Greenpeace and others have urged us to write letters about Japanese whaling. Here is a copy of the letter I sent to five newspapers today:
In our best version of ourselves, America has been a light to the
world. Can we now decide to take a different view of the oceans and the
inhabitants of the oceans? Can we become protectors and guardians for
these waters, the greatest source of life, the largest component in the
planetary web of life -- without which we humans cannot live. Let us
call for a stop to Japan's genocidal slaughter of whales. Only
questionable commerce motivates them. There are higher goals we all
must pursue at this critical time. Please ask President Obama to use
his highest level of persuasion to speak for us as caretakers of the
waters of life.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Needham Mass Decides to kill its beavers
The town of Needham MA decided to kill its beaver population because of the dam the beavers were building. It reminds me of a town in New Hampshire who made the same decision a few years ago. An official of that town said: "We have tried other things.They are very intelligent.You have to kill them."
I wrote to Needham and to the state parks commissioner:
"Dear Commissioner Sullivan -- In regard to Needham's decision to kill its beaver population,is it possible for those in the state office to suggest an alternative solution? Killing everything we decide is inconvenient hasn't worked so well for us human beings in the past. A new consciousness is forming that looks at the possibility of co-existence, a new thoughtfulness about the web of life in which we live -- that we still don't understand.
If we humans were as intelligent as we triumphantly tout ourselves to be we would find other ways to live with the beings who form as vital a part of this web as we do -- perhaps more so. I am ashamed of Needham's decision to murder rather than to think of other solutions for its "problem" with four-legged creatures who are simply trying to live. Such violence exists on a continuum that includes all the killing and destroying done by humanity in the present time and through most of its history. Has this kind of "problem-solving" really gotten any of us where we want to be?
Thank you for reading my comments. Very truly yours. "
I wrote to Needham and to the state parks commissioner:
"Dear Commissioner Sullivan -- In regard to Needham's decision to kill its beaver population,is it possible for those in the state office to suggest an alternative solution? Killing everything we decide is inconvenient hasn't worked so well for us human beings in the past. A new consciousness is forming that looks at the possibility of co-existence, a new thoughtfulness about the web of life in which we live -- that we still don't understand.
If we humans were as intelligent as we triumphantly tout ourselves to be we would find other ways to live with the beings who form as vital a part of this web as we do -- perhaps more so. I am ashamed of Needham's decision to murder rather than to think of other solutions for its "problem" with four-legged creatures who are simply trying to live. Such violence exists on a continuum that includes all the killing and destroying done by humanity in the present time and through most of its history. Has this kind of "problem-solving" really gotten any of us where we want to be?
Thank you for reading my comments. Very truly yours. "
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