State of the Union

Here's a snipet from an article I found on a major news network.

WINONA, Minnesota - A woman wants abuse charges filed against an acquaintance who was pet-sitting for her potbellied pig and allowed the animal to get fat.
Michelle Schmitz said her pig, Alaina Templeton, weighed 50 pounds (22.7 kilograms) when Schmitz left her with a co-worker who offered to care for the animal in February, when Schmitz went on medical leave to recover from ankle surgeries.
Nine months later, the pig weighed 150 pounds (68 kilograms) and it took veterinarians 4 1/2 hours to surgically remove the animal's collar, the Winona Daily News reported. Officers are investigating whether Alaina was abused by the sitter's neglect and overfeeding.

Ok. I guess things aren't all that bad in our corner of the world. Are we really this detached from planet earth that this makes news. Here's a headline, "Giant Pig feeds starving community"

Don't get me wrong the idea that this animal had to suffer is wrong, and this person should be prosecuted. But how about the person who was dumb enough to employ this person to feed said piece of bacon. I am trying to remain detached as per my love of ham. Forgive me for belonging to PETA (People Eating Tasty Animals). Recovering from ankle surgeries? Hmmmmm. I wonder about those ankle surgeries.

As we speak People die. For causes. Just and unjust. Beliefs. Patriotism. Cruel misfortunes, all part of something way bigger than the pecan that rattles in between my ears impersonating a brain. Still we find time to mourn Bacon.

So I figure, we are either severally detached, greatly in denial, or largely stupid. Probably some mix of the three.

Is the world a worse place than ever before? Or is the media coverage better? Is anyone in politics not evil by definition? If not, can they survive?

We are on the thresh-hold, some would argue, over the threshold of very SERIOUS times. I don't know if anyone knows the Global state of this World. I know its hot were it shouldn't be, and that scares me. Polar bears swim more for fun than necessity at the Zoo. I can't speak for Alaska.

I know that every time an oil baron farts either here or in the middle east; gas prices go up. Still Exxon posts record profits. So who is suffering from the strife? Not Exxon. Which only leaves You and Me and our big HUMVEE'S. Hmmmmmmmmm. And people still wonder how to vote? Or if they should vote?

These are serious times. Kids go through metal detectors to get to class. They can't afford books. Books? We can't educate the kids to the problems, which becomes further moot, if they can't read. Are we ignorant just because? Is it learned? Genetic? I don't know, but I bet more people watch Professional Wrestling, with their kids, than many other programs. Hmmmmmm. I wonder? Ever day we lose more jobs, and more people suffer. Again. Who? When leaders at large corporations don't see that big bonus, do they say, "maybe next year"? Or does middle management take a downsizing hit to fleece another golden parachute.

The more I type, the further that pig goes out my locus of concern. As I sit here, grateful to have a job. Maybe even a skill, I wonder about the rest of us. Us being the planet. I wonder what if we could develop initiative to develop programs to help. To feed. To educate. Not necessarily kill. Or kill better. Or my favorite still, Kill Cleaner. What is a Dirty Bomb? If we can make a dirty bomb, or a clean bomb. Can't we feed kids.

Some people may read this and say, "listen to the liberal" "listen to Mr. pansy". I write this, and I don't feel too much like pussy. I feel frustration. Frustration at a system that has let people down. Good people. Bad people. People.

And as I write this. Bear in mind. I write this with the blood of those that came before me, so that I would have the freedom to write this.

In closing History may speak well or ill of the past and even the present. Still one thing remains unchanged and is self-evident. Greed is not a good cause, nor does it bear the fruit of good consequences.