{1} President Obama’s winning the Peace Prize is a good thing. It allows the voices of sanity within the United States a wonderful opportunity to use moral pressure in opposing attempts to continue the military occupation of Afghanistan, and to increase the number of troops to engage in the violence this occupation requires.
{2} Friend Rubin used to tell me that he who bemoans the lack of opportunity, often fails to recognize that small doors can indeed open into large rooms. He stressed the Power of Ideas. Every individual action taken today by a DUer, such as contacting an elected representative, helps to open those doors.
{3} Americans of all ages need to engage in a growing, organized, peaceful pro-peace movement. While this includes all segments of society, it is absolutely necessary that American youth recognize the role they can and must play in serving as this nation’s conscience.
{4} My 15-year old daughter has been invited to tour parts of Europe next summer, with a group representing our country. Some of you folks will remember her contributions to DU in the past. She is a student of Gandhi, King, and John Lennon. We will be celebrating John’s birthday tonight.
{5} The 2006 documentary "The US vs John Lennon" is one of my favorite films. I plan to watch it tonight, with my family. Two things stand out: first, that John intended for his song "Give Peace a Chance" be used frequently by pro-peace people; and second, that pro-war people spy on and harass those who make a public stand for social justice.
{6} Last night, my oldest son "won" a court case. He was ticketed by a police officer for littering. He was accused of flicking cigarette ashes out of his window while driving. When he arrived in court, the local DA read the document, and told the justice of the peace that he was dropping the charges. The DA told my son to give me a note, as we have not seen each other recently. Years ago, he had donated time to represent the Onondaga Nation on a burial protection case, and became good friends with Chief Waterman, myself, and my sons in the process.
{7} In a related case, Chief Waterman and I were able to preserve a series of "stone piles" on state land in NY, that were threatened with destruction, in the name of progress. These piles, which are found in the state’s "southern tier" and the surrounding area, have been of interest to some regional professional archaeologists for decades. We normally do not release much information on these types of things, but when we confirmed that they are calendars dating from the "transitional" period (or, "late forager," if you prefer), with the help from some in the archaeological community we were able to reach our goal, without having to go to the state supreme court.
{8} The Haudenosaunee and other native people have had a deep affection for, among other things, the moon. This affection is not based on superstition, ignorance, or fear. Rather, the failure to recognize the interconnectedness between human beings and all of nature is a dangerous form of ignorance. While I take no position on today’s events on the moon, I am convinced that the frequent inability to exercise a wholesome control over "technology" is not in our best interests. We need to take care of business here, on earth, and now. Delivering food and medicine to those in need is a better investment – in both the literal and cosmic senses – than delivering explosives to stark landscapes.
{9} In my last interview with Chief Waterman, completed shortly after the US invasion of Afghanistan, he spoke of the suffering of the members of our human family, who inhabit the stark landscape called Afghanistan. Paul said that we should be delivering food and blankets, rather than bullets and bombs. That’s a powerful idea, and a concept that we should be communicating to those elected representatives in Washington, DC.
