Earth Day 2007

Dear GFP member and friend (When will you become a member?)

EARTH DAY FESTIVAL:

EARTH DAY coming up. Here in St. Augustine, we are celebrating on Saturday, August 21st.

Grandparents for Peace will share a table at the event with PPJ (People for Peace & Justice). From 10 to noon there will our usual 3rd Saturday rally at the Bridge of Lions. From 10 to 4 the EARTH DAY celebration, sponsored by the Natural Living Alliance, will take place at the Amphitheatre, back to back with the Old City Farmers Market. In this way we will be making the connection between our work of peace and justice and our love and respect for Earth and all her creation.

The following poem came to me from Johnny Zokovitch, who lives in Gainesville, and is the Communications Director for Pax Christi USA. It fits the EARTH DAY theme. It is a prayer of reverence for all creation, telling us that we are irrevocably part of the web of life.

"Spirit of Wisdom,
Bless us wih greater knowledge of'
and compassion for Mother Earth.
Fill us with love for all her sentient beings,
The holy ground on which we step,
The life-giving air we breathe,
The healing water to be shared
among plants and creatures alike,
And the finite resources that are gifts
Never to be taken for granted." Amen.

Go Green is the latest catchword. Global warning is the big issue. Thousands of Americans all across the country are gathering at meaningful, iconic places, calling for action on climate change. They will hike, bike, climb, walk, swim, kayak, canoe or simply sit or stand with banners:"Reduce your carbon footprint"; "Contact Congress to cut CO2"; "Sign the Petition to Cut Emissions"; "Stop Global Warming".

I hope each one of us is planning to celebrate EARTH DAY. I hope we make the effort to use less, give more, and take responsibility for the stewardship of all creation. I hope we realize that we must make some sacrifices in our way of life in order to protect the life of the world that comes after us: our children, their children, and all living beings.

MUSIC FESTIVAL:

The first weekend in May brings a host of musicians from all over the nation to St. Augustine, to take part in the traditional Gamble Rogers Music Festival. Several GFP members will share shifts with me at the T-shirt table.


STUDENT PROTEST!

The hot story of the week is the Flagler College student protest against censorship of their newspaper which carries an article about an attempt to start a club on campus exclusively for gays and lesbians. I'll keep you posted as to how this plays out.

Funding the war, the surge, deployment, Walter Reed hospital scandal, increased violence, more corruption, more homeless, more poverty - oh, there are so many things wrong with our society.
We can only do what we can do, each in our own way. Together, we make a difference.

Happy EARTH DAY!

Peg