Historian, author, editor, educator Remy Benoit's ongoing weblog for Veterans, writers, students, others who believe in learning from and making history. Thousands of articles and posts and a free writing seminar, Using History for Healing and Writing.
—"The best works by living writers on the heart of New Orleans." Miz' Remy is the author of Annie.
Hello again! I am recovering well from my heart attack and it is good to be back at work here.
I sent this editorial out to 5 large newspapers because here in Louisiana we are horrified by the oil spill and the ineffective methods of dealing with its destruction so reminiscent of our post-Katrina world. Using garbage to stop it? Please,no.
Thus, please consider this an open letter to all. This is a national crisis of major proportions and to fix it, to say NEVER AGAIN, we must work together. Your suggestions are most welcome here.
Blessings to all, and yes, it is good to be "home" here.
Miz' Remy
We have been given the great gift of life, the great gift of being caretakers of a beautiful planet. We are not living up to that responsibility.
I am about a two hour drive from the Gulf, planting an heirloom garden, putting out hundreds of earthworms to tend to the soil; letting loose hundreds of lady bugs; composting. And yet, just two hours from here we have an inferno blazing away, the worst yet to come, not just for us, but for the rest of the Gulf Coast, for the East Coast; and yet, like wars we start with no exit plan, there is no effective "exit plan" to deal with the horror generated in the Gulf that is devouring our wetlands, eating our wildlife, and changing life forever on this planet.
Changing life forever.
We know as humans that our lives are finite; we don't seem to know that our finite lives have a responsibility to leave behind a healthy planet for at least the proverbial seven generations.
Any corporation that does not accept its responsibility for those seven generations must be educated, even if that means the responsibility devours their checkbooks and balance sheets. The caps law is unacceptable; those who voted for it are unacceptable; those who lobbied for it are unacceptable.
Oily shrimp, closed fishing grounds, dying wetlands and dying wildlife are unacceptable.
What exactly does it take for our legislators, for our corporations to GET IT?
We are caretakers of this small blue planet. Those who generated this horror need to accept full responsibility no matter what it takes, even if it takes all they have in their vaults. This oil is taking all we have. GET IT?
Those of us who live safely removed(we assume) from such calamities may choose to live our lives as if what is happening hundreds or thousands of miles away has little importance to us. We would be dead wrong. Remy Benoit's passionate appeal for reason, responsibility and accountability must be headed. Our self serving politicians might just want to see how it feels to do the right thing for the American people and the resources we so cherish. We can only hope! Let's sit down around the kitchen table with a family which has been devastated; such an acutely personal tragedy can be understood by anyone. This mess is not about stockholder value or profit and loss speadsheats. This is human suffering and we cannot allow our neighbors to bear this alone.
Posted by: Christopher Gaynor, at 2010-05-20 03:38:38
This item is part of WelcomeHomeSoldier.com: historian, author, editor, and educator Remy Benoit's ongoing weblog for Veterans, writers, students, and others who believe in learning from and making history; including thousands of articles and posts and the free writing seminar, Using History for Healing and Writing.
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Both Sides of the Wall: Reflections of the West Point Class of 1968 (Edited by Remy Benoit).
Read Jerry Wenstrom's review of Loving.
Rhea and Jordan Devereaux had it all: undying devotion, a tender love, and a grand passion. And then the Vietnam War separated them. Follow the course of their love across time and space. Journey with them through the steaming jungle; dance with the Mardi Gras revelers while revolution unseats Louis XVI and protestors on the Washington Mall scream, Hell, NO. We won't Go. Sail with Laffite's pirates into Devil's Isle and rejoice as an unconditional and timeless love emerges victorious.
Purchase a signed first edition of Loving for $20 including S&H:
