Guns and Religion

People pray and sing hymns for the murdered children from December 14th. It's sad and also ironic that two of America's mightiest idols are god and guns.

We need to look to ourselves for answers. We're adults. There's no parent in the sky.
In any case, what good is religion when it doesn’t stand for an all-encompassing compassion, the most basic of ethical values? Faith certainly doesn't spare our innocents from harm.

And it’s time to stop defending gun ownership for the 'sport' of hunting. How is sneaking around in the woods with a gun looking for unsuspecting animals to murder even a sport, let alone a right? Our biggest obstacles to having a kinder, safer world are the serial killers in our forests. The ugly truth about guns is only discussed in relation to our own safety, and only when our own are killed. 

If we want our children to grow up to be good and decent people, or to grow up at all, we need to eradicate guns and and the 'sport' of killing from our culture, along with the idea that belief in god is necessarily righteous.

Running with Dogs

People don't always realize that when they run or bike with their dogs alongside, even young and/or healthy dogs are at risk for heart attacks. Their physiology requires them to do short sprints with frequent breaks, and they require more water than we do.

You can slow down or take a break when you're out of breath, or feel weak, but your dog will try to keep up with you at all costs, even if their lungs or hearts are telling them to stop, or if they're in need of water, and their distress isn't always obvious.
Also, where's the fun for them when they can't visit or play with other dogs on the trail, or just sniff stuff along the path?

Poem #1 - in memory of Marti Kheel

I really loved life though I did feel the anguish,
of sentient beings who sadly still languish,
mankind, people say, but I’m not so sure,
for our actions toward animals are too far from pure,
we take all we want with no thought to their needs,
to live and to thrive, free from our evil deeds

the pain all around could have paralyzed me
but instead it ensured that I couldn’t help see,
a voice for the mute was still missing, still needed,
that I could give mine to be heard, to be heeded,
could find answers and cures where it seemed there were none,
though at times I felt sure it would never be done

it's not in my nature to rest or sit tight
so I always felt sure that I had to set right,
a world too replete with venomous factions
with all of our arrogant, merciless actions,
determined to keep up our cruelty, our greed,
never seeing how unjust that the bound are not freed

I now know that I was more tired than I thought,
for if I could have I would have kept on, would have sought
to finish the job, to make people kind,
so sad that in fact so many stay blind
to the ugly mean truth that our species abuses,
that the power we wield means that everyone loses

the point of it all I still do not know,
but when it’s our time, we all have to go,
I did all I could to redirect might,
it’s time for all people to speak and to fight,
I now see no vitriol, I see no more blight
finally for me it’s all out of sight