Welcome

WELCOME TO THE GREEN PEN!

It's my personal soapbox, a place for me to express thoughts and feelings, musings and rants, reflections and recollections; to have fun with words -- about things spiritual, environmental, social, political, economic, and, from time to time, personal. And of course about peace. Soapboxes are in public places (as London's legendary Hyde Park) on purpose, and so I invite conversations with you, for it is through civil discourse that we can gain some perspective on the seeming chaos of these changing times and learn together how to shape a positive future for ourselves, our communities, and the generations to come.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Presidential Politics 2012

This could be an interesting year, to say the least. I would be very surprised if it remains a two-party race. It seems there is enough discontent all across the political spectrum to warrant 3rd-party, 4th-party, and independent ventures. I myself am at the point of fantasizing about the emergence not of yet another nth party but of an alliance.

Thoughts on the Keystone Tar Sands Pipeline

The president is faced with making a decision on the Keystone Tar Sands Pipeline. Whether that is to be in two months by the current president or in 2013 by whatever president, let’s work to have that decision be one of denying the permit. Our strategy can't be one of just saying no, however. That strategy didn’t work for Nancy Reagan, and it wouldn’t work here, either. More effective will be building alliances in the private sector to develop 21st Century alternative opportunities for both industry and the unions that have longer term prospects than hanging on desperately to short-term, 20th Century jobs.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Art and Peace

Art has everything to do about peacebuilding as we shift to a culture of peace. We are on the threshold (actually already in the midst) of a major transformation in human consciousness and, consequently, our concepts and systems of how we organize ourselves as a society, everywhere on the planet, is in transition to keep up with that change in consciousness.

Occupy the 100%

Posing enemies does not work. Nor is it consistent with the new way of thinking and acting that I've understood to be the intent of Occupy. At least, that is what has excited me about Occupy -- it's an experiment in putting into practice some of the concepts of a culture of peace, a culture of caring, compassion, mutual respect and support, and, yes, love. That means all those things for 100%, not just the 99% against the 1%. We are all in this together, and we need everyone to be included.