Time to push back? Yes, past time. Earth Day 2024.

Y'know, I pray every single day for the safety of the people in places ranging from Ukraine to South Sudan, Gaza/the Middle East to Haiti, and I include all of us here in the US. The world is a pretty dangerous place, with self-serving, vicious people going full-throttle in order to achieve a new "world order" at the expense of the rest of us. I watch people grand-standing in front of cameras, spouting ignorance, hate, and lies --and it makes my heart hurt. We have bigger issues, as a human family, to confront. Many of those issues are human-created, everything from crippling income disparities to climate issues, overpopulation, starvation, and genocide. So much pain. What have we done, as a human community? We owe it to the next several generations --if we intend for them to have a home at all-- to stop the cycle of misery. 

I am just one person. There are actual laws that keep me from speaking what I believe in the classroom, but this tiny blog is one place I can vent my frustrations. I can vote, yes, and I do. Every single time. But many of these issues require more active involvement: cleaning up the planet, living with intention to not do harm, speaking civilly, working for positive change and sustainable outcomes. The age of humankind acting in exploitive ways has wrought irreparable damage-- at least, let's not cause more, right? 

There are others out there who think like I do, I'm sure of it. It's very seductive to cave in to a feeling of defeat. But what would be the result? Further planetary destruction, more human-caused pain and fear. I can't sit by passively and watch the gifts we've been given be wasted or accrued by a self-selected few. And they are few; it's time to serve notice to those who would cause further damage. They are not going to win. 

Earth Day is usually focused on the physical aspects of stewardship: picking up trash, working toward sustainability, "going green," and so on. I propose that this year, Earth Day is devoted to a wider principle: let's save the planet and humanity, as well. It's time we decided that we are worth it. Earth Day 2024 is this coming Monday, and I, for one, will be doing my part.

Here for the long-game,

C