In God's Country

I write this fable as a cautionary tale for America:

Drawn by the opportunity for jobs and greater freedoms and to escape hunger and oppression, Mexican citizens began to immigrate into the border areas of America. The numbers of the immigrants was small enough that it did not seem to threaten the American economy or culture. Even though they had no legal right to enter, there were enough jobs, money, food and space to accommodate the arrivers, so the Americans tentatively welcomed them. Some groups of Americans even welcomed their new Mexican neighbors with open arms.

Many Americans, and even the government leaders, shared personal and government resources, made personal friends with many of the immigrants and learned about their culture. As the Mexican population grew, people and the government sold the Mexican community property, provided education and health care resources to the immigrants. Under the care, support and mutually beneficial relationships with the Americans, the Mexican-American population began to thrive.

New immigrants joined the thriving population at a steady pace and the Mexican population began to form larger and larger communities of their own, making their relationship with the local governments and other original inhabitants less and less necessary. Unlike the first immigrants, the newer arrivals did not have to mingle as much with the Americans. Relations between the cultures weakened over time as the newest immigrants made no effort to learn English, transplanted as much of their culture from Mexico as possible, and even did business as much as possible within their own community.

After years of steady immigration and a generation that was born on this American soil, the Mexican-American population had grown so large that they began to view the land as theirs. As their needs increased, they became more aggressive about taking the resources they could see around them. When necessary, they even used violence or intimidation. It seemed they no longer feared (or respected) the Americans.

The episodes of violence increased at an alarming rate. The American population grew restless with these now-violent interlopers who were consuming more and more resources. Out of fear and retribution, the Americans launched a military offensive against the Mexican-American population and the war was on.

In a shocking turn, the Mexican-American population was much stronger than expected and heavily armed. In one stunning and violently grotesque episode, the Mexicans attacked the Texas government and (as crazy as this sounds) beheaded the governor of Texas and posted his head on a stake in the Texas capitol. Not through, and fully aroused in their anger, the Mexicans captured the 9-year old son of that governor, shipped him south and enslaved him…

I’ll end the story now but the next few chapters only get worse. The Mexicans eventually take completely over America through alternating bouts of political trickery and literal slaughter. By the time the story ends, the original Americans make up less than 2% of the total population.

Oh, one last thing, this story is true. Just insert "Christian Europeans" everywhere you see Mexican or Mexican-American above and it’s a sketch of the annihilation that unchecked immigration brought upon the Native Americans in the 1600s, right down to the beheading, slavery and slaughter. In the later chapters, more generations of American immigrants continue the torture and mass murder, including women and children, that would make the Taliban jealous. Even if you think you know the stories, it might be a good idea to revisit the history, especially in light of the intensifying immigration reform discussion in America.

See the Tuna Fleets Clearing the Sea Out

When it comes to "green" products I live in the tension of wanting to be an early adapter and show great care, but also not wanting to get taken by misinformation or marketing campaigns (called greenwashing). Also, I believe that re-use is usually the best option for the Earth (and my money). It seems silly to me when people discard functioning items, from cars to water bottles, to buy a "green" replacement. Finally, it seems to me that unless I know more about the manufacturing, packaging and shipping process of the item or food, I may have a serious misconception about how "green" the product or food really is.

With this tension and uncertainty in mind, I hesitantly put out there what seems to be a good source. As you can see from the list of concerns, how can I stay on top of the life cycle of everything I buy or eat? This resource, Good Guide, doesn't cover everything, but it has extensive food and personal care reviews and, more importantly, good information about how to increase our intelligence in this area.

A good example of this whole process at work is applying this "industrial ecology" to something I recently purchased: a metal water bottle. After analyzing the extraction, processing, manufacturing, distribution, use and disposal, I learn that I need to use the bottle 500 times to beat plastic (though there is increasing benefit after only 50 uses).

In the interest of avoiding "all or nothing" thinking, I want to use Earth Day to further nudge me into a comprehensively responsible life.

Money Money Money

So Oprah says to me yesterday, "hope you're loving your Sunday as much as I am."

My inner dialogue goes something like this: Has Oprah lost all sense of reality? She just told 300,000 people that she hopes they're loving their Sunday as much as she was. According to Forbes, Oprah's net worth is 2.7 billion dollars. She's clearly been too insulated for too long. That's a crazy thing to say from her position.

Those thoughts had barely hung in the air like a puff of Glade® air freshener, when it hit me. If I believe that, then I believe more money will help me love my day more (and my life is made of days).

Now I have no doubt that Oprah's Sunday was quite different than mine. Many things about her day were more convenient. Oprah had far more choices yesterday about how to spend her day. But I bet I loved my Sunday just as much as she did. Coffee and donuts on a rainy morning, read the news, played with the boys, was brought a meal by a friend, learned a lot from stimulating and friendly conversation during my visit to the Islamic Center, took care of my weekly budget responsibilities and had plenty to care for my family, laid in bed with a sick Aaron to help him go to sleep, eventually went to sleep myself in a safe bed with my best friend and a tiny new baby-on-the-way.

Come to think of it, I hope Oprah loved her Sunday as much as I loved mine...

These Are the Hands that Built America

This quote from President Barack Obama is too juicy not to discuss here. But my time is limited this week so please feel free to unpack for me.

Monday April 9, while in Turkey, Obama said

One of the great strengths of the United States is ... we have a very large Christian population -- we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation or a Jewish nation or a Muslim nation. We consider ourselves a nation of citizens who are bound by ideals and a set of values.

I agree.

President Obama and 76% of American citizens call themselves Christians (whatever that may mean to them). But we are a country of many religions or non-religious and we choose to consider ourselves unified by what we do have in common - certain ideals and values. The U.S. is about 70 to 75% Caucasian but we don't go around calling ourselves a "white" nation. If we called ourselves a Christian country, does that mean that 24% of Americans are not part of this country?

For anyone wanting to argue whether the U.S. was founded "Christian," they will need to address the fact that the nation became a majority "Christian" and majority Caucasian only after killing and driving out the original residents.

Frankly, isn't Christian a meaningless term anyway? Is there a universal definition? Don't Baptists define it with words that end up sounding a helluva lot like their religion? Catholics the same? On and on?

We may or may not see the end of a majority Christian America. But I'm ready to declare an end to calling our country "a Christian country." Next on the list is hopefully "the greatest nation on Earth...."

Speeding on the Subway Through the Stations of the Cross

Despite my efforts to slow the Bang and the Clatter, this has been a hectic Lent. A combination of my own choices and unplanned circumstances upended my plans. My plan for Lent was to deny some of my overappetite for stimulation. My purpose in reducing stimulation is simply to increase my Awareness. Awareness of my Inner Light, of Charity (unconditional love) and Grace. While other years I have been more expansive, this year I was thinking more of just media stimulation. Every day I read multiple news sources, read and listen to political and social commentary, engage in discussions with multiple groups, listen to music, and I am "connected" at all times. The only media source I avoid regularly is television. I enjoy PBS, football games and a few shows. I loathe 24-hour news channels. I digress...

I have created some space these past few weeks and have had a few moments of better Awareness, but overall I have probably INCREASED my media stimulation. I am more connected than ever before. I see serious future benefits to relationships and even to increasing my Awareness from this increased connection, but the fact that I slipped right into it does give me pause. With difficult circumstances such as incapacitating pregnancy sickness Casey had (she's better now), bad spring allergy season, Momo dying, distressing family dynamics around the funeral, some extra commitments in the evening, increased work load - with these circumstances it is my nature to turn to stimulative and enjoyable activities, not to turn to quiet.

This week, sometimes called Passion Week, I had to assure myself that it was not too late. The temptation is to say I've failed, I'll do better next time, but the truth is I can still do a lot to increase my Awareness in this intense ending of Lent.

To that end, this Passion Week I am reading the works of Anne Catherine Emmerich. You can concern yourself, if you care to, with the authenticity or origin of her visions. But frankly I don't care. Like an African Proverb I heard, "I don't know if it happened, but I know it's true." There are some strange things she reports, to be sure, but not really any stranger than many incredible stories presented in our versions of the Gospels. And much like the Gospels, I don't concern myself with whether the details are right, it's the main themes that matter. What matters most to me in Anne's works is that it builds a reality for me of Jesus and his life, relationships and death. I read her intense and vivid descriptions and I'm transported. The preparations for Jesus' last Passover with his friends. The emotional moment when Jesus tells his mother what is about to happen.

She did not weep much, but her grief was indescribable, and there was something almost awful in her look of deep recollection.

Jesus' writhing and anguish in the garden right before his arrest is a tremendous story. Here Anne's recognition of what it was that grieved Jesus and her own part in that is both agonizing and inspiring. If you are interested, you can find her visions HERE. This week I have found it has significantly moved my Awareness.

The Sun is Coming up on the Ocean

Des Moines, April 3, 2009— In a unanimous decision, the Iowa Supreme Court today held that the Iowa statute limiting civil marriage to a union between a man and a woman violates the equal protection clause of the Iowa Constitution.

Iowa is ending its discrimination against gay and lesbian couples. Wow.

After the debacle in Arkansas and the vote in California, it's not a surprise that this progressive move came from the Iowa Supreme Court. The traditional role of courts is to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority. Actually, it's more complicated than that, because actually the court enforces the will of the majority as set out in the constitution. It's the role of the court to remind the majority what they already agreed was the law. It's as if the people gather together in a time of calm reflection and agree "We want to be treated equally" and then the court must calmly ride that principle through the storms of the moment.

This decision brings up an interesting Federalism issue. Traditional conservatives tend to rely heavily on "state's rights" arguments and argue against Federal preemption, they argue "let the states decide!" However, in this area (and abortion) these same people find themselves pushing for Federal intervention on the issue. The "Defense of Marriage" act was passed with huge conservative support and it forbids the Federal government from recognizing a same-sex marriage even if a State endorsed the marriage. The debate around this Federal intrusion on state sovereignty is described well HERE.

From what I've read, the Iowa constitution cannot be changed until 2012, but I am sure the campaigns began yesterday afternoon. I am certain many ugly things will be said. I am sure that God will be misquoted and his name misused in this public discussion. I must brace myself. I can hope, however, that perhaps a few years of gay-lesbian marriages will be enough to convince thinking Iowans that the world didn't come to an end - maybe even enough time to convince some that their state is better off treating each other with fairness and equality.