Usually i don't get very political here. I'm not a very political person. I mean i vote, and i have views, but i don't often feel the need to share them with others because i trust that everyone has the ability to read and hear the same news as i do and form their own opinions. However, i was disturbed last night to receive a backlash email that was a "reply all" style of response to an email a friend of mine had sent out the day before. Suddenly i found myself reading a seriously personal bias from someone i didn't even know that seemed to take facts like 2 & 2 and made them equal 5. It scares me that there are people that hungry for war against Iraq. The line linking Bin Laden to Saddam seems frail to nonexistent for me.

However, i read an article today about Gaza that reminds me of an article i read on Sept 10, 2001. I remember clearly saying to my travel partner that day "You know there many countries out there who truly hate us for standing back and letting this happen. Someday soon they will retaliate." I didn't know how earily right i was until the next day. Yet, while the Gaza strip continues to be an all out war zone of terrorism, our government is focused on bringing down the leader of a currently stable country (in comparison). And, our president says that we don't need the support of other nations. So...how does this stop us from being the target of terrorist attacks? Now, bombing Iraq is a lot cleaner looking in terms of "winning a war" than getting involved in the real issues of the region, but what will it solve? At the end of WWII Israel was created to allow the persecuted of that war to return to their homeland. Unfortunately, the region wasn't exactly "empty."

It would be like telling the Cherokee that after having suffered years of persecution they can return to their homeland and most of North Carolina now is the country of Cherokee. They may truly deserve it, but what do you do with all the North Carolinians whose families have lived there for generations? They would probably fight back, and the Cherokee being defensive of the homeland they had already lost once would probably do everything in their power to quelch that rebellion. Meanwhile the US government ignores it and attacks California for continuing to grow and use drugs that are banned by the federal government.

Okay, maybe it's not quite the same, but it's the closest analogy i can come up with for the moment. Granted i know that there are details i am unaware of in this matter. I also know that politics, religion, economics, and power struggles mix into a rather volatile cocktail. I don't see an easy way out. I don't see a clean and decisive victory for anyone in this matter. Sick as it may sound, i fear that 9/11 was a teaser to incite our military to make a decisive move that will prove we are the "big bully" of the world and send the dogs of war nipping at our heels to bring us down.

Please, pray for peace. Pray for unconditional love and understanding. Resolve in your own heart to battle fear with love.~w

Usually i don't post from work...but, someone handed me this article about a man who was arrested at a mall for wearing a "Give Peace a Chance" t-shirt and it stunned me enough to share it. ~w

Oversleeping doesn't help get everything done. I must remedy that soon.~w

If i think about everything to be done i get a little overwhelmed. I'm still running late taking one moment at a time. I suppose i need to speed up the tempo a little if i'm going to accomplish everything. I have a sword fight to learn, a house to pack, a residency to do, and two side projects for friends to complete in addition to my regularly scheduled programming. The good thing is there will be absolutely no time for me to be bored.~w

I am not dead, but needed a day off and found myself sans computer for 48 hours. It's a good thing when surrounded by six amazing musicians with all their toys on a gorgeous spring day in the mountains. Woods were hiked, chicken was bbq, firewood was chopped and a fire was built, and then we just made music until we couldn't stay awake any longer.

Today, i received news that the wonderful retreat where all this happened is on it's way to becoming mine at the end of this month. ~w

I'm off to fight practice and must fly.~w