Global Suicide

We are creating a planet buried in our own filth, simultaneously committing global suicide, genocide, biocide, and ecocide. The more that we advance, the more that we destroy, like an unstoppable virus that has taken over our once-healthy host planet. Walk into any major city and look at the horizon; you can see the pollution weighing heavily like a massive beige cloud. That cloud is a poison that we breathe into our fragile bodies while we live amidst the trash that litters our streets, our parks, and our beaches.

That plastic bottle you saw on the side of the road will take between 450 to 1,000 years to decompose because the person that threw it out of their window decided that this planet- our home- is their trash can. Videos of sea turtles screaming out in pain as trash is being pulled from their bleeding nostrils has surfaced all over the internet, while other photographs and videos show corpses of animals and birds with guts full of the trash that we discarded and they accidentally consumed. While we may not like to admit responsibility for these actions, every piece of trash that slices open an animal is the result of our species’ irresponsibly and carelessness. We are at fault and almost every species on this planet is suffering in some way or form.

Lush, beautiful rainforests used to cover 14% of the planet’s surface yet to this day only 6% remains and that percentage is rapidly shrinking at the rate of 1 acre per second. We tear down the homes of millions of different animals because we believe that our agenda has more worth than their life; yet by doing this we are shooting ourselves in the foot by polluting our largest fresh water source and destroying the trees that filter the air that we breathe. The runoff from the agricultural fields that replace the rainforest are polluting our largest fresh water sources, making the water undrinkable. Only 1% of our water sources are accessible and available for human consumption. These water sources are depleting at an alarming rate while our population is ever increasing. What exactly is humanity going to drink when it is all gone? Why are we destroying what helps us survive?

Due to poaching and rainforest destruction amongst many other human activities, scientists have now informed the public that we are bordering the next mass extinction. According to the World Wildlife Foundation, “The rapid loss of species we are seeing today is estimated by experts to be between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate,” and this is due almost exclusively to human activity. Soon our grandchildren will be viewing tigers and mountain gorillas among thousands of other species the way that we view dinosaurs; creatures only to be found alive within the pages of a book, but never to be seen with the naked eye.

                Here we are as consumers, standing in the middle of a consumer-based society, arguing over whether or not climate change is actually happening and no matter what evidence is shown the argument is an endless one. This isn’t a zombie apocalypse, y2k, or some other scare tactic for those that love a good dose of drama. This is the result of human activity as a collective whole impacting the planet that we live on to a detrimental point. Climate change is serious enough of an issue for global leaders to hold a conference in Paris, inviting officials from nearly 200 countries to meet and come to an agreement to reduce climate change. Global warming is not a conspiracy to alarm people and it isn’t a concept made up by Al Gore. This is real and it is happening. Change starts with the individual and needs to happen for the sake of humanity’s collective future. Procrastination is our biggest enemy; the actions need to happen now. One doesn’t have to go to extremes, wearing burlap in the woods while deodorant becomes more of a memory than a hygienic effort. There are little things that you can do to help that won’t take much effort and these little things you do will make a big impact. Remember a single pebble can stir an entire pond. 

Punished For Helping Those In Need

                “We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked, and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for is the greatest poverty.” –Mother Teresa

                What does petty theft, possession of an illegal drug, and feeding the homeless all have in common?  They can all land you in jail in over twenty-one cities in the United States and this number keeps growing.  Since January 2013 over twenty-one cities in our nation have criminalized feeding the homeless.  Some of these cities include Fort Lauderdale Florida, Columbia South Carolina, San Francisco California, Houston Texas, Manchester New Hampshire, among many others.  If you are caught feeding the homeless in these cities without a proper permit, you can face fines up to $500 and up to 60 days in jail.  These permits can be expensive.  In Raleigh, North Carolina in order to obtain a one-day permit to feed the homeless in a park costs an outstanding $800.  Let me emphasize that this outrageously priced permit is only good for 24 hours and that $800 dollars could have been used to feed many families in need. This is just another way for irresponsible municipalities to suck more money out of the people that need it the most though either permits or fines.  Local charities are not abundantly wealthy and a lot of them are struggling, barely surviving off of the donations of the caring but because of this law, many organizations have had to cut back on feeding the homeless due to a lack of funds. Now homeless Americans are starving with little hope of being fed by a compassionate individual or even a charity.  What would be the reasoning behind this? Public officials claim that it is for public safety and health while mayors give out pathetic excuses to try and rationalize these heinous laws.  There laws are an inexcusable abomination. They are cruel, they are inhuman and they are enacted by people who are lucky enough to have never experienced homelessness themselves and do not know what it is like to go hungry. Those entrusted with a position of power should not abuse that power in a cruel fashion by pushing through laws that lead to starvation.

                Laws should be put in place to create a civil and safe society, not to stop compassionate individuals from feeding the homeless and treat the humanitarians as if they were criminals.  When a law is put in place to stop one person from helping another and when a law is enacted to legislate against the better nature of our humanity is when the people that put those laws in place have gone too far and crossed moral lines. The twisted and fallacious logic behind putting these laws in place is the belief that by not allowing the homeless to be fed by the generosity of others, it is somehow going to help lessen homelessness and help increase general public safety; or more cynically will cause the homeless to move to another, more welcoming community to make the homeless their problem while also increasing their own property values. These people see the homeless as a problem and their way to solve this problem is to remove what keeps them alive. Homeless people are already at the lowest point of their life.  To be treated as less than human, not even allowed to be fed by a Good Samaritan under threat of statutory punishment is a morally reprehensible.  We are a just nation and this law is beneath us and should have never been seriously considered by any American community.

                The unfortunate thing is that many American citizens are not aware that these laws are in place and have been treated as if they were a criminal when these repugnant laws are enforced.  This is what happened recently to a young man by the name of Zach from San Francisco only a few weeks ago.  Zach was giving a warm meal to a shivering homeless man late at night when two officers approached them.  The officers then preceded to harass the homeless man for staying in one location for too long and when Zach stood up and asked that they just allow the homeless man to eat a warm meal before having to move, the officers then harassed and threatened to fine Zach for his compassion because he contravened an immoral law by feeding someone who was hungry without a proper permit.  Zach stood his ground risking legal repercussions and stood up for the starving stranger beside him, and eventually the police relented, but only after it was pointed out that they were being unjust and cruel. 

                Zach’s actions should be a beacon of light showing us how we should act.  We are Americans.  We are a nation of people who are passionate about bringing justice and relief to our neighbors and showing compassion to those in need.  It now time to write to the mayors of these cities and tell them how we feel about these morally bankrupt regulations being put in place.  Let’s stand up for the underdog, the ones that are going hungry and need our help, and tell those in charge that these laws are unjust, un-American and should be removed immediately. American citizens should never fear legal prosecution for doing the right thing; we should never legislate against mercy and charity.  How dare these leaders persecute the Americans most in need of help!  How dare they punish the sympathetic and generous for alleviating suffering.  We are a strong nation filled with citizens that hold strong opinions and our opinions can be heard.  We will move mountains when the cry is loud enough, so let’s unite and stand up for those that cannot stand up for themselves.  Callous bureaucracies and self-interested politicians have thrown down the gauntlet, and we must pick it and defend the defenseless.  A measure of a good society is not how it worships its greatest citizens but the quality of its mercy to its least members. 

We are too Strong to Fear

     Since the trauma of the events of 9/11, Americans have had a deep fear of extremists infiltrating our nation and putting both our lives and the lives of families in danger. Fear is a powerful weapon. It is an ancient weapon, used since the beginning of civilization to control the masses. The memory of 9/11 still weighs on our hearts; many Americans allow this fear to turn into unjustified hatred and direct it towards anyone who happens to follow the same religion associated with the extremists.

      When the terrorist attacks occurred in France after the Syrian immigration began, our nation as a whole stood solemnly in reverence to those that had lost their lives. To show our support, Americans everywhere turned their Facebook profile image to an image of the French flag along with sending out messages about prayers and reverence. When a Syrian passport was found by the body of one of the terrorists, the message that terrorists infiltrated Europe by pretending to be refugees, spread through America like wild fire. Memories of 9/11 flashed through our citizens’ heads as many of us became afraid to allow these refugees to enter our nation. The messages of reverent condolence and support quickly transformed into messages of hate and fear. The initial act of terrorism may have been over ten years ago, but still feels like it just happened yesterday and we collectively see through the prism of that fear when it comes to the Muslim religion as a whole. A handful of extremists does not define an entire religion as a whole.

      Quickly in the course of the criminal investigation into the terror in Paris, authorities quickly learned that the terrorists were not Syrian refugees but were in fact all EU citizens from France and Belgium. The Syrian passport that they found is believed to be planted because it was a passport of a Syrian soldier that had died months before. Why would it planted? Because the terrorist group that label themselves as “ISIS” wanted to engrain this fear in as many people as they possibly can. Fear is an effective means to control the masses and fear is the tool that ISIS uses to perpetuate its reign. France decided that fear will not stop them from helping those being terrorized and abused by these thugs, and they fought bullets with flowers. Bullets is what ISIS wanted, violence, fear, and to cause others to say that they will no longer take in those that are escaping their terrorism. When France held up a signs that read “NOT AFRAID,” that was worst thing that they could do to ISIS because that meant that they failed in creating terror. They failed to control France.

Let’s think of this like an abusive relationship, where ISIS is the abuser that Syrians are the abused.  The Syrians are fleeing ISIS’s cruelty to find peace and hope. That is something that ISIS does not want because if there is hope of a better future for those that ISIS is terrorizing, then ISIS loses its power.  

       The Syrians fleeing for their lives are not terrorists, they are victims. Do you remember how you felt on 9/11?  Do you recall that gut-wrenching, twisting feeling that made you sick to your stomach? The Syrians feel this fear every day and want to escape it, and they are begging us to show compassion and help them. Instead of being understanding and saying, “We know what it’s like to be afraid for the lives of our families and ourselves. You will find refuge here,” we are instead closing our borders and saying, “Your kind doesn’t belong here.” Imagine how heartbroken and hopeless you would feel if the tables were turned and you were in their shoes. 

      We have to stop looking at these people from a religious perspective and start looking at them as human beings, willing to risk their life for the chance to be free. This nation was founded on refugees, our ancestors, escaping for a chance at freedom and a life free from fear. We hit the natal jackpot by being born within the borders of a free country. Instead of holding onto our borders and screaming out “MINE!” let’s open our hearts to those in need and allow more innocent humans to have the chance to live a life without fear; a privilege we Americans enjoy. We cannot change the reality for everyone in the world, but it would mean the world to everyone whose realty we change. Let’s show ISIS what their terrorism means to us by fighting their horror with love and opening our doors those that so badly need it. We are a strong and proud country, let’s not hide behind our borders. Let’s show ISIS how strong a nation we truly are by standing united against their brutal, sadistic regime. ISIS may consist of people with hearts full of hate but we can resist with hearts full of love. Remember, a single candle can reduce darkness to mere harmless shadows.

Turkey and Greed

When I was a child my family would sit around the table after our Thanksgiving meal and hand out five toothpicks for each member of the family. Each of us would then go around the table and name out five things that we were thankful for in our lives and each time that we would name out something, we would have to set down a toothpick. After this traditional ritual was finished, we would clean up our dinner plates and spend the rest of the day enjoying each other’s company. Our hearts would be filled with thankfulness not just for our lives, but because we had each other.

Alas, time marches on. I grew up and moved out of my family’s house, and I discovered the incredible deals that happened on “Black Friday.” Because I didn’t have a lot of money, I would save up for months, scraping together whatever I could spare. My new Thanksgiving ritual would be after almost enjoying a celebratory Thanksgiving frozen pizza, I would rise early the next morning and go Christmas shopping for my family so that I could afford gifts that year. No matter how poor I was, I still always found a way to get my family Christmas gifts.

This year, after volunteering for kitchen duty to help feed the homeless, I decided to make my way down to New Jersey so that I could see my sister and go shopping when the sales began. Unlike all of the other years where I would be excited as I headed out to enjoy some Black Friday shopping, this year was different. I guess you could say that I changed.

Instead of looking at all of the stuff that I could buy, I looked at the shoppers waiting outside in long lines anxious and restless for stores to open. With excited anticipation, they spoke to one another about everything they planned on buying for themselves. Not once did I hear anyone mention doing any charitable act for a child who won’t get gifts this year. They spoke about these items, these “things” as if they needed them to survive, looking nervously at the people standing in front of them in the line, while openly expressing the hope that the store won’t run out of stock before they can get their new “toy.”  

It occurred to me then that Thanksgiving is no longer a holiday to remember how grateful we are for what we have in our life.  Instead it has become a holiday preying upon peoples’ wallets and fears. We are drawn in by a few “deals” and creeping a head start earlier and earlier every year in fear that the next shopper will get a deal that we will miss out. We are already a society where our insecurities are manipulated so that we crave what we don’t have. We are made to feel “less than” because our smart phone isn’t the latest model, that our television isn’t the biggest yet as thin as a playing card or that our kids aren’t wearing the overpriced sneaker of the athlete of the week. Now on the Thanksgiving Day, the one day in the year specifically set aside where we are supposed to be thankful, we now fill it with fear, avarice and even violence. This herd mentality of fear and acquisitiveness is so great that even lives are lost from people being trampled and crushed as the doors of retails open, and for what? To find that item that you have been wanting for half price and you could have bought yesterday and will likely be able to buy again after Christmas? A human life is worth that?

While children are going hungry in the world, we live in a society that has taken the one day a year to be grateful for what we have been extremely fortunate to be given and corrupted it with materialism and greed. We have become prisoners to “want”, always wishing for what we don’t have and when we finally get it, we forget it in the haze of memory and desire something else. 

I think we as a society should take a step back and evaluate our how we live our own lives. We have so much to be thankful for and we don’t need the newest cell phone or biggest T.V. Instead of wasting our money on an item that will collect dust in six months, why not use some of that extra money to buy a homeless person a meal or buy a family in need some food? There are so many good things that we can do with our lives.  Carelessly spending, constantly wanting more, materialistic and beyond, isn’t living a life of gratitude but instead is living a life of greed. Be thankful for what the universe has set in front of you. Stop looking at what you don’t have and start seeing what you do have. Once you do that, you will be surprised at how abundant your life actually is. If you live in the United States, I guarantee you your life is better than most. Take a moment, reflect and be thankful.   

Spiders think we are Assholes

The other day I was taking a walk in a beautiful park. It was a calm and serene environment of large trees that were once lush and green now turning to blaze of bright yellows and reds. I felt like I was in a wonderland, walking on a carpet of colorful leaves with a large lake glistening in the sunlight just a few feet off of the trail.  Everything was going perfectly until my face smacked into spider web and I began insanely thrashing and dancing around like I was being attacked by ghost. There is nothing less fun to me than to run into a spider web and then have the icky thought of, “is the spider on me or is it just watching me and laughing as I desperately check my clothes with wide eyes and a pounding heart?”

Then a moment of clarity spurred a thought in my head: Spiders must think humans are assholes. Think of it, we don’t like bugs in our house and there is nothing more annoying than a bug flying into your food or dive bombing your face. So the spider is like, “hey human! I’m just gonna move in and take care of this little fly problem that you have. I promise I won’t be any trouble. I’ll just hang out here in corner.”

Mrs. Spider then makes silk from a gland in her abdomen and pulls it out of her ass to create this beautiful web in a similar shape to a snow flake, only for the human to go, “OH MY GOD! WHAT THE HELL?” Then take a broom and bitch smack the spider’s home, destroying something that took 30-60 minutes to make, in only seconds. The spider then looks at the human like “you mother f-“ and then finds out what it is like to become a spider pancake.

I think while I was dancing and prancing by the lakeside, somewhere a spider was saying, “God dammit!  I just got that fixed!”

I wonder if spiders talk smack about humans to other spiders. The go to the local “webbery,” drink a shot of bug juice and talk about what happened to one of their 1,500 brothers and sisters. Perhaps there is a webcast.  I know I would hate to be a spider living in a world where humans have taken over the planet and decide who is worthy to live in their air conditioned boxes and who dies if they dare enter.

I think in general we should have a little more respect for all creatures on our planet. We might be humans and more advanced but a life is a life and all life should be respected. I know from personal experience that it is easier to smash a bug when you are scared shitless of something that is only an inch long, rather than scoop it up and take it outside but keep in mind that their life should matter a little bit more than a turd and just because it is a nasty gross bug, doesn’t mean it deserves to die.

Unforgettable

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog called, “Cops that no longer care.” In it I detailed yet another negative experience with a police officer that did not do his job. Since it had been awhile since I came across a good cop, I wrote that blog to express my frustrations after that incident, which was just the latest in a string of bad experiences with law enforcement.  It is human nature to complain about the negative and to give voice to situations where things have gone wrong. 

Now I am going to tell you about a police officer that I really respect and one that I have to give credit for going above expectations. In August, I was driving across the United States. This large and stressful move was exhausting but I still wanted to take advantage of each state that I passed through. Every state that I drove through, I made it a point to take at least one image of the state in admiration and celebration of the earth’s natural beauty. Finally, I was driving through Oklahoma when I came across a pretty lake surrounded by lush greenery contrasting sharply with the dusty orange clay of the plains at the side of a busy highway. I pulled my car over as soon as I could, leaving my best friend/ road trip buddy and pets in the car. Grabbing my camera, I climbed out and began to walk over to the lake, which was quite a ways down the road. It was a beautiful sunny day with bright blue skies and even though I knew I was risking my own safety by taking these pictures, it was an opportunity that I didn’t want to miss. As I approached the lake, a police officer passed by me on the interstate. Seeing the police vehicle made my stomach twist because I had a gut feeling that I was about to see him again and my gut feeling was right. A few seconds after I snapped a few photos I saw the police vehicle driving through the grassy median towards me.

“Damn it. I am going to get a ticket.” I thought to myself as I smiled and waved at the approaching police cruiser, trying to maintain my composure when on the inside I was really worried. The policeman in the vehicle smiled and waved back before pulling up next to me.

As he rolled down his window, I respectfully greeted him with a “Good afternoon, officer.”

“Hello!” He responded in a jovial voice. “Are you okay?” He asked me with a thick southern accent.

“Yes sir. I was just taking photos of the lake. It’s really pretty out here. Is that okay?” I asked feeling my nervousness raise.

“Yes ma’am that is. I was just worried that your car had run out of gas and I wanted to see if you needed a ride to a gas station. You sure you’re okay?”

I explained to him that I still had gas and thanked him for stopping to check on me, once again reassuring him that I was okay. He told me to have a great day and as he drove away, it wasn’t just relief that I felt, I was deeply touched.

I am a young woman in her late 20’s who has experienced every form of asshole that someone can experience. I now consider myself an international expert on the subject.  This includes the blatant in-your-face asshole to the garden variety jackass all the way to the more cunning “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” From the different experiences in my life, I learned very quickly that if you need help, it is unlikely to come to you from someone that you don’t know and if someone you do know offers to help, there are almost always hidden strings attached that eventually show. It is unfortunate that truly selfless acts of kindness in today’s society have become rarer than a white rhino and usually end with a demand. So when someone shows me a selfless act of kindness, I always remember them with a smile in my heart.

To me this wasn’t just a police officer checking to see if I was okay, it was one human being showing selfless grace and concern to another human being. He didn’t have to stop to check on me, regardless of his job motto, “To serve and protect.” He didn’t have to see if I was okay and he didn’t have to offer to give me a ride to the nearest gas station.  He chose to do it because he was a good man.

 I will remember this police officer for the rest of my life because of the selfless kindness that he demonstrated. He didn’t have to do what he did. He chose to and he went out of his way to do so. So keep that in mind when you consider doing something kind for another person you may or may not know. That person might hold a thankful heart in regards to you for the rest of their life.

 I don’t look up to celebrities and call them heroes or my personal inspiration. I look up to the people that come into my life and show truly selfless acts of kindness without second thought. To me, those people are unforgettable.

  

House Hunting Gloom

             Lately I’ve felt like my head is going to explode. I, along with two other people, have been searching for over a month now to find a place to live that will allow my pets for a reasonable price. It seems like every time that something looks like it will happen, something else happens and it falls through. It feels like an emotional rollercoaster because I keep on getting excited only to find myself disappointed. I understand disappointment comes with the territory of being alive but after countless potential candidates for my move falling through, I began to feel more and more like I am shooting straight up in the air hoping that it will hit my target in front of me.

It’s not just the comments “You’re on the top of our list” and then no responses that get to me. It’s having to email at least ten places a day, only to get ignored, receive a big fat “NO,” or lead on like it will work and then the “I changed my mind,” last minute. Don’t these places actually want to rent their places?

The most irritating one that I have come across so far was a potential roommate situation that seemed like a great fit, until the man (who had a daughter my age) started giving me pet names like “Tennessee girl” and texting me good night after sending me several unnecessary pictures of him on his motorcycle. As this was happening I kept thinking to myself, “Why is this guy being so creepy in under 24 hours?” I personally believe that if you want to be properly creepy to your renter, you should do it after she has moved in and not before. Because of this incident I began to realize more and more that I am just not comfortable living with a stranger.

My favorite response that I have gotten so far was from an old man who was renting out his upstairs apartment. The old man was nice but believed that it was a woman’s job to clean (I bit my tongue when he said that) and had boundaries issues- he didn’t accept “no” for an answer. I had a few concerns about that because I don’t tolerate bullshit very well but overall it wasn’t too bad of a situation. After agreeing to rent out to me on a month to month basis, he sends me an American Greeting card a week later giving me a poor excuse as to why he changed his mind. Keep in mind, the day before he had sent me an American Greeting card hoping my dog has a speedy recovery having getting his testicles cut out of his body. I have to admit, I have never had someone reject me renting their place with an American Greeting card. Now here I am, back to square one, imagining slamming my head into a bullseye as I get another three emails of “We don’t accept pets” into my inbox.

                It’s easy to talk about positivity when things seem to be going your way. Which is why I am talking about positivity now, because things are not going the way I want them to. Here is something to keep in mind, things are not going the way that I want them to, but things are going the way that they are supposed to be going. Even though I feel a bit overwhelmed with this seemingly impossible house hunting search, I know that the place I am supposed to rent out is out there and when I am supposed to move, on the exact date that the Universe allows, I will move. When times get hard, take a deep breath in and tell yourself, “Everything happens for a reason.” Maybe this whole moving process is taking longer because the Universe wants me to spend more time with my family. Maybe this moving process is taking longer because the apartment that I would feel the most comfortable in, hasn’t opened up yet. There are millions of possibilities as to why I haven’t found a place and even though this process is an emotional maelstrom of hope and disappointment, I know everything is happening exactly the way that it should.