Arbor Day

I am outdoors today - busy hugging trees - I will write more on this topic later :-)

St. George's Day - Patron Saint of England

St. George Patron Saint of England

The legend of St. George slaying the dragon is reenacted at local

fairs on St. George's Day

Happy St. George's day to all of my English family and friends

Holocaust Days of Remembrance - April 21–26, 2009

Remembrance obligates us not only to memorialize those 

who were killed in the Holocaust, but also to reflect on what 

could have been done to save them.

Those who survived tell us that as many faced their horrific deaths, their last words were "Remember us. Tell our story."

Nazi Germany murdered six million Jews in a systematic, persecution 

and extermination now known as the Holocaust.

Holocaust Days of Remembrance - April 21–26, 2009 

The Holocaust

Nazi Germany persecuted, incarcerated and murdered millions of its own citizens, and those of the countries it invaded, on the basis of skin color; disability; sexual orientation; ethnicity; religious belief or political affiliation.

In 1933, when the Nazis came to power in Germany, the Jewish population of Europe stood at over nine million. The Nazi campaign to exclude and persecute Jews, and others, as “life unworthy of life” began. By May 1945 close to two out of every three Jews in Europe had been murdered in the Holocaust.

Although Jews were the primary victims of Nazi racism, others targeted for death included upwards of two hundred thousand Roma and Sinti (Gypsies) and almost quarter of a million mentally or physically disabled people. As Nazi tyranny spread across Europe, millions of people were persecuted and murdered. More than three million Soviet prisoners of war were murdered or died of starvation, disease, or maltreatment. The Nazis killed tens of thousands of Polish intellectual and religious leaders; deported millions of Polish and Soviet citizens for forced labor and persecuted and incarcerated gay men and lesbians.

Millions of lives were lost, or changed beyond recognition. The consequences of this loss and persecution are felt today by Holocaust survivors, their children and grand-children, around the world.

*****

I  CANNOT FORGET

THE ACTION IN THE GHETTO OF ROHATYN, MARCH 1942.

by Alexander Kimel- Holocaust Survivor.

Do I want to remember?

The peaceful ghetto, before the raid:

Children shaking like leaves in the wind.

Mothers searching for a piece of bread.

Shadows, on swollen legs, moving with fear.

No, I don't want to remember, but how can I forget?

Do I want to remember, the creation of hell?

The shouts of the Raiders, enjoying the hunt.

Cries of the wounded, begging for life.

Faces of mothers carved with pain.

Hiding Children, dripping with fear.

No, I don't want to remember, but how can I forget?

Do I want to remember, my fearful return?

Families vanished in the midst of the day.

The mass grave steaming with vapor of blood.

Mothers searching for children in vain.

The pain of the ghetto, cuts like a knife.

No, I don't want to remember, but how can I forget?

Do I want to remember, the wailing of the night?

The doors kicked ajar, ripped feathers floating the air.

The night scented with snow-melting blood.

While the compassionate moon, is showing the way.

For the faceless shadows, searching for kin.

No, I don't want to remember, but I cannot forget.

Do I want to remember this world upside down?

Where the departed are blessed with an instant death.

While the living condemned to a short wretched life,

And a long tortuous journey into unnamed place,

Converting Living Souls, into ashes and gas.

No. I Have to Remember and Never Let You Forget.

*****

Survivors promised that they would tell their stories so that never again would the world stand silent or look the other way. 

NEVER AGAIN 

If you witness an act of injustice - speak up -

 let people know that you do not agree. 

It takes courage to make a change in the world.

What you do (or don't do) matters.

Blog Reader Appreciation Day - 2009

To the readers of my Blog

This is me, sitting in my chair composing random blogs to keep you entertained

I have just been informed that today is Blog Reader Appreciation Day .

Today is the day designated for Bloggers to thank their readers.

Who knew there was such a day? There is even a logo for it – see above.

It has been exactly three months since I became a blogger after receiving encouragement to do so from a good friend. Since that time I have been busy writing and I find that I am enjoying the process.

When I first started I was wondering what on earth I could write about – since then, and 103 blogs later, so many ideas fill my mind that I have a stack of posts waiting to be released.

I am writing to thank my readers but to be honest I don’t really know who my readers are. Over the weeks I have forwarded various messages to my family and friends, some of whom have given me feedback.

I seldom get ‘comments’ and when I do most are posted by ‘anonymous.’ However, the statcounter lets me know how many people log on and that number is definitely increasing daily. But it doesn’t tell me more than that.

Where are those ‘Nielson’ ratings when you want them? Come to think of it do you know anyone who was ever asked to be in an opinion poll – are those numbers or percentages real? I have always had my doubts.

One of the things that I really like about blogging is that I am my own editor, :-) but , that can have a downside, because, even though I do my best to write information that is accurate and current I may be overlooking something. So to my readers I am requesting that you let me know if, for example, there is a typo, or misleading information in the article. (Please be gentle in your remarks) :-)

Better still, let me know if you read the blog and how did you find it? I am so new I haven’t figured that out yet. Where do the readers come from?

So now I am done rambling and I want to be serious for a moment and give a formal thank-you to the readers of my blog. Only you know who you are.

If you wish leave a 'comment' so that I know that you are out there or send me

an e-mail: peacesojourner@yahoo.com

Seriously, thank-you very much for signing in.

This flower is especially for you on this, your special day!

from peacesojourner

Pentagon Lets Media See Return of US War Dead

USAF Staff Sergeant Phillip Myers is awarded the Bronze Star

 on March 19, 2008

 The casket of Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers, of Hopewell, Va., 

who was killed Afghanistan on April 4, 2009

He is the first casualty to be observed arriving at Dover 

since the ban 18 years ago. 

AP photos/Evan Vucci



By RANDALL CHASE, Associated Press Writer – Mon Apr 6, 7:42 am ET

DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. – The Pentagon's 18-year ban on media covering the return of fallen U.S. service members ended with a solemn ceremony for the arrival of a flag-draped casket of an airman felled in Afghanistan.

After receiving permission from family members, the military opened Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to the media Sunday night for the return of the body of Air Force Staff Sgt. Phillip Myers of Hopewell, Va.

The 30-year-old airman was killed April 4, near Helmand province, Afghanistan, when he was hit with an improvised explosive device, the Department of Defense said.

Myers' family was the first to be asked under a new Pentagon policy whether it wished to have media coverage of the arrival of a loved one at the Dover base mortuary, the entry point for service personnel killed overseas. The family agreed, but declined to be interviewed or photographed.

On a cool, clear night under the yellowish haze of floodlights on the tarmac, an eight-member team wearing white gloves and camouflage battle fatigues carried Myers' body off of a military contract Boeing 747 that touched down at 9:19 p.m. after a flight from Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
Myers' widow and other family members, along with about two dozen members of the media, attended the solemn ceremony, which took about 20 minutes and was punctuated only by clicking of camera shutters and the barked salute orders of Col. Dave Horton, operations group commander of Dover's 436th Airlift Wing.
Horton presided over the ceremony along with Air Force civil engineer Maj. Gen. Del Eulberg and Maj. Klavens Noel, a mortuary chaplain.

Noel and the other officers boarded the plane for a brief prayer before an automatic loader slowly lowered the flag-draped transfer case bearing Myers' body about 20 feet to the tarmac, where the eight-member team slowly carried it to a white-paneled truck.

Preceded by a security vehicle with flashing blue and red lights, the truck then slowly made its way to the base mortuary, where Myers' body was to be processed for return to his family.
Myers was a member of the 48th Civil Engineer Squadron with the Royal Air Force in Lakenheath, England, one of the bases the U.S. Air Force uses in the country. He was awarded a Bronze Star for bravery last year in recognition of his efforts in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, the Department of Defense said.

Myers' widow flew from England to attend the arrival of his body to the U.S., which marked the first time since 1991 that members of media were allowed to witness the return of a combat casualty to Dover.

The ban was put in place by President George H.W. Bush in 1991, at the time of the Persian Gulf War. From the start, it was cast as a way to shield grieving families. But critics argued the government was trying to hide the human cost of war. President Barack Obama had asked for a review of the ban, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that the blanket restriction made him uncomfortable.

Under the new policy, families of fallen servicemen will decide whether to allow media coverage of their return. If several bodies arrive on the same flight, news coverage will be allowed only for those whose families have given permission.

There have been some exceptions since 1991, most notably in 1996 when President Bill Clinton attended the arrival of the remains of Commerce Secretary Ron Brown and 32 others killed in a plane crash in Croatia. In 2000, the Pentagon distributed photographs of the arrival of remains of those killed in the bombing of the USS Cole and in 2001, the Air Force distributed a photograph of the remains of a victim of the Sept. 11 attack on the Pentagon.

One objection to lifting the ban had been that if the media were present, some families might feel obligated to come to Dover for the brief, solemn ritual in which honor guards carry the caskets off a plane. Few families now choose to attend, in part because doing so means leaving home and the support system of friends at a difficult time. The sudden trip can also be expensive and logistically difficult, though the military provides transportation for up to three members to greet their service members at Dover.

*****

This AP article was released on April 6, 2009. Finally, the military members who have been killed in war will not have to be returned home under the cover of darkness.

It is a small victory to those who have been protesting the practice of not allowing the photos to be released. This article indicates that the men and women will be greeted with a dignified ceremony as their bodies arrive back in the United States. 

This week the total of US military war dead is 4,271 in Iraq and

677  in Afghanistan.

My prayers go out to the families of  SSgt Myers and all of the 

fallen warriors at this tragic time.

Brother to Brother

President Obama entering the Prime Minister's home at 

10 Downing Street, London. 

You won't see this photo on CNN. Everyone is too busy showing the Queen being touched. This was a moment of "touching" that won't be forgotten by this bobby.


"This is the most powerful photo in the recent series. Remember they are not supposed to shake hands, but the two brothers couldn't resist the historic moment. The black royal cop never imagined in his wildest dream that he would usher a black American president into the British corridors of power. Nice!"

****

I received this candid photo and message, via e-mail, from a good friend 

Jackie, in Massachusetts.

Thought you might like to see it also.

Just What is the G-20 and What Do They Do?

The G-20 (more formally, the Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors) is a group from 20 economies: 19 of the world's largest national economies, plus the European Union (EU).

The G-20 is a forum for cooperation and consultation on matters pertaining to the international financial system. It studies, reviews, and promotes discussion among key industrial and emerging market countries of policy issues pertaining to the promotion of international financial stability, and seeks to address issues that go beyond the responsibilities of any one organization.

Group of Twenty Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors

Argentina

Australia

Brazil

Canada

China

France

Germany

India

Indonesia

Italy

Japan

Mexico

Russia

Saudi Arabia

South Africa

South Korea

Turkey

United Kingdom

United States

Plus the European Union

Also attending :

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) which is an international organization that oversees the global financial system by following the macroeconomic policies of its member countries, in particular those with an impact on exchange rates and the balance of payments. It is an organization formed to stabilize international exchange rates and facilitate development. It also offers financial and technical assistance to its members, making it an international lender of last resort. Its headquarters are located in Washington, D.C., USA.

Also, The World Bank which is an international financial institution that provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries for development programs (e.g. bridges, roads, schools, etc.) with the stated goal of reducing poverty

The G-20 accounts for 60% of the world's population, 70% of its farmers and 26% of world’s agricultural exports.

History:
Its origins date back to June 2003, when foreign ministers from Brazil, India and South Africa signed a declaration known as the Brasilia Declaration in which they stated that ‘major trading partners are still moved by protectionist concerns in their countries’ less competitive sectors and emphasized how important it is that the results of the current round of trade negotiations provide especially for the reversal of protectionist policies and trade-distorting practices.

Nonetheless, the ‘official’ appearance of the G-20 occurred as a response to a text released on 13 August 2003 by the European Communities (EC) and the United States with a common proposal on agriculture for the Cancún Ministerial. On 20 August 2003 a document signed by twenty countries and re-issued as a Cancún Ministerial document on 4 September proposed an alternative framework to that of the EC and the United States on agriculture for the Cancún Meeting. This document marked the establishment of the G-20. The original group of signatories of the 20 August 2003 document went through many changes, being known as such different names as the G-21 or the G-22. The title G-20 was finally chosen, in honor of the date of the group's establishment.

Since its creation, the group has had a fluctuating membership. Previous members have included: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, and Turkey. The core leadership of the G-20, known as the G4 bloc, consists of Brazil, China, India, and South Africa.

Organization:
The G-20 operates without a permanent secretariat or staff. The incumbent chair establishes a temporary secretariat for the duration of its term, which coordinates the group's work and organizes its meetings.

Mandate:
The G-20 is an informal forum that promotes open and constructive discussion between industrial and emerging-market countries on key issues related to global economic stability. By contributing to the strengthening of the international financial architecture and providing opportunities for dialogue on national policies, international co-operation, and international financial institutions, the G-20 helps to support growth and development across the globe.

Achievements:
The G-20 has progressed a range of issues including agreement about policies for growth, reducing abuse of the financial system, dealing with financial crises and combating terrorist financing. The G-20 also aims to foster the adoption of internationally recognized standards through the example set by its members in areas such as the transparency of fiscal policy and combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism.

I am writing this article because I did not know much about the G-20 and decided to try to learn more. The information above came from various sites on the Internet and I cannot confirm the accuracy.

In London, at the G-20 summit, it was reported that the world's largest economies pledged $1.1 trillion to help boost capital to the International Monetary Fund. This in the same week when the stock market showed glimmers of hope.

It was also reported that developed countries differ in how they think their economies can be revived, while developing countries want an increased role in the decision-making process. I came across a website that I found interesting. Click ahead to see where each of the G20 members stand.  http://www.cnbc.com/id/

Are they effective? I am not sure. What I do know is, that anytime a diverse group of people sit together around a table in an effort of communication some other things usually start to happen. These include an increased education and understanding of each other’s cultures and history. For this reason alone I am glad that they held the conference.

Can We Talk? - re: Michelle Obama

I feel compelled to write in protest of the media portrayal 

of First Lady Michelle Obama.

Last week it was her bare arms, this week it is her ‘over-ambitious agenda’. What is next? 

Who was Michelle Obama before most of us had even heard of her? 

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) was born on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois to Fraser Robinson III, a city water plant employee and Marian Shields Robinson, a secretary at Spiegel's catalog store. Her mother stayed at home until Michelle entered high school. Michelle can trace her roots to pre-Civil War African Americans in the American South; her paternal great-great grandfather, Jim Robinson, was an American slave in South Carolina, where some of her family still resides. 

Here is her resume:

- High school honor roll four years /National Honor Society

- High School graduation -  Salutatorian
- Attended Princeton University - graduated cum laude.
- Obtained her Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from Harvard Law School.
- Associate in a Chicago law firm where she first met her husband.
- Assistant to the Mayor of Chicago.
- Assistant Commissioner of Chicago Planning and Development.
- Executive Director for the Chicago office of Public Allies.
- University of Chicago Hospitals - Executive Director for community affairs.
- Vice President for Community and External Affairs.

As Joan Rivers has often said: "Can we talk?

Michelle Obama is an intelligent, thoughtful and caring woman. She and her husband are modern day, young upward-bound professional people (yuppies). They are both type ‘A’ personalities and (I am guessing) that they make daily ‘lists’ of things to do. They are definitely not 'stay at home' type of people.

During the past month she has traveled to North Carolina to rally military families. Stood with Hillary Clinton to encourage women to get politically active. Shown up at a home-building site on the National Mall. Served meals to the homeless at a local food pantry. Visited a D.C. school to talk to the students about good grades, and she capped it off by shoveling dirt for an “organic kitchen garden” at the White House.

She has become the spokeswoman for fitness, health, parenting, the environment, women’s rights, and promoting self-esteem for young girls. These are all her genuine concerns. She is used to working hard and now she has some spare time she is placing herself firmly in the field of service to others.

Some (news media & critics) wonder if she’s spreading herself too thin.

For some, Michelle’s multi-tasking approach to the job raises questions. Her actions reflect her many interests. Some of the activities have come to her just by being first lady.  The public attention to her fashions, magazines cover stories of her whether she sat for an interview or not. She did the VOGUE cover, for instance, because it gave her daughters and other young girls a chance to see an accomplished African-American woman on the cover of a mainstream magazine, a rarity.

Michelle’s has chosen projects in which her interests run the deepest.  Clearly she is connecting with the public on some level — polls show her favorability ratings in the mid-60s. She is like an ambassador of friendliness and good will, and it is working well.

First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was also criticized for being too visible when she visited the military. She was an advocate against racism and campaigned for women’s rights. Also known for her hospitality,  she started a ’victory garden’ on the lawns of the White House and  stood up and advocated for the disenfranchised at home and abroad. Mrs. Roosevelt is still remembered as one of the most admired women in U.S. history. 

Michelle is a woman of our time who has a  relaxed easy charm  who is well received wherever she goes. 

About those ‘bare arms’ – was she showing too much cleavage? No. 

Were her hemlines too short and revealing her thighs? No. She was showing her arms.

When did that become an upsetting action? Not to mention how ridiculous the criticism is when Michelle, (who goes to the gym daily) happens to have very attractive arms, so why not show them off?

Michelle Obama is a smart, high-energy person, typical of many professional women who are juggling motherhood, work, exercise, and taking time to read an occasional book. As First Lady she has become a role model and, in my opinion, she is doing a great job. She also has one of my favorite qualities in a person, a great sense of humor.  

As I write this today, Michelle Obama is in England , and has  been invited to have  tea and cucumber sandwiches with Queen Elizabeth II. The U.S. media is waiting with bated breath. Is their major focus on the G-20 talks? No, their question is,  'Will Michelle bare her arms when she visits the Queen?' - You can't make this stuff up, can

 you?  :-) 

Newsflash! I just saw the visit on the news, what a relief, Michelle's  sleeves went to her elbows (obviously a compromise). We can all go to sleep tonight knowing that she didn't offend the Queen or embarrass the U.S.A. 

Word to the media, "keep your mean spirited criticisms 

to yourselves and leave her alone." 

To Michelle Obama. "You go girl!"

'The Spirit of the Wind' - International Kite Festival

Cliffs of Bournemouth, South West Coast of England

‘Across the Ocean on the Spirit of the Wind’

I believe that we should connect with our inner child, especially when the memories are happy.

Recently I read that the Niagara International Kite Festival was coming to town for four days, I was instantly transported back to memories of the home-made kites that we flew as young children.

I was born and raised in London, England, and during the summers the children in our family went to the seaside to stay with our Great Aunts who ran a small hotel located in Bournemouth, on the Southern Coast of England. We were extremely adventurous and I remember running on the cliff tops and down the zig zag paths with our homemade kites constructed of old newspapers, flimsy balls of tied together string and a piece of wood.
Over the years I have always owned a kite, nothing elaborate, even now I have one that is collapsible and can be stored in a small pouch. This is kept in my bedroom top dresser drawer next to my other items of extreme value.

Driving north on the Seaway Trail alongside the Niagara River, I wondered what awaited me. None of my friends had found the idea of a kite festival as interesting as I did. As I rounded the corner, hundreds of multi-colored kites flew in the breeze. I joined the crowds. Here were my people—fellow kite lovers, kindred spirits.

At the festival, children from 4 to 94 turned their heads to the skies watching brightly colored kites that looked like graceful mythical birds soaring above and the sky was alive with magic.

This year’s festival theme was “The Spirit of the Wind.” Every year, kite flyers from around the world converge on the mighty Niagara Falls to reenact the following historical event. In 1845, railroad engineers envisioned a bridge spanning the turbulent gorge. Until that time, the only way to cross was to go downstream and take a choppy ride in a small ferry. 
They chose the narrowest point of the gorge, immediately above the Whirlpool Rapids, as the site to connect the United States and Canada.

Local engineers offered a cash prize to the first boy who could fly his kite to the opposite bank. There was a tremendous turn out for the kite-flying contest which took place in January of 1848. It was designed to secure a line across the Niagara gorge to facilitate the building of the area's first suspension bridge. Despite many obstacles, 10-year-old Homan Walsh successfully flew the first line across the gorge. He won $10, an impressive sum of money at that time.

Eight months later, a somewhat primitive bridge at 762 feet long and 8 feet wide opened to the public. Seven years later, using the bridge span as a scaffold, a railroad suspension bridge across the Niagara River was completed. All because of a ten-year-old boy and his kite! Every year professional kite flyers from around the globe participate in this unique event by creating a kite arch connecting the U.S.A. and Canada.

From its origins in Asia thousands of years ago, the sport of kite-flying has spread all over the world.

The colorful kite festival participants, visiting from many different countries, are true international peace ambassadors for the world.

Whether you are flying your kite while across the ocean on the cliff tops in Bournemouth, England or at the raging water’s edge of Niagara Falls you will be following in a tradition of thousands of years, running alongside other kindred spirits with the Spirit of the Wind. Connecting with your inner child.

*****

I am the author of this article which was printed in the Buffalo News in November 2008.

I would like to invite you to consider attending the Annual International Kite Festival in Niagara Falls, New York. The dates this year are September 23 - 27, 2009.

This is a free event and will provide lots of fun for adults and children alike.




4,263 U.S. Military Dead in Iraq. Long May We Remember Them.

These figures are now over one million!

In previous blog posts I  have  recorded the number of U. S. military that have been killed in the Iraq War. As of 3/25/09 the total is 4,263 with 31,135 wounded.

We seldom read about the number of Iraqis killed since the war started. 

It is estimated that over one million are dead. The number is shocking and sobering.

It is at least 10 times greater than most estimates cited in the U.S. media, yet it is based on a scientific study of violent Iraqi deaths caused by the U.S.- led invasion of March 2003.
That study, published in prestigious medical journal The Lancet, estimated that over 600,000 Iraqis had been killed as a result of the invasion as of July 2006. Iraqis have continued to be killed since then.

The estimate that over a million Iraqis have died received independent confirmation from a prestigious British polling agency in September 2007.

Opinion Research Business estimated that 1.2 million Iraqis have been killed violently since the U.S.-led invasion. The count encompasses non-combatants killed by military or paramilitary action and the breakdown in civil security following the invasion.

Data is drawn from crosschecked media reports, hospital, morgue, NGO and official figures to produce a credible record of known deaths and incidents.

During the Iraq War – there have been 4,580 coalitions deaths – 

4,263 U.S., 

two Australians, 

one Azerbaijani, 

179 Britons,

 13 Bulgarians, 

one Czech, 

seven Danes, 

two Dutch, 

two Estonians, 

one Fijian, 

five Georgians, 

one Hungarian, 

33 Italians,

one Kazakh, 

one Korean, 

three Latvians, 

22 Poles, 

three Romanians,

 five Salvadoran, 

four Slovaks, 

11 Spaniards,

 two Thai 

and 18 Ukrainians 

 in the war in Iraq as of March 2, 2009, 

according to a CNN count.

These figures are not reported in the main news media and many are not aware of the actual deaths that have happened since this war started.

Check out this website for the latest statistics: http://www.antiwar.com/casualties/

If you do not agree with the war -

help to support the troops by bringing them home.

 Speak up, stand up, let others know. 

 Make phone calls, write letters – don’t just sit there. 

Do something!

Blessing the Niagara Waters - Squaw Island , NY

Water.......a Blessing

A Ritual Commitment to Our Niagara Waters

In the background the Peace Bridge between the United States and Canada

Water Dance by the Spirit Dance Company

View from Squaw Island, Broderick Park, Buffalo

Looking across the border, yes, the shoreline  you see is in Canada.

 This past weekend, March 21, 2009, a fairly large group of people gathered at the edge of the Niagara waters to celebrate the Vernal Equinox - the coming of Spring - and the recognition of the United Nations World Water Day.

The event was sponsored by the Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper (wwwbnriverkeeper.org)

As I view these photos that I took, I am again grateful for many things. 

1. That I live very close to this wonderful body of water that runs directly into the Niagara Falls.

2. That the United States and Canada , though different countries and governments, exist border to border in peace and harmony.  I wish that it could be so in every country in the world.

3. That whatever happens in our lives Mother Nature never fails us and quietly, gently continues with the process of the changing seasons, the migration of the animals and the budding of flowers that will soon be in full bloom. 

4. And that I continue to have the privilege of being a joyful witness to it all.

*****

The Waters

We give thanks to all the Waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms - waterfalls and rain, mists and streams, rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water.

Now our minds are one.

  From Haudenosaunee - Words Before All Else

Mothering Sunday in the United Kingdom

Happy Mother's Day

In the U.K., Mothering Sunday, sometimes known as Mother's Day, is held every year on the fourth Sunday of Lent. It is exactly three weeks before Easter Sunday and usually falls in the second half of March or the beginning of April.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers  out there,

 especially to my family and friends in England.

The Unhappy Sixth Anniversary of the War in Iraq-4260 killed in action

4,260 military  from the United States have been

 killed in action during the War in Iraq

Also some allies from U.K., Spain, Poland, Australia and Denmark

*****

"Allow the president to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so whenever he (Bush) may choose to say he deems it necessary for such a purpose—and you allow him to make war at pleasure."

~Abraham Lincoln

*****

U.S. Military Casualties in Iraq 

U.S.  Deaths 

Since war began (3/19/03): 4260 

Since "Mission Accomplished" (5/1/03)  4120 

Since Capture of Saddam (12/13/03): 3798 

Since Handover (6/29/04): 3401 

Since Obama Inauguration (1/20/09): 30 

American Wounded Official 

Total Wounded:

31,131 

Latest Fatality Mar. 17, 2009

U.S. Wounded

Daily DoD Casualty Release

320,000 Vets Have Brain Injuries

War Veterans’ Concussions Are Often Overlooked

How Many Servicemembers Were Wounded- official count 31,131

18 Vet Suicides Per Day.

Iraqi Casualties - 99,500 dead

*****

The following is written by Gary Jacobson (2002) A Retired VietNam Veteran and can be found on his website. He says it all, better than I could, with the following words:

"Regardless of your feelings about the war, it is important that each and every one of us support our troops in these most perilous times...our nation's sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters. To those who have seen duty clear, and who while far and away from home have put themselves into harm's way...
this prayer is dedicated to you. Bless You...and come home soon!!!"

by Gary Jacobson © 2002 FROM VIETNAM PICTURE TOUR

Bless our vigilant warriors

Give strength to overcome to valiant saviors

Our sons and daughters, wherever they may be

On land, sky, or sailing the briny sea...

Safeguard those so lonely, so far from home

In times blackened dark, yet adventuresome

Watch over them, our brothers, sisters, where they go

Guide them wisely in times they do not know.

Glorify our warriors' calling

Whom we sent forth, righteous principles guarding

Calling them far from home to distant sod

To serve ever faithful, our country, our God

Whether crouched in wind-swept desert foxholes sandy

Or poised on high mountain’s steep cranny

Steel them, brave men and women, our nation’s pride select

The world depends on them, riding war’s bestial ogre to protect!

Bless our nation’s children, carried courageous into duty

Bearing above all things, compassion for humanity

Keep the light of hope glowing ever bright

Bless might of swords flashing shining right

Honoring always, father, mother, sister, brother

Watching always the backs of one another...

Their lives for a country they love more than life offering

Bastions of our grand liberty protecting

World peace ever seeking!

May hearts of men be truly won

When battle’s finally done.

Buoy up these soldiers, our children, sad and so alone

Feeling need in guilt for things seen and done to atone

Give thine balm of Gilead to ease their pain

Shield their sanity in combat that drives men insane

Bless them that they may look back with pride, and smile

Though multitudes of strifes and hatreds rile.

Fortify in our warriors' hearts, humanity's essence

Be gentle when war takes away their innocence

May intrinsic life values still be their choice elect

Defend them from traumatic stress defect

So as they return home, reaching, searching, to touch the sky

Give them answer to the question, "why?"

So a grateful nation may say to valiant sons and daughters

by noble duty sent

"Well done, my good and faithful servant!"

*****

 

I have been trying to write this piece all week long and I am filled with so many emotions that I am having difficulty in putting words in place. I cannot believe that six years have actually passed without a resolution to the war in Iraq. There has been a strong corps of people who are against the war who have been protesting by sending letters, making phone calls, picketing, marching, displaying Anti-War picket signs on their lawns, cars, windows, clothing, e-mails, blogs, books, magazines, etc..

 The figures quoted above come from official sources. Most of us feel that the numbers of dead and wounded are much higher. The number of Iraqi's killed is in the many thousands with more than 4.2 million Iraqi refugees displaced.

I have done everything that I can think of to protest this war and today I feel the size of an ant who is watching a bulldozers come right over where I stand and I do not have the resources to stop it.  I know that I have the stamina to stay in this for the long haul, but just for today, I lack

the physical, spiritual and emotional strength to do much more than let you know the number of persons who have been  reported dead during this involvement on the Iraqi soil.

The poem above was written by a War Veteran who is sharing his personal experience of taking part in a war. Does anyone else see the pain there? Does anyone else see the numbers killed in action? Does anyone else give a damn about this?

Tonight I'm taking the evening off  - tomorrow I will be demonstrating again. 

Won't you join me? Even if you have never taken part in any type of social action in your life - wont you join me and others in standing up for justice?

It takes courage to take a stand and I believe that if enough in this nation stood up then the 'powers that be'  just might listen.

As in the words of Margaret Meade " Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has."

If you have any comments let me know  at: peacesojourner@yahoo.com 

peacesojourner presente!

Action Alert - Killed in Action to date 4,258

Here is an ‘Action Alert’ from Leslie Cagan, National Coordinator, United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ, A coalition of 1,400 national and local organizations)


We must lead in a new direction. For 8 long years, the antiwar movement laid the groundwork for ending the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and redirecting military spending. We welcome President Obama’s commitment to take our nation in a new direction. However, his course on Afghanistan must be altered now with bold and principled action, which helps address the Afghan’s real need for health care, clean water and education, instead of continuing to cripple Afghanistan with more years of war. Now, we must make the United States radically change its failed policy in Afghanistan.

This letter to the President was initiated and sent, by eight members of Congress, on Wednesday, March 11, 2009.

Dear Mr. President:
We have noted with some concern your announcement that an additional 17,000 US troops would be sent to Afghanistan. As the goals of our seven-year military involvement remain troublingly unclear, we urge you to reconsider such a military escalation.

If the intent is to leave behind a stable Afghanistan capable of governing itself, this military escalation may well be counterproductive. A recent study by the Carnegie Endowment has concluded, "The only meaningful way to halt the insurgency's momentum is to start withdrawing troops. The presence of foreign troops is the most important element d riving the resurgence of the Taliban."

The 2001 authorization to use military force in Afghanistan allowed military action "to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States." Continuing to fight a counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan does not appear to us to be in keeping with these directives and an escalation may actually harm US security.

In a tape released in 2004, Osama bin Laden stated that al Qaeda’s goal was to "bleed...America to the point of bankruptcy" in Afghanistan. He continued, "All that we have to do is to send two mujahedeen to the furthest point east to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al Qaeda, in order to make generals race there to cause America to suffer human, economic and political losses without their achieving anything of note . . .." We would do well to pay attention to these threats and to avoid falling into any such trap through escalation of our military presence in Afghanistan.

We are also concerned that any perceived military success in Afghanistan might create pressure to increase military activity in Pakistan. This could very well lead to dangerous destabilization in the region and would increase hostility toward the United States.

Mr. President, in reviewing the past history of Afghanistan and the nations that have failed to conquer it -- Russia spent nine years in Afghanistan and lost many billions of dollars and more than 15,000 Russian soldiers-- we urge you to reconsider the decision to send an additional 17,000 troops and to resist pressure to escalate even further.

Sincerely, 



Representative Neil Abercrombie (D-HI 1st)



Representative Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD-6th)



Representative Walter Jones, Jr. (R-NC 3rd)



Representative Steve Kagen (D-WI-8th)



Representative Dennis J. Kucinich (D-OH 10th)



Representative Ron E. Paul (R-TX 14th)



Representative Ed Whitfield (R-KY-1st)



Representative Lynn Woolsey (D-CA 6th)

Endorsing Organizations



• Michael D. Ostrolenk, President, American Conservative Defense Alliance

• 
Mary Ellen McNish, General Secretary American
• Friends Service Committee (AFSC)


• Robert Greenwald, President Brave New Films


• Erik Leaver, Foreign Policy In Focus


• Joe Volk, Executive Secretary, 
Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)


• Tom Hayden

Phyllis Bennis
New Internationalism project, Institute for Policy Studies


• Robert Naiman, Senior Policy Analyst Just Foreign Policy


• (Rev.) James Kofski, Associate
Maryknoll Office for Global
• Concerns

Simone Campbell, SSS, Executive Director
NETWORK, A National Catholic Social Justice
• Lobby

Dave Robinson, Executive Director
Pax Christi USA: National Catholic Peace Movement


• Kevin Martin, Executive Director
Peace Action


• John Leinung, Steering Committee
September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows


• Leslie Cagan, National Coordinator,
United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ, A coalition of 1,400 national and local organizations)


• Michael Eisenscher, National Coordinator
U.S. Labor Against the War


• Kevin Zeese, Executive Director
Voters for Peace


• The Honorable Tom Andrews, Director
Win Without War (A coalition of 40 national organizations)


• Susan Shaer, Executive Director, 
 Women's Action for New Directions


*****

The first step to ending the occupation in Afghanistan is to stop increasing troops!
Wondering what you can do to stop the widening of a senseless war in Afghanistan? Call President Obama and your Congressperson today, and tell them that together we must stop the military buildup and completely withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Please ask your members of Congress to urge President Obama to reconsider military escalation in Afghanistan.
You can call the Congressional switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Representative's office. When you reach your Representative's office, ask for the Foreign Affairs Legislative Aid.

Going Green - 2009

If it is Thursday it’s Going Green

Change Your Clock & Change A Bulb!

As we experienced Daylight Saving Time a few days ago this is a good time to change the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detector(s). This is suggested by the National Fire Protection Association and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Changing the batteries twice a year will make sure that the detector(s) will be working in case there is a fire.

Some inexpensive detectors also need to be replaced completely about every five years or so. Sooner or later, all batteries, even rechargeable, are no longer usable. When it's time to dispose of them, you will want to keep them out of the landfill, where they may leach acids and heavy metal pollutants into the soil and groundwater. Look for centers that recycle them instead, and buy only types that you know your center handles.

While you've got the ladder out to check your detectors, why not change a bulb?

Switching to energy efficient bulbs in your ceiling fixtures could save you $30 a year per bulb on your electricity bill.

Energy efficient lighting is particularly important in the fall when Daylight Saving Time ends and the days are shorter.

The latest generation of energy-saving lighting includes compact fluorescent bulbs that fit in standard light sockets and provide pleasant, uniform light.

Low-energy halogen or LED lighting is also becoming widely available. 

Visit www.energystar.gov or www.fypower.org for information on lighting rebates and discounts.

Of course you have a smoke detector in the attic – while you are up there take a look around and check on any areas that may be letting in cold air.

Insulating your attic is probably the most important step you can take to reduce home energy use. Research the project before you start. Learn what’s best for your house and the local climate, considering such issues as type and thickness of insulation, proper moisture barrier, and ventilation methods.

Do your part: Visit the DOE website, www.eere.energy.gov, for useful information to get started. Even a house built as recently as five years ago is likely to be one of 46 million under-insulated American homes.

Be on the look out for toxins - a range of natural insulations can help you tighten up your house without the use of synthetics, which may contain toxins such as dioxin. Cellulose fiber, wood fiberboard, loose-fill hemp, sheep’s wool felt, or vermiculite can provide good wall insulation. Many include fire-retardant and insect-repellent treatments and are reusable or biodegradable at the end of a building’s life.

By the way, have you caught up on that hour of missed sleep yet? I am still having difficulty adjusting.   :-)

Remember the 4 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair

WE WERE WORRIED WHEN YOU DIDN'T SHOW UP

                                                  Dan Piraro - cartoonist

Bird Feeders

Before I moved to Buffalo I lived in a house that had a very large lot and had a typical English flower garden. The new (to me) home has a very small lot which is only 28 feet wide. 

Previously in my garden I had 14 birdhouses and several bird feeders all of which provided me with hours of pleasure. Last year I had some difficulty placing the feeders at a location where I would be able to view the birds as they came to visit. Due to lack of space I had to cut down on the numbers and  the desire was to place them near a window.

Along one side of the house is a very long paved driveway and there is only about 24” of walking access on the other side. So, I finally decided on two feeders placed strategically outside of windows.

During the summer months this worked well – the birds arrived daily and I would view them from either my kitchen or bedroom window. I was happy and they were happy. However, I had not given much thought as to how I would access them during the winter months. 

Here is what happened, after Western New York received almost 100” of snow during the season, I no longer had access to refill the feeders. The snow had a thigh high accumulation on the ground preventing me from walking alongside the house.

What to do? I tried several times to reach the feeders but to no avail. So, while feeling guilty that I was no longer providing seed for my little feathered friends I realized that I would have to wait until spring to relocate the feeders.

Meantime I started noticing a daily gathering of birds around my house and I tried to scatter seeds around but of course this was foolish. Have you ever thrown a handful of seeds on top of snow? They sink from sight immediately! I can only imagine that when springtime comes I will have a harvest of sunflowers, millet and various other plants from the seeds that I scattered.

I saw this cartoon in the Parade newspaper and while I was not languishing in bed during the winter months I could relate immediately. I am sure that the birds that were gathered around my house were devising a way to get in to get my attention. If I had raised a window for a short space of time – they would have entered the home to check on me.

Anyway, I am glad to say that the winter season is coming to an end and I will soon have access to the feeders. Now I have to find other locations for them.

Once again, proving that “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” – now where did that quote come from and why do I have it in my head?
Oh yes, Robert Burns said it to a mouse after he turned up her nest with a plough, in November, 1785. He felt guilty when he realized that she and her family would have no home during the winter. I recognize that guilt - I have been carrying that feeling for a while. Now I am wondering if the words I have written will be quoted more than two hundred years from now.

 Mice, birds, close enough! 

Sometimes trying to live in harmony with nature is not as simple as it may seem.