Elder’s Meditation of the Day – September 12
“If you get troubled, go and sit by the river. The flowing water will take your troubles away.”
–Joe Coyhis, STOCKBRIDGE-MUNSEE
Sometimes we get mixed up and we don’t know what to do. Go to the river or creek. Take your sage and tobacco; sit and be still. Talk to the water, offer tobacco and the healing water will take your problems downstream. Give thanks.
Great Spirit, heal my mind today, let me see love.

Okay, this entry is a little off the wall, actually it’s more on the wall, literally. Hope you can understand where I am coming from in this entry. Yeah it’s a political rant. I wrote this Thursday night while waiting for the soldiers to come to work Friday morning, I feel safe surrounded by the 101st Airborne on Thursday nights at Ft Campbell, I sleep well.

“KILL ALL ELLEGAL ALIANS AND TERROREST”

This message was scrawled across the wall on a public restroom I used today in Wytheville, VA. I didn’t correct the spelling. The first thought that came to my mind was ‘only if we can make it retroactive to 1492.’ I can just picture the man who wrote this in my mind. I won’t go into my description. It’s easy to stereotype what I think this man would look like, all to easy . . . We see pictures nightly on the news of immigration protestors and “Minutemen” protecting the border from the hoards of illegal people crossing daily. People who think this way scare me, for two reasons. First because they clearly don’t understand American History and the acts of terrorism committed against the indigenous peoples inhabiting this land before Columbus “discovered” it. Probably never realize’s as well that Thanksgiving Day was actually consecrated to celebrate the slaughter of Native Americans. Secondly, the obvious command of the English language they hold. Is it possible for someone to actually graduate High School in the United States and still be illiterate? Unfortunately yes. The only difference in my eyes between a Native American and a Mexican? A line someone drew in the dirt. We are all equal people in the image of our Creator. Maybe it’s time we started to act like it.

Later as I was eating breakfast I got into a discussion with some others while watching the news of Israel and it’s war with Hezballah. Then it turned to a discussion of non-combative verses combative. Who are they, where is the line drawn. Are the combative people only the ones carrying the loaded guns? The ones with their finger on the button?

What about people like me, people who are in direct support of the US Military. If someone wasn’t doing my job, the 101st Airborne wouldn’t be able to do their job in Iraq because of the lack of products they need to replace or repair their equipment. Am I then a combative person? What about my Grandmother, who installed radar equipment on submarines during WWII? That lead to the death of Japanese and German people, some ‘civilians‘ on cargo ships. Is she a combative or non-combative. What about the ladies in Kansas City who built the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, what are they?

Maybe the children, women or elderly? All through history children, women and the elderly have held roles of direct support of the military or even carrying weapons into battle. Our own Civil War, The Germans in WWII used both children and elderly. The Vietnamese used women, children, elderly in their war with the United States. Throughout history we see this happening yet we are shock it continues today.

What about farmers, they grow foods which when purchased are used to feed our military. The factory workers who manufacture the products the military requires. The people who manufacture the products the people who manufacturer items for the military need to live their lives. Or the counter help at Dairy Queen who sold a ice cream cone to a soldier once. The Cashiers at Wal-Mart or any other store where a Military member might shop. What about them?

Who are the Non-Combative? I think Plato said it best, “Only the dead have seen the end of war.” In one way or another we are all responsible for the current status of our planet, even if it’s just through the vote we cast to elect someone into a public service office. Or the back we turn to the injustice. We shall all stand before our Creator and be found guilty. In my eyes we are all combative I our own small way.

So much for Peace, TWC