Enough is enough!

I want to organize a movement to boycott the payment of federal taxes during the period of the government shutdown. If the federal government refuses to be accountable to its people, then I don't want to be accountable to the federal government.


One thing the government shutdown has not put a halt to is the federally recognized day of recognition in tribute to Christopher Columbus. The tribute every October is indicative of the short sighted, oppressive fallacy of US leadership. Another indication is the current shutdown.

The overt dysfunction of the US government is also a reflection of the overt dysfunction of the international power structure. For centuries, the international power structure has been dictated by the accumulation of resources, debt, conquest, and leveraging power.  Internally, the political paradigm of the US follows the same framework.  Polarized interest parlay for the ultimate goal of dominating the sphere of influence.

No one wins, though.  The dominated, obviously, don't win. But, the dominators never win either.  They have to keep fighting off any other faction looking for their chance to dominate.  And it keeps going...for centuries.

There are people affected by the shutdown. More than just politically though.  In New Orleans, there have been several reports of EBT machines being out of service; EBT machines process food stamp payments. There are thousands of people out of work.  There are people needing medical attention that can't be served.

This makes me feel helpless and at the whims of the governing body elected to serve our society's best interest. But the best interest of our society is dictated by that paradigm of accumulation... accumulation of resources, debt, etc.  Our society's best interest doesn't really include me except as a consumer.  So, if my consumerism is my leverage, I think it's time I start leveraging my power.

Enough is enough! I want a 21st century government that reconciles for its past crimes, like renaming today to Native American Day, and I want a government that abides by the same laws governing the populace.  The short sighted, oppressive fallacy of the US government will no longer dominate its people. We are the people, we are the government. There is no separation.  The further it is separated, the stronger we are going to stand to demand that the US government is for the people and not for the few.

Refuse federal taxation during the shutdown.
#notaxshutdown

Notes from Steep Ravine 2012

The sun is setting. Sliding down slowly casting a long reflection of itself on the vast sea. The sun is looking more directly on the Asian side of the world right now.

The sea just keeps going, in and out drawn forward then sucked back tilting and pulsing, squeezing out the debris while relenting to the rhythms of the earth upon which it dances. Ocean water - perfectly stretched fabric over the naked earth body.  A perfectly symbiotic relationship - the earth needing water for growth and nourishment, the water needing the earth to contain it & hold its shape.  Liquids need containers to hold shape or better yet liquids will always hold the shape of the container that which contains it.

The earth is not mysterious, it just is. She just is. The mystery of earth is that there is no mystery.  The mystery is in our disconnection from the nature of earth.  The disconnection from a culture that recognizes the cyclical nature of time; the disconnection from a time when the spirit of nature held a spot for the spirit of people.  Its not that the spot isn't still available, the spirit of man has a PR agent now.  The PR agent is telling mankind that we don't need that spot to be held for us. In  fact, not only do we not need it, but we got a God guy so far away from this nature spirit, that we are better than the spirit of nature. We've transcended the spirit of nature, we've evolved & become civilized.  As the term 'civilization' became synonymous with dominator, society manicured and covered up the spirit of nature.  Entire city-scapes have trace remnants of the natural world that ever existed there.

I always wonder about the city wildlife: pigeons, squirrels, rats, raccoons, opossums, etc. I never see those dead - unless there's that occasional unfortunate road kill siting which always feels surreal in the middle of a busy city street.  Almost as surreal as the tumbleweeds crossing the road out West.

Now its the part of the sunset when the light softens to an orangey pink and the lazy eyes of the world start to close for the night.  The shadows long like eyelashes dipping closer and closer to the sleepy horizon.

Reflections on Volunteering

As a Red Cloud Volunteer, I learned many lessons. A few pertinent ones that stick out:

• I learned that no one is less than
• I learned that things happen when they need to happen
• I learned that we are all related
• I learned that there is always something that will shock you, there will always be something in this world that you never thought you could have ever imagined to be true
• I learned that historical trauma is part of our collective story, that all that has happened before will always have an affect on what comes after
• I learned that the US government has failed to honor any treaties with native peoples in North America
• I learned that children are sacred - they are the most recent ones to join us so they require the most guidance and support to learn what it is to be a person
• I learned that its really hard to listen when everything is being so loud - patience is most difficult when all you want to do is shout back
• Trust your gut feelings; but make sure your hear agrees with your gut