folks from Plowshares that snuck onto a U.S. Navy submarine base and started bashing the subs and I think managed to pour blood on them? Actually I am fairly sure I am compacting multiple episodes - I'll research it and figure that one out.
I received the post from my unknown Fijian friend who responded to my last post. Vinaka Ratu! I will be reading your blog soon. Ring me dua na siga if you come to Sebastapol or Santa Rosa. Levu na kai Viti eke! Gunu yaqona?
News on my job front - I am transferring out of Palliative Care and in a few weeks will become a Pediatric Nurse. I am very exicited about the move and all the learning I have ahead of me. I'm good with the kids but really have to develop my technical skills.
More later gang, all the best to all of you.
David
24.4.06
16.4.06
Do see this Film! Fiji still calls my heart . . . .
I finally got to see Reel Paradise tonight on this rainy and cold Northern California coast. We are all so sick of the rain yet once this film began it took me away and back to some of the best years of my life (and I have had so many and will have more!). It immediately had me howling with laughter, crying with homesickness and angry at the injustices faced by both the Fijian and the kaivulagi's who dared to run a movie theater in Fiji for free. I applaud that kind of courage, strength, insanity and bravado . . . in short, my kind of people. I even sent them an email, a crazy thing to do here in America, to people who you may never meet but I don't care. After a shared Fiji experience they will (I hope) understand my crazy offer to put them up in my house no matter what or when or where. They will understand because after Fiji, that is just the way it is (and should be).
Wow! Listen to me go on.
But here it is folks - do you dare to dream? Have you lived your life to the fullest and taken risk that you ache to do in your heart of hearts? Can you look at your life without major regrets or after examining your life regret that you did not live it the way you wished? Did you do something that matter? That you care about?
That is what Fiji was to me as a Peace Corps volunteer. I will never have to wonder about those questions when I am 90 years old. I'll know that I did something with great meaning, that mattered (at least to me and some Fijian friends). I could only hope that others can do the same.
After viewing this film I believe that the Pierson family had such an experience but what is more I believe that if you watch this film it will encourage you to pursue a dream or 'wild idea' that you have always wanted.
To me, this is what movie making is all about, educating, entertaining, showing people the differences in the world and making us wonder about what life is, is not, could be, what was and what will be. I may wax too poetic but however I may babble on . . .
See this movie!
It will touch you if you have an open heart. I'd work for this crazy man anytime to make films that matter.
Hoping you can live that life you need and want . . . .
David
Wow! Listen to me go on.
But here it is folks - do you dare to dream? Have you lived your life to the fullest and taken risk that you ache to do in your heart of hearts? Can you look at your life without major regrets or after examining your life regret that you did not live it the way you wished? Did you do something that matter? That you care about?
That is what Fiji was to me as a Peace Corps volunteer. I will never have to wonder about those questions when I am 90 years old. I'll know that I did something with great meaning, that mattered (at least to me and some Fijian friends). I could only hope that others can do the same.
After viewing this film I believe that the Pierson family had such an experience but what is more I believe that if you watch this film it will encourage you to pursue a dream or 'wild idea' that you have always wanted.
To me, this is what movie making is all about, educating, entertaining, showing people the differences in the world and making us wonder about what life is, is not, could be, what was and what will be. I may wax too poetic but however I may babble on . . .
See this movie!
It will touch you if you have an open heart. I'd work for this crazy man anytime to make films that matter.
Hoping you can live that life you need and want . . . .
David
10.4.06
Journal of the Mental Environment
Aloha - having just received my latest issue of Adbusters I wanted to be sure to mention it here. Always a challenge to read, to some of my sacred cow beliefs, I strongly believe, enjoy and love this magazine, the people behind it but especially the ideas that so beautifully, violently, gently and energetically burst into bloom on its beautiful pages.
Do check it out people! I think that most conservatives could not challenge themselves to read this but most people could and should. I take my own advice, I read some conservative rags and scarily enough, sometimes I like a few ideas here and there if they were tweaked - don't ask which ones . . . I have no idea.
At any rate, it is late now and I have my Pediatric Advanced Life Support class all day tomorrow!
One last thing, saw a bumper sticker the other day that said . . .
Frodo lost, Bush has the One Ring
Malama pono.
Do check it out people! I think that most conservatives could not challenge themselves to read this but most people could and should. I take my own advice, I read some conservative rags and scarily enough, sometimes I like a few ideas here and there if they were tweaked - don't ask which ones . . . I have no idea.
At any rate, it is late now and I have my Pediatric Advanced Life Support class all day tomorrow!
One last thing, saw a bumper sticker the other day that said . . .
Frodo lost, Bush has the One Ring
Malama pono.
Keep em in, keep em out, what immigrants!?
My girlfriend’s daughter attended one of the many rallies held across America this last week regarding the various issue around immigration and the Bills addressing it. She was concerned that we would be angry at her for missing some classes at High School. My reaction was somewhat bemused – she did not know whether it was a Congressional Bill or a State Bill and mentioned Governor Schwarzenegger. To her credit, she had gone online the night before and done some research so there may be some hope. I am proud of her having a conscience at the age of 15 (almost 16) as I think back to myself at that edge I shudder in realizing I don’t remember having a conscience. I was 15 in 1975, definitely against the Vietnam War and was/felt betrayed by President Nixon and his cohorts for that war and Watergate. However, I was also the son of an Air Force pilot with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (who retired in 1973) and was raised somewhat conservatively.
As an aside, I met Henry Kissinger the summer of 2005. It was not a personal meeting but there he was face to face with a few people and for a few hours. He could be nice enough if he wished but appeared taciturn and none too friendly. I heard through very reliable channels that he tends to treat his staff fairly badly (except for the pay I can only imagine). Imagine treating the people who are tasked with protection badly! That makes me laugh, foolish boy. It was a very weird experience to meet the man who consorted with the traitorous Nixon in lying to the world about Cambodia and who was linked to the right wing military coup in Chile and everything else on the historical record. He won’t travel to a lot of countries because he is afraid of being arrested for war crimes.
I digress though. I told her that we were not angry but from now on to speak with us first before just unilaterally deciding to attend a protest. I also told her that I was proud she had a conscience and that she was willing to accept whatever consequences may exist regarding her not attending (or ‘cutting’) classes.
This was a tremendous opportunity, opening the door for a discussion about what immigration is and to examine our own attitudes toward immigrants and people different from ourselves. I admit great ignorance about the different immigration bills but let me state that like it or not, immigrants are here to stay, legal or illegally. Many Americans are descended from immigrants. How they enter the country and what benefits they receive should be up for debate but not their right to stay, live, eventually vote and receive the benefits of health care. Many contribute so much to this country and they should benefit if they are participatory members of this society.
I passionately reject the racist radical Minutemen who take it upon themselves to patrol the border and assist the border patrol. At the same time, I would strengthen the Border Patrol significantly with more personnel, equipment, training and an eye toward safety. I embrace a workers program (similar to the ‘Bracero’ [?] program during the 1940’s – 60’s). Let’s face it people, if all the workers were deported we would have a labor shortage on our hand quickly and all those strawberries, fruit and lettuce we eat would be in short supply. It is very true that immigrants work in jobs that most Americans would not take . . . I would not work in the fields for 10 hours exposed to pesticides, sometimes abusive bosses and live in miserable conditions.
This touches upon much larger issues. Americans have one of the highest living standards in the world that has long been known to be unsustainable. Another issue is that the world population is skyrocketing and there are (and will be) too many people on the planet so resources will become increasingly strained and scarcer. We can only compensate so much with technology (and for the Americans that is our greatest weakness – unbending faith in technology). No wonder the poor Norte Americanos feel so threatened. Pigs at the trough want everything they can get.
Nothing like ending on a happy note!
Veronica are you still out there . . . .
As an aside, I met Henry Kissinger the summer of 2005. It was not a personal meeting but there he was face to face with a few people and for a few hours. He could be nice enough if he wished but appeared taciturn and none too friendly. I heard through very reliable channels that he tends to treat his staff fairly badly (except for the pay I can only imagine). Imagine treating the people who are tasked with protection badly! That makes me laugh, foolish boy. It was a very weird experience to meet the man who consorted with the traitorous Nixon in lying to the world about Cambodia and who was linked to the right wing military coup in Chile and everything else on the historical record. He won’t travel to a lot of countries because he is afraid of being arrested for war crimes.
I digress though. I told her that we were not angry but from now on to speak with us first before just unilaterally deciding to attend a protest. I also told her that I was proud she had a conscience and that she was willing to accept whatever consequences may exist regarding her not attending (or ‘cutting’) classes.
This was a tremendous opportunity, opening the door for a discussion about what immigration is and to examine our own attitudes toward immigrants and people different from ourselves. I admit great ignorance about the different immigration bills but let me state that like it or not, immigrants are here to stay, legal or illegally. Many Americans are descended from immigrants. How they enter the country and what benefits they receive should be up for debate but not their right to stay, live, eventually vote and receive the benefits of health care. Many contribute so much to this country and they should benefit if they are participatory members of this society.
I passionately reject the racist radical Minutemen who take it upon themselves to patrol the border and assist the border patrol. At the same time, I would strengthen the Border Patrol significantly with more personnel, equipment, training and an eye toward safety. I embrace a workers program (similar to the ‘Bracero’ [?] program during the 1940’s – 60’s). Let’s face it people, if all the workers were deported we would have a labor shortage on our hand quickly and all those strawberries, fruit and lettuce we eat would be in short supply. It is very true that immigrants work in jobs that most Americans would not take . . . I would not work in the fields for 10 hours exposed to pesticides, sometimes abusive bosses and live in miserable conditions.
This touches upon much larger issues. Americans have one of the highest living standards in the world that has long been known to be unsustainable. Another issue is that the world population is skyrocketing and there are (and will be) too many people on the planet so resources will become increasingly strained and scarcer. We can only compensate so much with technology (and for the Americans that is our greatest weakness – unbending faith in technology). No wonder the poor Norte Americanos feel so threatened. Pigs at the trough want everything they can get.
Nothing like ending on a happy note!
Veronica are you still out there . . . .
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