By Margaret Wiltshire
Each Memorial Day we remember those who lived and loved who are no longer with us. We remember veterans of wars who could still be with us but are not. We remember all who have come and gone from our homes and our lives. In New Mexico we give this nod of respect, two or three times a year.
The Day of the Dead, ends the growing season as Memorial Day begins it. Then there is Veterans day. During these times we stay linked in our humanity. We are aware of our vulnerability.
Alert awareness or as some say today, being in the “Now” has always been the key to staying alive. Life can be lost by uncontrollable circumstances, true enough, but it’s success is mostly secured by being aware of one’s surroundings.
Water is life as we know it; it is mother’s milk to all living things. The conditions surrounding water are dangerous to ignore. Ignorance, stupidity is the opposite of alert awareness. To ignore is to be unaware by choice. This “vulnerability” is suicidal.
At the yearly meeting of the San Augustin Plains Water Coalition one candidate for land commissioner said that land commissioners aren’t really connected to water issues. Obviously this candidate knew little or nothing of water sheds. There he was just a few miles from the Continental Divide.
The Great Sahara was once a land of virgin forests and great grass lands. It became the massive life eating desert long before aquifers were even known about. Over grazing and bad farming stripped the land of the means to hold water. For hundreds and hundreds of years the wind blew sand against grasslands burying more and more of Africa. The aquifers were untouched.
At our house as in much of Magdalena we support the Water Coalition’s battle against the greed of multinationals. Too bad our state is not on our side. How can any candidate, any party say they care about New Mexico and not care about water issues?
State and federal candidates still want our support (for as long as we can live here).
Have you become “aware” as I have, that supporting political hopefuls is getting pretty ironic? “Of, By and For” the people is a dark joke. The parties want your donations to support rich candidates to get jobs in Washington, paid for by US, to accept lobbyist benefits and bail out multinationals.
Politics is a popularity contest for mere millionaires who wish to move from “Squire” (S. Pearce and H. Teague) to Lord. If Richardson can influence movie casting in New Mexico these, “Squires” would be well cast. They vary on style but neither would be out of place in 17th century England. Could we film that here?
Our rebels of independence KNEW the rich and powerful would take over our country unless we remained aware and alert.
Human nature hasn’t changed. The popularity of propaganda, advertisement has grown to cloak the real invasion and coup.
Richardson disappointed everyone because he became an indifferent despot and he worked for multinationals. Those running now may or may not become despots. They will work for multinationals, in your “best” interest of course.
Has any one said “water” is out biggest issue?
In Feudal times, the “kings” required the “lords” and “squires” to take care of the people. Sometimes they did and sometimes they didn’t. So a lot of people came to this land. “Kings” of industry (US Steel) doesn’t mean much today. Multinationals (especially the banks) decided we the people don’t “do” industry.
Multinational’s are the biggest empires in human history. They make the world’s weapons and now they rule space travel. They decide if you can grow a business or remodel, repair your house. They decide if you have food, air and water. They decide on the quality of those things.
If you are not “aware” of who is running this country then words like Supreme Court rulings and Gulf drilling, theory and practice, won’t mean much to you. Congress (not Obama) wrote a 2000 page bill on health care to keep Health Care Providers on the multinational level; and your family dependent.
Do you see the cattle on the plains east and west of Magdalena? Do you see the bare spots that have no grass at all? Soon, with our winds, you may not. In the east it’s called a white out, it’s snow, water. Here it is a brown out, it’s sand.
Grass cleans air and holds water, feed’s cattle. It’s vital.
Ask your dog what time it is. The answer is always NOW. Maybe WE can learn new tricks.
GRIZZ event, folk music at Bear Mountain Café, June 19th.
Mag. Arts weekend June 5th and 6th.
With air and water available, life gets interesting. Enjoy!
Write Wshireoldadobe@yahoo.com Margaret’s views do not necessarily represent those of the Mountain Mail.
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