antidote = baby

these days watching the news is becoming more and more entertaining and more and more depressing. Not so much for what is going on in the world, although in and of itself that is very much a downer; but to the extent to which our so called leaders lie so blatantly and do not even try to conceal the lies because they know so few pay attention.

The Dalai Lama, who for years pissed all over any one who said he was a political leader with a political agenda, announced officially that he was retiring as the political leader of the exiled Tibetan government.

the world trumpeted that France was bombing Libya as part of the coalition forces no-fly zone implying they had the lead of the forces, only to have it announced a day later that the US has been in charge all along (and coincidently moved carrier ships into the area months ago - wouldn't you like to see those diplomatic cables

A no-fly zone, which may necessitate the bombing and destruction of aircraft, has mysteriously expanded its definition to include striking land target by air.

Saudi Arabia has sent troops into Yemen and Bahrain to use violence to put down the revolting public - just as Libya, but the spin is that this is not talked about as the Saudis and Yemen have more Western allies and friends.

The world is ignoring what is going on in the Ivory Coast.

And we are told unemployment is falling in the US but it is not mentioned that we do not count people without a job and who have exhausted their eligibility for unemployment

Crucifixes are ok in schools, but not head scarves

And on and on....

It is a poisonous and treacherous world we live in; so much so that it is easy to forget that it is a good one as well with an abundance of hope for doing things differently in the future.

I was at the local Quaker meeting yesterday, I go on occasion because the way this meeting house worships is close to how I used to with the Julians and have yet to get off my duff and find out if they are in town again (but I think that is coming) when towards the rise of meeting (the end of an hour's contemplation broken only by people so moved to speak) a woman sat down in front of me with a baby.

Not just a baby, but a baby, baby not even six months old.

And the baby and I looked at each other and then...we started to fool around.

There is something magical about laughing with a baby and feeling those small hands grasping your fingers and seeing those eyes filled with joy.

Something that renews the spirit.

And rather feel all charged up with a "things have to change now!" spirit. I remembered that I can take more and that it would be better for me to work towards a lasting and fundamental change - rather than immediate gratification ones that do nothing about the root - so that this baby can grow up in a different world.

And that is a concept that has left our sense of activism. The idea that creating sustainable change has to begin at the root, not the leaf. We rabble about budget cuts when the problem is not in the budget, but in the charter or constitution that allows it to become so.

Our government has done nothing but do exactly what it is set up to do, be a representative government. When the public abdicated responsibility for representing themselves to their elected representatives, it is no small wonder - nor is it a failure of the system - that the elected representatives have been representing the only constituents that have expressed on interest in being represented - big business and other special interest groups.

Elected representatives are not mind readers, they are figureheads that have to be told what is important and what to do - and not on an every so often basis, but as a constant feed of information. Whoever feeds them the most consistent stream of information will be the one represented.

But like energy or even college degrees, the search to find one thing that will then provide for everything without any consistent effort and interaction is a hallmark of western culture. Western industrialized culture that is.

And that baby, grabbing my tattooed, scarred, and grease stained hand and laughing and laughing and laughing reminded of how important the consistency of effort to address the root is.

Go back to basics.

And before you examine the ladder for sturdiness or set about fixing a broken rung, examine the ground it stands on for solidity.


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