Dream #9

[H2O Man]

{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.

Peace,
H2O Man

[stuball111]

1. Great post!

A student of John Lennon? Gives me a warm fuzzy feeling. And what a novel concept... "fighting" dissimilar culture with love and food and blankets....gives me another warm fuzzy feeling... Lennons birthday today? Wow.. I must remember to sing "Imagine" at my open mic tonight!

[H2O Man]

3. Thanks.

As Muhammad Ali says, "War on nations changes maps; war on poverty maps change."

[stuball111]

6. Ali is another great one...

And a #1 hero of mine... bless the man...

[truedelphi]

2. When M. read me the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize and

Obama mentioning that it was his little girl who told him that he had won the Nobel Prize, he was also reminded by the kids that Bo's birthday was today.

I started thinking how the WH dog shared his B day with John.

RIP John.

[Swamp Rat]

4. Thank you.

[BeHereNow]

5. Pssst...

"the failure to recognize the interconnectedness between human beings and all of nature is a dangerous form of ignorance."

BHN

[stuball111]

9. Thus... global warming...

I fart in the general direction of those who fail to recognize that. The universe is not the playground of the corporate world, it belongs to us all. I want to say to any nation that over fishes the oceans, clear-cuts the forests, kills whales and other gentle creatures, and rips and rapes the Earth our Mother for profit.... YOU DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT! IT IS MY WORLD TOO! HOW DARE YOU THREATEN MY GOD GIVEN EXISTENCE, AND THE GROUND WE ALL WALK ON WITH DESTRUCTION AND ANNIHILATION! IT IS NOT EXCLUSIVELY YOURS TO SIMPLY DESTROY FOR YOUR EVIL GREED!

[BeHereNow]

10. You might enjoy a visit to the Kogi web site-

http://www.taironatrust.org
"the Kogi were almost unknown until they agreed to the making of ‘From the Heart of the World - The Elder Brothers’ Warning’, a BBC documentary made by Alan Ereira in 1990. The film contained a strong message of warning concerning the environment.

“Up to now we have ignored the Younger Brother. We have not deigned even to give him a slap. But now we can no longer look after the world alone. The Younger Brother is doing too much damage. He must see, and understand, and assume responsibility. Now we will have to work together. Otherwise, the world will die.”
Kogi Mama


They tried to warn us decades ago.
If have not seen the film, FIND it!
It will rock your world.
BHN

[stuball111]

11. Thanks, I will!

Earlier cultures had a front row seat to nature, and observed first hand the delicateness of it. And they were very in tune with the fragile nature of the earth. We don't notice it as much now, peering through our SUV windshields at the strip malls. I remember global warming starting way back in the 70's. We had a cabin in the Canadian Rockies, and every year, the snow that used to be 6ft high gradually came less and less over that decade to where it was only a foot or two high. I knew something was not right then.

[BeHereNow]

12. I cried for the moon last night, and all the life here on earth suffering.

I can NOT wrap my mind around the insanity of punching the moon
at the cost of 97 million dollars when there are SO many people hurting
right in our back yard, not to mention the horrific damage to all
life on the planet through our absurd way of living.

I'd love to go live with the Kogi people...

BHN

[stuball111]

16. I know...me too, it is exactly that... absurd!

When I heard for that I thought, how damn stupid are we getting to be?!!! Sending a missile to the friggin moon? just to see if there's water on it? Who cares! so What if there is! what do they want to do if they find water on the moon? Send a ship up there to bring it back and put it in bottles to sell at a thousand dollars an ounce? I'd love to send a rocket up some of these idiots assess and see how they like it.....there's enough junk and crap here on earth, now they are littering up the moon? Reminds me of a place in north Dakota, I think, where there was this fabulous rock formation in the shape of a grand spire. The army of the 1800's decided it would make a great target for practicing with their cannons. Well now, its a pile of rubble about 1/4 the size. There was pictures of it from before they blew it to hell, and it was among the most beautiful formations in the country, but it is no more.

"Some of them were angry.... at the way the earth was abused....by the men who learned how to forge her beauty into power...

And they struggled to protect her from them.... only to be confused.... by the magnitude of her fury in the final hour

And when the sand was gone and the time arrived...and in the naked dawn only a few survived...

And in attempts to understand a thing so simple and so huge....believed that they were meant to live...

After the deluge..

Now let the music keep our spirits high....

Let the buildings keep our children dry....

Let creation reveal it's secrets... by and by..

When the light that's lost within us.... reaches the sky...."


Jackson Browne, "Before the Deluge"

[maxpower]

7. Thanks

Any great post.

Peace,
Max

[BeHereNow]

8. Kicking.

bhn

[bleever]

13. Music touching my soul

Something warm, sudden cold
The spirit dance was unfolding.


Dance on, H2O Man!

[H2O Man]

14. Ah, bwakawa

pouss, pouss

[bleever]

15. I had to use the google

to learn that John had a dream of two women who greeted him with those (otherwise unknown) words.

But that only made their meaning deeper for me. Straight from John's subconscious.

[stuball111]

18. Wow... all the times I have heard that song...

And couldn't make out the words...and you know what? It never bothered me that I didn't know what they were... I always just loved hearing them... I hosted an open mic at a coffee house tonight, and thanks to you guys here, and H2O, I was reminded that it was Johns birthday... So I brought the words to "Imagine" and sang them for the crowd...after reminding them all what day it was... there wasn't a dry eye in the house... including mine... I barely finished the song....

"Ah! böwakawa poussé, poussé"

[TexasObserver]

17. Recommend

[omega minimo]

19. Rec # 25. Thank you H20 Man. Rest in Peace, dear John

love your stories. glad to hear about the circles.

[conscious evolution]

20. All we are saying

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-NRriHlLUk

yes

[Me.]

21. Thank You For This

"the failure to recognize the interconnectedness between human beings and all of nature is a dangerous form of ignorance"

It is amazing how so many believe that we stand alone and that there is no effect from what we do on the entirety of the universe.

[H2O Man]

22. They don't even see

the connections.

[Me.]

24. None So Blind

[omega minimo]

25. I was thinking last night,

this is what the basic difference between attitude conflicts -- those who know this and those who don't


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[Me.]

26. Or Those Who Don't Know What They Don't Know

And won't even consider other possibilities.

[malaise]

23. Thanks H2O Man

Another great post.
rec

[lunatica]

27. Are you Chief Waterman? H20 Man = Waterman?

[nolabear]

28. #9 Dream. Amen.

You sound like a good man, as does Chief Waterman. While I am not convinced the experiment conducted on the moon is bad per se, I fear it was done with the same attitude that led people to almost destroy those mounds, without thinking and without respect. That said, I completely agree with the need for the money to go toward taking care of our fellow humans right now. It would be a far more worthwhile goal to have a planet that's so comfortable and happy that we could all enjoy exploration done well. Anyway, that's my two bits. Be well.

[Time for change]

29. Congratulations to your daughter!

That sounds like quite an accomplishment for a 15 y.o.

[spanone]

30. k&r.....

[JanusAscending]

31. Peace to you too, my brother.

I love you, you always know what to say!

[grantcart]

32. Favorite Dream quotes

A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.
John Lennon

If you even dream of beating me you'd better wake up and apologize.
Muhammad Ali

There are those who look at things the way they are, and ask why... I dream of things that never were, and ask why not?
Robert Kennedy

What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up Like a raisin in the sun?... Or does it explode?
Langston Hughes

I feel that I am a citizen of the American dream and that the revolutionary struggle of which I am a part is a struggle against the American nightmare.
Eldridge Cleaver

[omega minimo]

33. Thank you H2O Man for the reminder. Link to JL birthday thread .........

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...

[zeemike]

34. Well imagine that.

Delivering to them articles of peace instead of war.
What are you trying to do, make peace break out all over the world?
Thank you Mr. Waterman for your sanity in these insane times....always a pleasure to read your posts.

[zeemike]

35. Oh hell no one has done it yet so I will.

Imagine

Imagine no more countries
I wonder if you can
No one to live and die for
Brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
living life at peace

You may say I am a dreamer
But I am not the only one
I hope some day you will join us
And the world will live as one.