A new Olive Trees, issue 52 – Solitary Revolutions is being published his week and if you are on the mailing list should be in your mailbox shortly. If you are not please send your address to:
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It’s been a long time coming. The following is the editorial for this issue. I hope you enjoy it
The cartoon on page 2 reminded me about how I felt regarding the NYS Safe Act. When it was first passed I considered it a knee jerk reaction to a horrible tragedy for political purposes only. This doesn’t mean I think assault weapons are needed to hunt or regard an unlimited magazine of ammunition necessary for hunters to kill his or her prey. I do not hunt nor do I eat meat except when served in the homes of others, but I do recognize the rights of others to kill animals for food. In fact, I feel individuals who eat meat should at least experience the whole process in order to obtain reverence for its source.
I do not blame people for being angry about the possible loss of what they feel is a Constitutional Right. It seems the government’s role has changed from providing services to the regulation of our lives. Our present model of government, the two party system, has actually become two heads of the same global corporate beast. They are the ones who install people into power that will produce for them the greatest profits, rather than serve the needs of we, the people.
I am aware there are some groups who advocate revolution. There are others who feel they will need to be armed in case civil disobedience erupts in this country as it has in others when things became economically unbalanced. And you can never have enough fire power in the case of a zombie outbreak. I can’t help but feel these scenarios will not happen here. Anyone who poses a threat to the current status quo (even zombies) with possible violence will be eliminated by the single-minded robots currently being created by our present educational system. There are many who have sworn an oath to die for their nation and mean it. Funny thing is, they are not even promised virgins if they die in battle. Even if any of these adversaries prove stubborn, there are always drones at their disposal. Eventually heat sensors will locate the enemy and they will be toast. I am sure during a confrontation there may be some casualties to government forces, but sooner or later the movement will be quelled by whatever means necessary. Even the Occupation Movement, a non-violent approach to wealth equalization, was silenced by a massive propaganda machine.
When I was in school they promised us that we could work within the system to promote change. So far it hasn’t really happened. Oh things are somewhat better on the surface. Racism still exists, although not as blatant. One has to only look toward the ratio of people of color in our prison systems as a glaring example. There is still a glass ceiling regarding the advancement of women with a few token exceptions and females are still treated as commodities in some circles. Environmental laws have been passed, but ‘big energy’ still controls the agenda. In most elections we are given the choice between the lesser of two evils or no opponent at all with the majority of them beholding to the corporate pocketbook. The rich get rich, the poor get poorer and the middle class gets it stuck up there… Is there something we can do to throw a monkey wrench into the machine before it grinds us into oblivion? I believe there is. I have been a Green (legitimate third party) for a number of years. I ask all of you that are eligible to vote, to register and vote third party candidates, when ever they are available. And if you can’t vote please tell your family and friends who can to register and do so. Let’s at least send a message that it’s time for a real change. After all, we, the people are the majority, not professional politicians. ~ Ron