The Question Behind the Question

I have learned to take EVERYTHING I hear with a grain of salt. When someone tells you something or you read a report in the media, question it, research it, and give it some thought. Don't ever just "drink the Kool-Aid" unless you're sure that your drink doesn't contain poison.

Also, like your car side mirror says, "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear." Or, better said, "objects are NOT as they appear." Whenever there is a major issue in the news I encourage you to "ask the question behind the question" and examine root causes.

Syrian Civil War

Okay, let me give a random example. The violence in Syria has dominated the news for months now. We are led to believe that the common people are trying to overthrow their tyrant leader, the monster known as Bashar al-Assad.

More confusion is added to the mix because we are told that Muslim extremists and Al-Qaeda may take over the country and make things even worse.

But what we're not told is the following:

• Global climate change is real, and is responsible for extreme drought conditions in parts of the world, including Syria.
• The human population of Syria, just like other Middle Eastern nations, has skyrocketed.

What we are really seeing in Syria is a habitat collapse, followed by extreme social unrest. It is a precursor for things to come in other nations, including the United States.

And for the record, Al-Qaeda is an extremist, violent splinter group of Islam, which is trying to force order into chaos. If life was more tolerable and sustainable in the Middle East, and if young men had jobs, and if young women had opportunities, then I believe the influence of Al-Qaeda would be nominal.

Okay, let's get back to the two bullet points above. The drought makes it impossible to successfully farm in the countryside. Desperate people move to the cities to find work. These cities are already burdened with Iraqi refugees. So, what you have is crowded, urban areas, with lots of young men who have no jobs and nothing to do. The government does little to help. What you have are the ingredients for a disaster.

The Syrian conflict is NOT a simple civil war. It is a fight for resources and survival.

By 2010, roughly one million Syrian farmers, herders and their families were forced off the land into already overpopulated and underserved cities. These climate refugees were crowded together with one million Iraqi war refugees. The Assad regime failed to effectively help any of them, so when the Arab awakenings erupted in Tunisia and Egypt, Syrian democrats followed suit and quickly found many willing recruits from all those dislocated by the drought.
— Thomas Friedman, NY Times

So, what are the answers to Syria's crisis? The answers are the same as what I've been blogging about for years:

• Universal access to contraceptives.
• Complete social and legal parity between men and women.
• Cease and desist burning fossil fuels into the atmosphere.

These are huge goals but we have to do them, or we will continue to see weaker states like Syria wobble out of orbit, crash and burn, and disintegrate.

In addition, we need to work with the Syrian people to teach them sustainable agriculture. We need to provide whatever infrastructure we can and educate them about surviving in drought-plagued environments.

One Monster For Another

In regards for the recent call of keeping the Assad monster in power because he is a better monster than the militant Islamists, I say HELL NO. We must always push for democracy, for without democracy there is not freedom. Freedom is one of the things I value most in life, and without freedom I don't think you can ever achieve true sustainability. As a Sierra Club leader once said, "If it's not fun it's not sustainable." And if someone has to live under the yoke of an evil, power-hungry tyrant, then that can NEVER be sustainable. So, to add to my bullet points above, we need to promote democratic reforms in Syria. While there are some bad groups on the rebel side, there are some good groups too, and these individuals need positive support.

Last May 9, The Times of Israel quoted Israeli geographer Arnon Soffer as observing that in the past 60 years, the population in the Middle East has twice doubled. “There is no example of this anywhere else on earth.”

And, finally, one more point. If the world's more stable nations like the United States are constantly dealing with extreme weather events caused by climate change, like Superstorm Sandy, how can we ever help our less stable fellow humans in nations like Syria.

“In the future, who will help a country like Syria when it gets devastated by its next drought if we are in a world where everyone is dealing with something like a Superstorm Sandy,” which alone cost the U.S. $60 billion to clean up? asks Joe Romm, founder of ClimateProgress.org.

Summary

Right now Iran and Saudi Arabia are throwing money in Syria to create a nice little proxy war between the Sunni and Shiite/Alawite sects of Islam. But, as New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman says, "All I can say is that you're fighting for control of a potential human/ecological disaster zone. You need to be working together to rebuild Syria's resiliency, and its commons, not destroying it. I know that in saying this I am shouting into a dust storm. But there is nothing else worth saying."

Well, Mr. Friedman, you are sounding exactly like me. Maybe this is why I'm a huge fan of your columns and books. No one listens to me when I rattle off this crap, but maybe they'll listen to you. I'm just a lowly blogger from a small suburban town in Georgia. What the heck would I know. I mean, really....

Sources

WikiLeaks, Drought, and Syria, Thomas Friedman

Syria Demographics, Wikipedia

Photo credit: Foter.com / Public Domain Mark 1.0

Why Can't We All Just Get Along

I wish everyone would throw partisanship out the window — I'm sick of it. Both of the major U.S. political parties have good things to offer. While I lean left, there are many Republicans that I am fond of, like my county commission chair Sam Olens, Rep. Ron Paul, and Gov. Mike Huckabee. There are things I like about Sarah Palin, and I like John McCain as well. Even though I don't agree with these folks on many issues, I respect and listen to them.

Greatest Lesson I Ever Learned
When I was in junior high school I took a political science elective. It was fascinating. We had regular political debates and had a practice election. I learned to enjoyed listening to my opponents and I gained a lot from it. What I learned was to KEEP AN OPEN MIND.

Another Amazing Experience
In my mid 20s I had the honor of serving on the Mayor's Task Force for Teenage Pregnancy in Atlanta. During this time church folks had drilled into me that "Planned Parenthood was bad." As I started working with the Planned Parenthood staff I realized that this was one of the many lies put into my head. The organization, in fact, is wonderful, and I have volunteered for them and worked with them, off and on, for 24 years. Also during this time I tried to get the religious and secular sides together to have an open discussion on teen pregnancy. It didn't work at all — neither side was willing to talk because of the strong emotions over abortion. Of course, I've always felt that the win-win solution to abortion was pregnancy prevention, but the religious folks I spoke with didn't want to hear about it. I learned a lesson.

Hollywood & the Media
I once heard an actor say something to the effect that, "We actors tend to be more liberal because we are exposed to so many different people and ideas." I am a former journalist and I can say that the suspicions are true — we journalists ARE more liberal for the very reason above. We are trained to question and look at all viewpoints, and, well, that makes many of us liberal. But people are liberals for other reasons as well, and liberals are NOT BAD as some would have you believe. Liberals just have a different worldview (and usually broader).

What To Do
Believe me, there are plenty of far left liberals that annoy me as much as hard core righties. The key is to accept and listen to others with a different viewpoint. More importantly, don't ever buy into dogma or a party platform without questioning it. I recommend looking at every issue, one by one, and making your own opinion. Don't just accept the rantings of a TV or radio personality. Nothing is sacred in this world and everything should be up for scrutiny.

Rationalism Required
If we can just RESPECT and LISTEN to people with differing viewpoints, then we've taken a major step forward to getting along. However, one of the biggest shocks of my life has been the irrationality of people. If people don't care about logic, and follow ancient dogmas or rely on unproven information to base their arguments, then any intelligent and productive discussion ends. Don't just accept what you are told. Question everything! It's always okay to question — question your government, your religion, and your corporations. Trust me, they all three feed you lies every day.

Fight Ignorance
Civil discourse is also difficult when one party is uneducated on an issue. I urge everyone to read the newspaper, read blogs, and get your information from a variety of sources. Don't rely on information from "slanted" sources alone. When debating an ignorant person, that person will typically fall back and rely on straw man and circular arguments or resort to ad hominem attacks — that's where the debater simply attacks the person instead of responding to the ideas.

And So ....
I have never liked labels. I don't care about someone's political affiliation, race, nationality, etc... We are all people on this planet and we are all strikingly similar. Our relationships and Democracy could all work much better if we buried the hate and bias and just learned to listen to the other side. Almost always it's possible to find common ground.

Partisanship may get the vocal elements of each party worked up, but it accomplishes little. Let's start working together and listening to one another, and let's start moving forward on critical issues like health care. Humanity has some serious issues to face now and in the near future, and if we don't start getting along and working as a team, then we will likely self destruct by our own hand.

Peace.

Getting People To Play Nice

I continue to spend countless hours trying to figure the world out. I read the newspaper, read articles on the web, and read books. I go to a discussion group and I regulary have "deep thought" discussions with friends.

The point is that I AM making forward progress. But I am almost 47 years old, so I'm wondering if I will still be able to take action by the time I figure everything out.

One thing I'm learning is that all the issues I discover as "new" have probably been around for thousands of years. For instance, industry's exploitation of workers and the environment - OLD ISSUE. Or, religion's collusion with industry -- OLD ISSUE. Or, the fact that industry controls government -- OLD ISSUE. Or that the rich and powerful control the poor and weak -- OLD ISSUE!!!!

The challenge is not to wipe out the ruling capitalists, but rather to restrain them. Or better yet, educate and recondition them. The quest for profit at the expense of life quality is, well, senseless. Yet it goes on and on, all over the world.

So, the question is: How can you get people to change their behavior and put the greater good of the whole ahead of making a quick buck? Is it possible? Do we need a sort of restrained capitalism, which will both motivate people and also force them to act responsibly? Me don't know.

Goose

The Wall

Okay, you're probably wondering why I have such a strange picture of myself on my blog. Well, I will be glad to answer any questions from the audience.

Question: What is that green spray paint crap behind you?

Answer: That, Johnny, is a piece of the Berlin Wall that I'm standing in front of. When that wall fell, it gave me tremendous hope. These days, I don't have much hope left, but when I look at a picture of that wall, I feel really good again. Knocking down that wall was a big step forward, and knocking down walls is what my blog is all about.

Question: Why do you have such a twisted look on your face?

Answer: Because I took this stupid responsibility pledge and I promised that anything that happened in the world would be my responsibility too. So, now I'm feeling a lot of pain. For instance, all these wars going on in the Middle East right now, well, I can feel that pain. I don't know if I'm just getting more acute as I get older or what. I keep thinking about the African-American journalist in Chicago who committed suicide because she couldn't stand all the misery in the world. I spent most of my career as a journalist, and I've seen a lot of crap too. Man, it really makes my face twist, and it made most of my hair fall out too.

Question: What's your remedy for the violence in the Mideast?

Answer: Oh, come on, man, it's late. But to achieve peace, I think the changes must be foundational. I think there must be a change in attitude. Believe it or not, but America is a HUGE PART of the problem. We supposedly subscribe to these so-called Christian values, but instead of being a gentle, humble, and loving nation, we are an arrogant, aggressive, selfish, and militant country. I think this mass hypocrisy is manifesting itself in many ways throughout the world, including the continued incitement of violence. As you'll see on my profile, my favorite quote is something like, "Communism is an extreme reaction to the excesses of capitalism." Thus, "Religious fanaticism is an extreme reaction to ..." You guessed it folks. I know you don't like to hear it ... I don't even like to hear it.

I looked in the mirror and the enemy was .... Ralph Nader (nope) .... PeeWee Herman .... (nope). The enemy is you! The enemy is all of us.

Whew, I need a glass of water.

The Goose

Little Buds of Hope are Sprouting

Marching on to the next level.

This lifetime work to achieve peace and sustainability on the Planet is really difficult. In fact, I don't think I can get the job in my lifetime. But if all of us Canaries do what we can: we get the word out, educate others, do a lot of writing, a lot talking, and a lot of volunteer work, and eventually we help humanity take a big step forward.

Why do we do this? No doubt to give meaning to our lives. When we are working for an exciting goal or cause, life is very fulfilling. We have a purpose — a real purpose, not just some fabricated story. Saving the Earth is very exciting work. Everyday, I see new buds in the Sustainability Movement start to blossom. I get emails, I read articles, I hear people talking and see their work—it's exciting.

I've often thought about starting a nationwide sustainability umbrella group. In fact, I did start a sustainability group here in Georgia that is still functioning after seven years. But I'm thinking that an umbrella organization already exists through the Sierra Club and other large environmental groups—the infrastructure is already there and all of our goals are ultimately the same.

In fact, the Sierra Club has been working on new issues that are extremely exciting to me, most notably sustainable agriculture and the promotion of locally grown food. The idea is that it's impractical to spend gallons of fuel transporting food from all over the hemisphere just so you can have a "3,000-mile Caesar salad." Already the Club is supporting New Urbanism and sustainable communities as an alternative to the sprawl hell that is destroying our countryside.

So, yeah, maybe instead of starting a new group we can all operate within the framework of existing institutions. Gosh knows, these big organizations are cumbersome, bureaucratic creatures, but we are not perfect either, so what the heck.

Okay, I know this is a really boring post and it's my rants that everyone enjoys reading. Sorry, but sometimes I just have to get my thoughts out so that I can use them as a reference point for climbing to the next step.

See, I am determined to save the world. I an not striving for utopia — only a peaceful and nature-respecting society that lives a little slower and that focuses more on spiritual values rather than materialism. The rightist American religions really have nothing to do with spirituality, and have everything to do with promoting the so-called American lifestyle, American "values", and all the other pack of lies that have NOTHING to do with Christianity.

Enough for now. The Canary must rest.

Yellow Canary

The Canary Speaketh

Whatever happened to peace and brotherhood? Too much
time is wasted screaming about evil gay marriage and end-time prophesy.

So, well...

Since beginning this blog in May 2004, I have followed my theme of nonviolence and environmental stewardship in nearly every post, with the exception of my first and third entries.

Ultimately, the goal of this blog and website is to promote long-term sustainability for both the human race and the Planet. I have devoted tons of writing to the roadblock that the conservative religions create in achieving my two life goals — world peace and healing the environment. I have also talked about how political groups with self-serving agendas and greedy corporations also play a roll in keeping all of us in our current, self-destructive quandary.

I believe ...

To sum up the many things I've discussed in the past nine months, I'd like to reemphasize a few points:

The Roadmap To Sustainability

• All humans must be treated equally, regardless of race, religion, etc..

• Women must be treated 100% equal to men. Women must be given opportunities and encouragement to rise in government and business.

• Gays must be treated with complete equality. Gays must have the right to marriage (you can call them "civil unions" if it makes you feel better).

• There must be universal free trade. However, trade rules should be PEOPLE and COMMUNITY based, and NOT written for large corporations.

• There should be complete free movement of peoples. I guess that lets you know how I feel about immigration. And even though it kills me to see the massive growth in my community and state, I believe we must always force ourselves to take a global approach to the extremely serious problem of human overpopulation.

• There should be universal access to contraceptives and family planning.

• Every human should be entitled to at least one warm meal a day — not necessarily through charity (which would create dependency), but rather through empowerment, education, and opportunity. If you're slobbering over a big lobster while some child in a faraway place is starving to death, then something is damn wrong. The chain of humanity has been broken.

• Democracy is a good thing and must be universal. But people must believe in it and support it, especially by putting the needs of the community ahead of personal interests. Oh, and a message to Karl and the spin doctors in Washington — you can't force democracy at gunpoint. Rather, it is a beautiful ideal that must come from the heart.

• Everyone must take personal responsibility for the world that sustains them. Decisions should be based on the needs of our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren — not our immediate gratification.

Well, this is just a start. I'm sure I've missed a few things. But the point is we are now living in an increasingly crowded and polluted world. If we continue our current course we will certainly destroy ourselves AND our Planet. Okay, I apologize for sounding negative. But this is a blog of hope — if we change our ways, and throw a ton of old baggage out the window, we can reinvent our society, culture, and thinking, and we can create a world that will be BETTER for our kids.

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!

Fight Crime, Hug A Kid

Look at this thug, he MUST be a criminal!

Last winter I went out for a Sunday afternoon walk and I activated my Neighborhood Watch system. As I walked down the street, phones were ringing from house to house until the lady at the end of the street said, "STOP, I KNOW HIM!" Why did they think I was a criminal? Because of the green knitted cap I was wearing — it was a Christmas gift from a coworker, and apparently it makes me look really EVIL!!!

I was spared the county jail that afternoon, but many of my fellow Americans aren't so lucky. See, the U.S. puts more of their citizens behind bars than any other nation in the world.

The United States has the highest prison population rate in the world, some 686 per 100,000 of the national population, followed by the Cayman Islands (664), Russia (638), Belarus (554), Kazakhstan (522), Turkmenistan (489), Belize (459), Bahamas (447), Suriname (437) and Dominica (420).

What country has the lowest prison population per capita? Why, it's the Faeroe Islands, a Danish possession northwest of Scotland and east of Iceland. According to the data, they had 9 people in prison at about the same time the U.S. had nearly 2 million people behind bars. What does this mean? Do we have tougher judges? Do we have more bad people? One answer is that we have LOTS of nonviolent drug offenders behind bars, and many of these are minorities.

Why do we have so many drug offenders in this nation? Are the laws too harsh, or do we have more people getting stoned? The Yellow Canary believes that both the high incarceration rate and high percentage of drug offenders are the side-effects of our sick and dysfunctional society.

We have millions of people who are disenfranchised and angry at a system that benefits the few at the expense of many. The subtle racism, slanted laws, and the stresses of our unsustainable society all have their effect.

I know a gentleman in New York City who is a respected civic leader in his community. One day at a Kiwanis meeting he was complaining about the crime, and a fellow member pulled him aside and said, "What are you going to do about it?" Well, he did do something about it. For many years he has worked with the New York Athletic Club as a wrestling coach. He is providing positive activities, building self esteem, and working with young men who may have otherwise turned to crime.

The typical answer to crime is to buy guns and put burglar bars around your house, and perhaps add a security fence. Politicians will scream about the "three strike" rule or hiring more police. And while these sound nice, they are only addressing the symptoms to a far greater problem.

The solution to crime begins with volunteering as a Big Brother or Big Sister, working with youth at your church, coaching a sports team, or working at a community center. My favorite program is the Sierra Club's Inner City Outings, which takes children from the inner city out on camp outs and hikes. The attention they receive from adults, the discovery that they are part of a big natural world, and the joy of accomplishing tasks like setting up a tent all have a positive impact. If you don't have time for a youth organization, at least donate money or volunteer with their fund-raising efforts.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, invest in your own children, or if you don't have kids invest in your nieces and nephews. The Canary believes this is the single, most effective way to fight crime. Here are a few tips:

• Love your children unconditionally.

• Be responsible. If you brought kids in the world, NEVER cop out on them or then you become the criminal.

• Spend tons of time with your kids, even if they drive you crazy. Don't neglect your kids by spending all your time trying to make more money to buy more "stuff." Some criminal will probably steal it all anyway.

• Try not to divorce, and if you do, don't make that an excuse for being a lesser parent. According to two different sources, 52 percent of all marriages end in divorce.

• Stay sober. A child is entitled to an adult that is not drunk or high all the time.

Now, this is certainly not a foolproof program, but it's a good start. And I'm not saying my children are perfect because they are not — and neither am I. But at least I am trying.

I have worked with youth both at churches and at my last job, and I cannot overstate the impact that divorce has on a kid. It is traumatizing, so please don't put them through it. Such devastating experiences can have a lifelong impact, which can start the downward spiral that leads to crime.

Right now our U.S. society is ailing badly and the first step to health is restoring the family. There are many reasons why the family — the core unit of our society — is so endangered. Some folks say it's the Devil and a sign of the Last Days. Or they say the family is broken because of Hollywood and worldly influences. But I say — once again —it's because people FAIL TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for their marriages, their lives, and their children!

"While it may be alarming to discover that born again Christians are more likely than others to experience a divorce, that pattern has been in place for quite some time. Even more disturbing, perhaps, is that when those individuals experience a divorce many of them feel their community of faith provides rejection rather than support and healing. But the research also raises questions regarding the effectiveness of how churches minister to families. The ultimate responsibility for a marriage belongs to the husband and wife, but the high incidence of divorce within the Christian community challenges the idea that churches provide truly practical and life-changing support for marriages." — George Barna, Barna Research Group

Peace in the Mideast ... Well

The Yellow Canary has used up hours of brainpower trying to solve the Israel-Palestine crises, but this one's a real toughie. But if everyone in the world put their collective heads together we could likely come up with some crazy out-of-the-box solution.

Needless to say, this conflict is a source of constant unrest and uneasiness in the Mideast and is one of those "root causes" that create a climate for terrorism. Worse yet, the violence is deeply unsettling and it upsets me deeply.

Last night, I spent the evening reading articles about the issue and learned a few things that I'd like to share:

• I've always wondered how large Israel is. For being such a small nation, it really takes up a disproportionate share of the news. Think of the nation as a long sliver. If placed over Florida, it would run from about the southern tip to about the panhandle but would be only the most inner part of Florida.

• For about 400 years, the land was pretty barren and was considered a part of southern Syria under the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Turks were defeated by the Allies in WWI, which left no one to rule the province. So, the area became a mandate under the rule of Britain, who named the area Transjordan.

• Around 1880, Jews began moving into the area from around Europe. After WWII and the Holocaust, the Jews felt they would never be safe until they had their own homeland, and they began migrating to the area in large numbers in 1946. In 1948 they declared independence, which did not settle well with their Arab neighbors. The Arabs declared a "Holy War" (they seem to do that a lot) and attacked the little nation from all directions. Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan, and Egypt all joined in the so-called jihad, but the feisty Israelis beat them all back.

• Since the 1940s, there has been continual unrest and war in the area, especially the big wars in 1967 and 1973. Each time the Israelis have sent the Arabs back in full retreat. In 1979, Israel made permanent peace with Egypt, and gave them back the Sinai Pennsula. I remember this as a young college students — the Camp David Accords were one of the greatest accomplishments of the century. Good work, President Carter!

• Now, herein lies the problem. When you look at the map, Israel is an oddly shaped and small country without the West Bank. The country grows really slender in some places. Mainly for security reasons and also for religious, economic, and population reasons, the Israelis have numerous settlements in this little hunk of land that juts into their country. The Palestinians, like the Israelis, want their own state too, but without much of the West Bank, they really don't have a chance at realizing their dream.

• I can sympathize with the Palestinians for resisting the occupation of their lands. I know Americans, and I know me, and if we folks here in Georgia were occupied by a foreign power, we'd probably resist anyway we could. However, their use of terrorism against civilians is totally unacceptable.

• I can sympathize with the Israelis for wanting to at least widen the corridor between the ocean and West Bank. Having been attacked countless times by the Arabs, it is a security thing. Israel is entitled to security.

Now, I'm sure both sides could spend hours telling me about all the injustices that each nation has committed against the other. I've already heard quite a few. There is a lot of hate, bad blood, and religious claims that make things even more complex.

Solutions:

• The U.S. could donate a swath of land in Arizona for Israel to relocate. I have flown over the state and there is plenty of unused land. Desalination plants could be used to provide fresh water.

• We could borrow an idea from the Japanese and use dredging and filling to bring out the coast of Israel. In turn, they could relocate most of their West Bank settlements.

• The presidents of the U.S. and Russia could relocate their offices in Jerusalem and say, "We are going to stay here until you work this out, and every day we are going to help promote peace." This would send a powerful message to the world, and other leaders could join them and just stay there until peace is achieved.

• We could provide desalination plants for Jordan and Syria. In return, they would give up some border lands for the Palestinians.

I do not think a dual state will work, and I don't think Palestinians can have a real state with so much Israeli intrusion in the West Bank. But all sides need to talk, keep talking, and the world community needs to show resolve in solving this issue. This conflict is a real friction spot for the entire world and until we can settle it, long-term peace for the region and the world will remain impossible to achieve.

When I was a kid one afternoon another boy was threatening to pound me on the bus. I replied, "Why can't we just be friends?" He wasn't amused, but at least he didn't beat me up. But my friends on the bus called me a coward. I just never saw the point in fighting. As I look back, I'm proud of myself for walking away from that fight. I've always felt that fighting is basically pointless.

Showing Love and Tolerance for Six Pack Joe and Fundamentalists

Okay, I admit that sometimes I get angry with Christian Fundamentalists and Conservative Gun-Lover Types. HOWEVER, I do have a sneaking suspicion that those who hold onto rigid, narrow, and intolerant beliefs are doing more harm than good. I do feel that by the end of this decade there will be a great showdown between the Fundamentalists of the East and West. This scares me, and troubles me greatly. Nevertheless, expressing anger over what I perceive as ignorance is not the answer. But love and understanding IS the answer.

Michael, my friend and fellow Earth-saver from California, gave me a gentle reminder that my anger and cynicism won't accomplish much. I'd like to share his beautiful thoughts, which I have edited slightly:

I have long felt that we environmentalists tend to demonize our opposition's supporters at worst, and patronize or stereotype them at best. This is understandable given both the terrible damage being done and the fact that they demonize and stereotype us environmentalists even worse. But I feel our doing so is counterproductive. I was concerned about your shorthand for the average American who seems to care more about his or her beer and "hot button" issues than ecology.

I find myself urging our colleagues that we understand better what drives the average voter, and, by understanding, to communicate our message more effectively. That, of course, is an enormously difficult challenge. It helps to see that "the average American" is being exploited and manipulated by the same power structure that is despoiling nature and condemning all of our descendants, both of conservatives and progressives, to a devastated and poisoned planet. Even the religious right is being cynically used by this power structure (consisting largely of the multinational corporations).

I think fundamentalists are going to wake up at some point and find that the real power structure (which I've named the international corporatocracy) has utterly betrayed them. They will find that their "Christian values" are being eaten up every bit as much as the environment is by the materialistic, soulless hyperconsumption promoted by these corporations at the expense of every other value known to humanity.

This wake up may already be beginning. The National Association of Evangelicals is preparing a new framework which will move them away from overidentification with the neoconservative wing of the Republican party and its callousness towards the poor and its exploitation of the environment.

It is visionaries like my friend Michael who will lead humankind out of near disaster. He is a light in a dark tunnel, and I thank him for taking the time to write.

I do find it interesting that Ralph Reed, now a senior strategist for the Bush Campaign, grew up in Miami just like I did. We are about the same age, and he lives in the east Atlanta suburbs, while I live in the west suburbs. Surely Ralph, as a kid, saw all the rampant growth and destruction of greenspace in South Florida. It's funny how seeing that changed my life forever at age 10, but Ralph chose the debate team and then onto politics. He is ruthless at removing "unpure" politicians from power — the same politicians I campaigned for in 2002. It's funny how life has its twists. Oh well.

The Yellow Canary

The World Crises I May Have Started

GROAN As I write this President Bush is in Sea Island, GA at the G8 conference. He's stressing the need to promote Democracy in the Middle East. I agree that this is a good idea, and a way to diffuse the underlying feelings of discontent that breed terrorism.

Now, before I tell my story, first a little preface. See, whether we like it or not, each of us is a part of history, and even though we are just one person, we really have the ability to change the course of the world, either in a positive or negative way. I have the deepest respect for those who accept the fact that they are part of the world's destiny and try to make things better. I have the LEAST respect for people who run around saying, "I'm not part of this world. This is all temporal." That may be a good justification for you to shirk responsibility, but by passing the buck on the world's problems, you accomplish nothing.

The year was 1979 and I was a freshman in college and a reporter for the school newspaper. My college was full of Iranian students and they were angry about something. They were rioting around the U.S. and had burned U.S. flags and even a police car. So, being the patriot that I was, I was not thrilled when these strange people requested an interview with the school paper. I met with them, heard their story and really had no idea what they were talking about. I didn't understand. I didn't understand that the U.S. had backed the Shah, and that he was imprisoning, torturing, and killing his own people. So, I wrote the article, and it wasn't very good.

A short time later my high school friend Chris had the idea of burning an Iranian flag on the school campus. I sent a photographer to cover the event and we put the photo in the campus newspaper. As the newspaper was in the production room, after the editor had left, I added an inflammatory caption under the photo. After all, I was a patriot and they had burned our flag.

Well, I got in trouble with the editor and the school administration. I kept looking over my shoulder for the inevitable retribution from the Iranian students. But it never came. The Iranians were either expelled or recalled, and they had suddenly disappeared. Man, what was I thinking.

A lot of turmoil was going on at the time. Following a series of uprisings across Iran, the Shah's government collapsed and he fled the country. The discontent and upheavals of the time allowed for the religious fundamentalists to take over, led by the Ayatollah Khomenini.

Meanwhile, battling advanced cancer, the Shah bounced around several countries before finally going to the U.S. for treatment. This was the final straw for the Iranian students, and they immediately rioted and stormed the U.S. embassy. They ended up holding over 50 American hostages for 444 days.

What an irony it would be if those same students that seized the embassy were the ones who went to my college. What if they saw the photo and caption in my college newspaper and it really pissed them off? What if I'm responsible for all of this?

The problem is that when the students tried to talk to me and tell me their story, I DIDN'T LISTEN. When they tried to tell me of the Shah's cruel secret police, the torture, and the murders, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. It's like I was anastasized to the violence, like it was out of a fairy tale world, like that kind of stuff always went on in the Third World. So what was the big deal? I couldn't connect.

The amazing thing is that THOSE STUDENTS WERE WORKING FOR DEMOCRACY in their country, but I didn't listen, our government didn't listen, and even Jimmy Carter apparently wasn't listening.

While President Bush is now talking about Democracy in 2004, we should have supported this idea in 1979. What a different world it would likely be today. But instead of democratization, the Iranian people were treated to years of harsh religious fundamentalism. If only, IF ONLY we had of listened to the young people of Iran!

To the students of Iran, 25 years later I wish to give you a public apology. You were trying to do the right thing, but no one listened, no one helped you, and no one apparently cared.

Now, your country is building nukes, and my country has invaded your neighbor. Will Iraq become a staging area for an attack on Iran? Did I start this whole mess with my college newspaper?

No doubt the reason that the United States and Iran don't get along is that we are so much alike. Both of our governments are influenced by strong — and harsh — religious groups that try to influence public policy. Will Iran, a nation of nearly 70 million, and the United States, a country pushing 300 million people, start lobbing nukes at one another because both nations are privy to the "one right way?" It is my worst nightmare.

Yes, President Bush, we should promote Democracy. Perhaps we should start in the United States. Maybe we should acknowledge our past support of the Shah and our meddling in Iran's affairs. Maybe we should adopt policies based on the best good of humankind, as opposed of a narrow group's interpretation of what is right.

Again, I am sorry for what I wrote in the newspaper, and I apologize for the hypocrisy of my country as well.