The Importance of Selma the Movie

Let me start off by saying that I haven't seen Selma yet. I've seen some pretty extensive clips and listened to a number of in depth interviews with the director and a number of the actors. I believe I have a pretty good sense of the story. I do plan on seeing the movie as quickly as I have access.

Selma, the movie, is important for many reasons. First it was directed by a black woman, Ava DuVernay. That in itself is significant. But there's a lot more. History, as most people know, is really important. Especially when our children and grandchildren have fleeting memories of polaroid cameras, projectors, turntables and vinyl records. History is also important when we review and understand what is happening in cities across the US in response to policing in our communities and the perception or reality about how black people and people of color are treated by police.

In relation to the movie Selma, there are arguments and discussions going on about President Lyndon Johnson's role in encouraging and supporting the demonstrations in Selma in 1965. Revisionist history is always interesting. There is probably a kernel of truth at least to Johnson's understanding of the importance of the Selma confrontations, but I really doubt his manipulation of the events as some are projecting. No, the movie has its importance in some other critical areas rather then conjecture about Lyndon Johnson.

First, it is important for people to see and really understand what the voting rights struggle was truly about. For people to see Oprah Winfrey's character questioned and tested as she tried to register to vote is a critical piece of history that no one should forget as we travel down a new road to making voter registration more difficult in many states. This was the reality in 1965.

There is also the struggle between established civil rights leaders and younger more radicalized movement leaders. These same struggles go on today.

The other important item in the movie is the violence that was brought on people who were protesting these injustices. Sometimes it's easy to talk about or even easy to dismiss but seeing the violence played out, seeing people in authority committing these acts is important for movie goers to witness. The fear and the courage of protesters and movement leaders is important to watch, review and expierience.

Many times when I speak to groups about my own experiences in Selma in 1965, there are questions about the fear. Always the question "were you afraid?". The answer is always the same. I was very afraid. Scared to death as a matter of fact. I saw hatred I had never seen before and I saw violence just waiting to be thrust on me and others. The only thing that got me through those experiences was the solidarity with others who were being spat upon, arrested and beaten. That and a belief that we could protect each other. Outsiders like me, a white kid from the North, holding hands and hugging young, local blacks who had lived with the fear everyday of their lives. Naive? Probably but I made it.

So Selma, the movie, is important to see, feel and understand. Put it in context, but also understand that it's way too easy for us to get there again.

Here is a recent article that points to Selma's relevance - Why 'Selma' Is The Most Relevant Picture of The Year

Walking A Fine Line Along Seneca Lake

There are changes in strategy happening everyday as people who are defending Seneca Lake are facing off against a large corporation and the powers that be in Schuyler County. These strategies are changing on both sides. Legal issues are developing that could rise to the level of constitutional violations and challenges. As the arrest of protesters blockading gates at property owned by Crestwood Midstream continue, law enforcement officers from the local Sheriff's office and the Watkins Glen Police Department seem to be getting more aggressive. The NYS Police seem more matter of fact and perhaps understanding of protests. This can be seen in videos of the arrests. In addition, there have been pretty aggressive and confrontational  encounters by the Sheriff's deputies with the press and photo journalists documenting the protests and events. All of this, the protests, the arrests and the police actions are the result of Crestwood's plan to use unlined salt caverns for the storage of large amounts of LP Gas. The protesters for their part seem to be upping the ante by pulling together specific groups at ongoing arrests and protests -  one day educators and teachers, on another musicians and more recently Santa and his Elves.

As part of the strategy shifts, the County District Attorney, the Sheriff and the Town of Reading Court  seem to be skating on some thin ice and walking a fine line relative to constitutional issues regarding First and Sixth Amendment protections of those charged with trespass as well as the press and the public. Because a large crowd was showing up every Wednesday in support of the demonstrators, parking has been severely limited as the Sheriff is putting up temporary no parking signs along the roadway and closing off an adjacent parking area where protest supporters had been directed to park previously. In addition, the court last week actually tried to keep the public and the press out of the legal proceedings themselves. To me, it's almost inevitable that there will be legal challenges relative to some of the tactics being used by the Sheriff and the court. I'm not surprised. Challenges to the status quo through civil disobedience tend to cause reactive responses and that has certainly happened in this case.

There is an interesting piece written by Faith Meckley, one of the We Are Seneca Lake participants, that gives her perspective and report on recent proceedings at the Reading Town Court. I've placed a link to it here.

Also, on Christmas, Jesse McKinley, a reporter for the NYTimes, did a piece on this issue that basically presents the potential conflict between wineries and tourism and the infrastructure being developed for increased LP Gas storage on Seneca Lake. That article can be found here. It's all very interesting and it looks like things will continue for awhile.

Guns, Mental Health & Tragedy

Police tactics and policies relative to community policing as well as what seem to be weaknesses in the legal system are issues that continue to need discussion and people shouldn't be made to feel that having those discussions is an attack on the police or a cause of violence. But there's a lot more we should be discussing.

Isn't it interesting that there has been little discussion about guns, gun access and mental health since the shooting of the two NYPD officers this past weekend. We are two years out from the tragedy in Newtown, Ct and the death of so many innocents, children and teachers. There is something that ties these two events together if we can believe initial reports. Both seem to have involved young men with mental health issues and both involved guns.

Two things we should be discussing are mental health supports and guns it would seem. But instead the air waves are full of commentary about who's the victim, politicized statements about the mayor, the president, the police and the protesters. Some of the rhetoric borders on bizarre and some really sounds like hate speech. A real discussion though, about why guns keep appearing or why people don't get counseling and support when they need it is clearly missing.

The young man who shot the police officers had serious issues and they seemed to have been known by his family, acquaintances and the criminal justice system. There has been little mention of if or how he may have been involved with the mental health system. He also had a gun and traveled to NYC with it to do serious harm. Were there missed opportunities to help and/or stop him? We may never know but a discussion could help identify if that was possible or if interventions were possible. It seems those discussions would be more helpful then fingerprinting and name calling.

And finally, a black woman was the first victim of the NYPD shooter before he traveled to NYC. Where is the outrage for her. Her life matters.

All Lives Are Equally Important

Some people don't want to hear it or worse, they want to promote our differences. The killing of the two police officers in NYC recently, officers Liu and Ramos, is a real tragedy. So were the killings of Eric Garner and Michael Brown and so many others. What we must remember is that all lives are equally important. This isn't a competition to argue about or find out whose life matters more than another's. These are all tragedies. These are all symptoms of other things wrong with society. We should all grieve these deaths together.

There is and will probably continue to be some rhetoric that is mean spirited. Blaming the Mayor of the City of New York is stupid and irresponsible. Blaming protesters and demonstrators is also stupid and irresponsible. The voices of a very few who call for the killing of police officers is stupid and irresponsible. Perhaps all of these things can be understood in the heat of the moment but some of it is planned, provocative language with a hateful purpose.

Revenge is never justified and yet many condone it until the shoe is on the other foot. In a world of violence it's fairly easy to threaten and retaliate against others who we dislike or hate at the moment. Take your pick - arabs, muslims, jews, North Koreans, blacks, Cubans, hispanics, police officers.

Thousands of black and white people who are upset about the system that seemingly treated Eric Garner, Michael Brown and others unfairly will no doubt demonstrate to support and mourn the officers shot in NYC. They understand this is not where this controversy should end up - dead policeman and dead civilians. It would probably help to have police officials and officers also speak up about the Garner and Brown deaths. That's some of the conversation that's needed. Not rhetoric that divides. Union leadership, rank and file officers, demonstrators, news commentators, politicians, all need to take a deep breath.

In the end, all lives matter and we all ought to recognize that. Black lives matter and police officers lives matter. We are all equal in death.

My Cancer and Not Cancer Life

I have a feeling that what I say here is something that lots of people have experienced. It's basically about the ups and downs of battling cancer. I used to be bothered by that terminology - battling cancer, a courageous fight, etc. but I've become much more comfortable with the language since I'm in the fight.

My not cancer life is pretty normal, probably much like yours. Getting up in the morning, doing what needs to be done, planning the day, taking on everyday responsibilities and enjoying most of it. I watch the news, some entertainment in the evening and then hit the sack, starting all over the next day. There are great interactions with people along the way, family, friends, colleagues and just people I meet.

My cancer life is very different. It comes with triggers. They're pretty straight forward. A scheduled doctor's visit, a blood test, a bump, a pain, something different in my body that I can sense or feel. I think it makes sense. I think most people will react the same way but it's a struggle, a fight if you will.

Earlier this week I had a six month check up since my surgery for colon cancer this past June. This takes place every three months and it's part of my cancer life. It starts with a blood test a week or two prior to the appointment. There's always apprehension. Sometimes there's outright fear. It ends with the appointment itself and the doctor letting you know all is well relative to blood work and how you seem to be doing. There's a surge of joy and energy and relief. Thank God!

And that was my expierience this past week - blood test, doctor's appointment and a confirmation that everything's ok for another three months. Unless of course I have one of those odd pains or a new bump to contemplate. It is a fight. It is a battle. So if you know someone with cancer or if you hear those terms and feel they're odd or strange, I hope this helps you understand them a little better.

Now back to my not cancer life.

Eric Garner Case - Outrageous

Like many others I am frustrated, feeling angry as well as a bit hopeless about justice and fairness in America. At this point, many lack confidence in the system, responses by government officials and police organizations and their representatives. The Eric Garner incident and his death are clearly recorded with video plus audio. Most people viewing it recognize the problems - the escalation, one officer acting very aggressively, after the choke hold, his knee going to Garners head and neck.

If this factual record can't show probable cause and get an indictment, then body cameras are a complete waste of money. I'm also tired of hearing police defenders accuse anyone who raises a voice for justice implying that all of this is an attack on the police in general. It isn't. It's an attack on bad policing and bad cops. There are cultural issues and biases that exist. There are structural problems with prosecutions and internal reviews. There are problems with violation of policy. Defending these actions is outrageous and sickening. Police officers on the scene could have and I believe, should have intervened.

Black lives do matter. Eric Garner's, Michael Brown's, Tamir Rice's and Trayvon Martin's lives did matter. If we've learned anything, I hope we've all learned to speak up when we see injustice. We need to speak up if we see bad arrests happening. We have to speak up when any person is being treated badly.

I saw a post last night by a black junior in college. She expressed total hopelessness in a world, in her country, that seems to view her as worthless. How sad and how wrong.

Non Profits Need Ethics & Transparency Too

I've posted before about transparency in government, or sometimes the lack of it. Some of this got me thinking recently about how all of this impacts the non profit world. I've worked and sat on numerous boards of non profit organizations over the years and some are certainly better than others when it comes to transparency or sharing information.

I'm aware of one large non profit that insists on an executive session at just about every meeting, shooing people from their presence to conduct major discussions and big business behind closed doors. If anyone is critical, the answer is always the same. It goes something like, "We're not covered by the Open Meetings Law, or Freedom of Information Laws." There's also usually a variation about the inability to "trust" those in the audience with information. In this particular organization, there is not even an attempt to be transparent to donors, members or other related parties. There are other organizations who try to be transparent but many times they fall back on "executive sessions" at a moments notice if some threat, real or imagined, seems afoot.

Now technically these organizations are right. They usually aren't subject to Open Meetings legislation, at least not yet. Of course probably the best way to change that is to show constituents and then government that you need to be forced to be open and therefore subject to new or existing legislation. I suspect that will happen over time. They are also technically right about FOIL requests. On the other hand most documents, financial reports, etc. that non profits provide to government agencies are accessible through a FOIL request to the particular state agency so why make it so difficult.

Now really good non profits tend to try to model their meetings and their openness on state Open Meetings Laws even though they may not be subject to them. It's easy enough to do. Create rules and practices that most everyone understands and agrees with. Executive sessions can and should be held around personnel issues, real estate transactions, litigation and a few other confidential areas. Conflicts will arise but at least there is and can be an attempt at openness and transparency. In addition, an organization that operates like this will be much better prepared for the day when these practices are mandated by government.

I mentioned trust early on. Many organizations are quick to point out that they can't trust people with information or discussions that go on in their meetings. It's my opinion that this just continues a vicious cycle of mistrust among all of the players. When people hear that people think they can't be trusted, they tend to mistrust the parties even more and so on and so forth. Trust is something that needs to be built over periods of time. When people in power use their power to control and withhold information from other people, especially stakeholders, relationships fail. It's just natural. So openness, supportive relationships and sharing of ideas, although sometimes difficult, can work miracles relative to building partnerships and trust.

The bottom line is that we can't just always point our fingers at government for not being open. The private sector of non profits has big responsibilities in this area too. A great resource for good governance practices can be found at the Independent Sector's Website. Non profits and their board members would be well served by reviewing these materials and discussing open business practices.

The Burden of Skin Color & Bias

I've often thought about the lottery of life and how it affects billions of people, in the past, now and in the future. Poverty, economic status, war, peace, starvation, health, illness, life and death. Trying to figure it out is pretty useless, but understanding that it is out there is a critical part of knowing how and why people sometimes act the way they do, or in knowing how to respond as well.

I wish I could say it were different, but the fact is, most white people just don't get the issues revolving around Ferguson, Missouri. Mainly because we just don't understand or experience the kind of injustice that black communities live with every day. The killing and imprisonment of young black men is a statistical fact. Eventually information and statistics like this have a devastating effect on people of color. As justice is pursued when these things occur, black communities see responses from a system that have to make them believe everything is rigged.

If anything, Ferguson should help some of us try to unravel the problems of the burden of skin color and bias in America. To be sure, I'm writing this as a white man who came up through experiences in the civil rights movement of the 60's and the Vietnam era anti-war movement.

Sadly, Ferguson and the death of Michael Brown have similarities to that time period. The similarities are in the burden and the bias. But there are many differences. Fifty years later, some people were niave enough to think that change had been accomplished. Some things have changed, but the reality of being young and black remains. The reality of being black in and of itself remains.

The language that we've heard in the past week is the language of bias and it helps in understanding how deep it is settled within the white culture of America. We've heard words like "it", "bulking up", "Hulk Hogan", "demon" when referencing Michael Brown. The images of wild, young, black men menacing the white culture as we know it, are there. There are other words and images of black men & women, code words if you will. They conjure up fears or conquests and power struggles. They are bad and yet many in the white community see nothing wrong with them.

You can hear it in conversations whites are having among themselves. "What are they doing burning up their own neighborhoods, their own businesses?" "Riots never solve anything." And so it goes. No understanding of hopelessness or of the odds that are pitted against someone growing up black in America. No understanding of mistreatment by traditional authority figures or bosses or banks or people in the street. Seemingly no real understanding that the criminal justice system is totally biased relative to blacks in particular but also bad for all of us.

What's happening is much bigger than Ferguson though. What's happening is about economics and low wage workers.Young people and older people believe the system is rigged and unfair. More and more people believe justice is hard to come by. This is about the environment, criminal justice, exploitation, fear and a world that seems more and more broken. We are watching a revolution with young leaders who are rightfully angry and frustrated.

Everyday there are new examples of over zealous policing and bad policy relative to economics and fairness. Watch the video of Tamir Rice, the 12 tear old Cleveland youth, shot by police in a few seconds for wielding a toy weapon. And remember Trayvon Martin. I have faith in new leaders who are trying to let people know how serious these issues are for all of us. We need to listen and act. Help eliminate the burden of skin color and bias in any way you can.

The Crappy Mom Manisesto

Again, I've decided to reprint below, Sandra Steingraber's latest Letter from the Chemung County Jail, where she's serving a 15 day sentence for blocking the driveway at the Crestwood facility in the Town of Reading north of Watkins Glen, protesting the storage of methane and LP gas in salt caverns around Seneca Lake. The letter was recently published in EcoWatch and has been made available through social media. I think Sandra's writing is helpful relative to environmental issues as well as issues related to families, human relationships and the struggles we all go through. - The Gadfly

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The Crappy Mom Manifesto

11/24/14

Last month extreme fossil fuel extraction and I were both recipients of an accusatory outburst by my 13-year-old.

“I hate fracking!” he said, half yelling, half sobbing. “Fracking turns you into a crappy mom!”

And he is right. Because of my ongoing efforts to halt both fracking and fracking’s metastasizing infrastructure from invading New York State, I have not chaperoned a school trip in three years. I missed Elijah’s opening-night star turn in Romeo and Juliet. I did not attend the high school girls’ cross country state championship, in which his sister competed. In fact, I missed all the races of the whole season, and, as such, am the only parent of a varsity runner who can make that claim. I know that because my 16-year-old periodically reminds me of my exceptionalism on this front.

Filling the jails with mothers as a kind of collective SOS signal is only one tool among many in building a climate change movement.

I seldom help with homework. I sometimes pull all-nighters in order to finish up fracking-related writing projects and am barely functional while scrambling eggs for breakfast. This is also my excuse for why I signed a permission slip for my son to travel to a concert performance as a member of the school chorus, not noticing that the date conflicted with the opening night of the play—the one I wasn’t going to be attending due to a fracking-related lecture—and so brought the wrath and annoyance of the middle school music teacher down upon our heads.

And when my daughter called to say that she needed to stay after school to make up a chemistry test and could I please arrange a ride for her, I was at that exact moment staring at a line of blue and red flashing lights screaming toward me and a group of fellow civil disobedients standing on a blockade line.

“Honey, I’ll do the best I can, but we’ve got arrests going on here.”

It’s hard to dial a cell phone when your hands are cuffed behind your back.

It’s even harder when you’re in jail without a cell phone. Which is where I am now. I’m inmate number 20140190 of cell block 5C in the Chemung County Jail. Happily, I’ll be out in time for Thanksgiving—although through no good planning on my part. As near as I can see, jails are short staffed and don’t like doing releases on holidays. But I don’t know for sure. Explanations are short to come by here. I do know that, because no higher-rung members of the jail administration work on weekends, I won’t be released from keep-lock until Monday even though my TB test was verified as negative on Saturday. Ergo, except for daily showers, I am confined to my cell. I haven’t talked to my kids in two days.

Let’s go back to that half-hearted and basically crappy promise, “I’ll do the best I can,” as delivered to my daughter by her mother, who was overseeing an unlawful action (trespassing) at the time. I’ll do the best I can (along with the equally crappy, I’ll try) basically functions as a pre-excuse for failure to see something through. It was Winston Churchill who said—and I’ll have to paraphrase here as I don’t have access to Google—Don’t do your best. Do what’s required.

It would be easy to say that results-oriented Churchillian determination is the approach I take, as a biologist, when confronting fossil fuel extremism (and its greatest enabler, fracking), while good-intentioned half-measures are what I dole out, as a mother, at home. But that’s not exactly right. Instead, it’s precisely because I have access to the peer-reviewed literature, as a biologist, that I have come to understand climate change as a mass murderer that has my children in its sights. (And fracking is its toxic, thuggish, water-destroying accomplice). I’m informed by the data; I’m animated by a mother’s love.

And here in cell 3, I’m doing what’s required so that my kids have a future. Above all else, my job as their mother is to provide them that.

I am not the only mother whose priorities are thus aligned. I was arrested, side by side, with two other mothers, Mariah Plumlee and Stephanie Redmond, who have three young children apiece. At her own sentencing, Plumlee said, “I’m really sad and angry to be here. I don’t like to break the rules; I usually try to follow them. But I also have principles and children,” said Redmond. “I have children, and the laws of motherhood supersede the laws bought and paid for by large corporations.”

I fully believe that Mariah, Stephanie and I are on the leading edge of an emergent social movement that will only grow in numbers and intensity as the dire urgency of the climate change emergency (and fracking, its obscene, clanging bell) becomes evermore apparent. In the meantime, we mothers who are already fighting on the frontlines—with our whole hearts, all of our spare cash and as much time away from our kids, spouses and jobs as we dare offer—inhabit two parallel worlds. When we rush back from the rally, the press conference, the public hearing, the arraignment, in order to attend the soccer game, the Halloween party, the holiday concert, the parent-teacher conference, we listen to other moms talk about bake sales, home improvement projects, vacation plans and college admission criteria. (Oh, and maybe the crazy weather we’ve been having that threatens to close the roads and cancel the game). Some of us are on wartime footing. Some of us don’t yet know there is a war going on.

There are a number of reinforcing reasons for what I call climate helplessness—we’re mostly beyond climate denial at this point—and they begin with the capitulation, corroboration and appeasement of both the mainstream environmental community and the federal government toward the oil and gas industry. Less Winston Churchill, more Neville Chamberlain. None of the Obama Administration’s proposals—including the Clean Power Plan—hold any hope of mounting a challenge serious enough to solve the problem in the unextendable time frame that remains to us. Meanwhile, those in the scientific community who are valiantly bringing forth data and attempting to describe our emergency situation to the public use terms like “planetary tipping points” and “existential threats.” They could say “loss of pollination systems resulting in widespread hunger, a phenomenon that is already underway” and “threats to the existence of your children and grandchildren,” which might focus the picture more clearly.

Filling the jails with mothers as a kind of collective SOS signal is only one tool among many in building a climate change movement as powerful as women’s suffrage (Susan B. Anthony was arrested for the act of voting in a presidential election on November 18, 1872) or the Civil Rights Movement (Martin Luther King, Jr. had many small children at home during his several sojourns in county jails). But jail time has several important, value-added relevancies. One is that the enforced extended separation from the natural world serves as a potent reminder of everything we depend upon the world to do for us. Five days without clouds, sky, stars, leaves, birdsong, wind, sunlight and fresh food has left me homesick to the point of grief. I now inhabit an ugly, diminished place devoid of life and beauty—and this is exactly the kind of harsh, ravaged world I do not want my children to inhabit.

And the other is that jail teaches you how to stand up and fight inside of desperate circumstances. This morning we said goodbye to Casey (not her real name) who was headed to court to face charges related to drug addiction. Which itself is related to a childhood filled with sexual abuse—the memories of which were retriggered when her own seven-year-old daughter was raped. We all urged, as we wished her well: Keep fighting. You can’t give up on life.

Inside cell 3, I have a dream: an environmental movement full of crappy moms who do what’s required and refuse to give up on life.

Having It Both Ways Is Tough

Recently there's been a lot of discussion about outsiders/protesters getting involved in issues that have an impact on the area near where I live. It's an interesting discussion for a couple of reasons. Seneca Lake, the Finger Lakes Region and Watkins Glen are in fact tourist areas that sell themselves to tourists (outsiders). The sell is obviously for business purposes. Tourists and tourism bring dollars to the area. Many businesses depend on these transactions and the tax revenue also impacts services and reduces pressure on property taxes. But there's another side to the business transaction. Tourists, visitors, customers sometimes come with different perspectives, different values and perhaps new and different ideas. It's really no different then other economic development transactions. Outside companies come to an area with their ideas of quality of life, development, etc. Sometimes welcome, sometimes not.

Ideas from visitors, neighbors or developers can be similar to ones generally held in a community but sometimes they clash. It can be good for everyone, or it can be horrible, but it is a natural process of growth. What attracts tourists to a place - the beauty, the quiet, the ambience, are sometimes lost as more people discover a particular community or region. But every new person brings the potential of new ideas and that's not bad. These people create diversity of thought, talent, cultures and experiences along with their sought after dollars. In the end some of them stay because they're seeking something the area has to offer. As in many communities they will be known as outsiders by natives for 30+ years. Who decides who an outsider is or where the boundaries lie can also be a puzzle. Is someone from Watkins Glen an outsider in the town of Reading or somewhere else on the shores of a lake that has 70 miles of shore line? Is it based on mileage or years spent in a region?

In my view you just can't have it both ways. You can't promote your area as the mecca where everyone should come to spend their dollars and then be upset because these 'outsiders' have different views, looks, values and ideas.

I believe the use of the term outsiders is in itself divisive. Telling people they're not part of your community is the last thing a tourist community should want to do. Somehow there has to be a line of communication built on tolerance and respect that helps people find and build on common beliefs rather then differences.

The current discussion has also identified the old concept of the silent majority vs a vocal minority. Personally I don't think it really leads anywhere. The reality is that discussion also creates some false barriers. It seems what people always want is for their side to become more vocal and it all becomes a circular argument.

The discussion about Methane and LPGas being stored in salt caverns around Seneca Lake should really be more fact based rather then an emotional one about where someone lives. It's a valid discussion for anyone living in or near the area, anyone depending on the lake for water or recreational uses, or for people truly worried about environmental issues. Some people feel they've had that fact based discussion with all of the public officials they can and it has fallen on deaf ears. They are resorting to a form of protest that many dislike but one that has a long history in our country and throughout the world. Non-violent, civil disobedience has always had a role in our society and probably always will. You can dislike it, disagree with it or bemoan it but it has accomplished many things in the past. That's the other thing about not being able to have it both ways - you break the law and you pay the consequences and it doesn't matter if you're an outsider or an insider. People start thinking and discussing and that's the point.

Why I Am In Jail - Sandra Steingraber

The following letter was written on Friday, Nov. 21, 2014 by Sandra Steingraber. It was published today by EcoWatch. Steingraber certainly understands the principles of non-violence and civil disobedience. But she understands a lot more and it comes through in her writing. I've decided to just publish her letter with no other commentary - The Gadfly

Breakfast in the Chemung County Jail is served at 5 a.m. This morning—Friday, November 21, 2014—it was Cheerios and milk plus two slaps of universally-despised “breakfast cake.” Along with trays of food—which are passed through the bars—arrive the morning rounds of meds for the inmates who take them. Now comes my favorite time of day in jail—the two quiet hours between breakfast and 7 a.m. before the television clicks on and we are ordered to make our beds and the loud day begins. Between the end of breakfast and 7 a.m., most women go back to sleep. Now I can hear only the sounds of their breathing—different rhythms all—and, on the far side of the steel door—the occasional voices of the C.O.s (correction officers, a.k.a. the guards) and the walkie-talkie orders they themselves are receiving.

Sandra Steingraber wrote this letter for EcoWatch from the Chemung County Jail this morning to share with our readers and beyond.

Meanwhile, my bed is already made and I have repurposed my small laundry basket—by flipping it upside down—into a table on which I am writing. And because I am a writer who is writing, I am happy.

I am also happy because I know that, by writing, I am fulfilling a promise to Ashley (not her real name) who brought me last night a sharpened pencil and a stack of inmate medical request forms to use as writing paper. After hearing my story—narrated through the bars of my cell as I am being kept in “keeplock” until the results of my TB screening come back—Ashley said, “I know about you Seneca Lake protesters. I read about that. But only once. You have to keep fighting. You have to write to the newspaper. You can do that from here, you know. You can’t just sit in your cell for 14 days and do nothing. You have to fight.” And then she ran off and found me paper.

Sitting on a stool outside my cell—which is welded to the far row of bars—Ashley freely dispensed advice last night for the We Are Seneca Lake movement. “Don’t give up. Keep writing the newspapers. They are always looking for stories.” She added, “I may be only 21, but I’m wise about some things.”

Here’s Ashley’s story: She was arrested two years ago—at age 19—for stealing a pumpkin. She is jailed now for violating probation. She has three kids—ages 6, 4 and 2—who are staying with her foster mother in Allegany County until she serves her time. She’ll be out the day after Christmas. Meanwhile, she’s studying for her GED and laying plans to go to college.

Half the women in my cell block are here for probation violation. One thing they all agree on: It’s almost impossible to be a single mother in search of housing and a job, both of which require mobility, and comply with probation rules, which restrict mobility. Better to do the time and then make a fresh start.

I get that. And it’s a logic that runs parallel to my own. I have come to believe that a successful civil disobedience campaign likewise depends on the willingness of at least some of us to gladly accept jail time over other kinds of sentences, such as paying fines.

There are four reasons for this. First, it shows respect for the law. In my case, I was arrested for trespassing on the driveway of a Texas-based energy company that has the sole intention of turning the crumbling salt mines underneath the hillside into massive gas tanks for the highly-pressurized products of fracking: methane, propane and butane. (The part of the plan involving methane storage has already been approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission). Even before the infrastructure for this gas storage is built, Crestwood Midstream has polluted the lake with salt, at levels that exceed its legal limits. Crestwood’s response is to pay a fine and keep polluting. By contrast, I refuse to pay a fine to excuse my crime and so accepted the lawful consequences of my actions.

Second, extending one’s civil disobedience testimony in jail shows seriousness of intent. Four of the 17 civil disobedients who have so far been arraigned as part of the We Are Seneca Lake campaign have chosen jail instead of fines: 75-year-old Dwain Wilder, a veteran of the Navy who was incarcerated for Veteran’s Day; 86-year-old Roland Micklem, a Quaker, who is now incarcerated in the Schuyler County Jail [Roland Micklem was released yesterday due to health concern]; 58-year-old Colleen Boland, a retired Air Force sergeant who served in the White House; and me (I’m a 55-year-old biologist and author).

Colleen occupies the cell next to mine. We talk through the wall. Colleen, Roland and I are on track to find out what they serve prisoners for Thanksgiving dinner.

By our willing separation from our families, by our sacrifice and consent to suffer, by our very absence, we are saying that we object in the strongest terms to the transformation of our beloved Finger Lakes community into a hub for fracking. We object to the occupation of our lakeshore by a Houston-based corporation that seeks to further build out fossil-fuel infrastructure in a time of climate emergency, and in so doing, imperils a source of drinking water for 100,000 people.

Third, by filling the jails with mothers, elders and veterans, we peacefully provoke a crisis that cannot be ignored by media or political leaders. Of course, civil disobedience is always a method of last recourse, deployed when all other methods of addressing a grievance have been exhausted. We have turned over all stones. We have submitted comments, written letters, offered testimony, filed Freedom of Information requests for secret documents—only to see our legitimate concerns brushed aside. Our incarceration shows that the regulatory system is broken. So far, in the Seneca Lake campaign, there have been 59 arrests, and a majority of those have yet to be sentenced. There will be more of us in jail before the year is out.

And the fourth reason is this: spending time in jail is a time of personal transformation. Alone with a pencil, some inmate request forms for stationery, the Bible and your own thoughts, you discover that you are braver than you knew. You are doing time, and time offers the possibility of rededicating oneself to the necessary work ahead: dismantling the fossil fuel industry in the last 20 years left to us, before the climate crisis spins into unfixable, unending calamity.

Last night I learned how to create a tool for changing the channel on the television, which blares from the other side of two rows of bars. It involves twisting newspaper around a row of pencils and stiffening it with toothpaste.

Thus do the women of the Chemung County Jail—all mothers—exert agency over the circumstances of their lives and defy the status quo. That’s a skill set we all need. As Ashley scolded me last night, while passing a sharpened pencil through the bars, “You can’t just sit there for the next 14 days. Start fighting.”

Arrests At Crestwood Continue

Arrests are continuing at the Crestwood facility in the Town of Reading, where federal approval has been given for the Texas based company to construct the infrastructure to store LP Gas in abandoned salt caverns around and under Seneca Lake. I've written about that plan previously. This week arrests began on Monday morning Nov. 17th. Ten people were arrested for blocking the entrance to Crestwood off of Rt 14. Then again this morning, eight others blockaded two gates at about 7am and were arrested by 7:30. They join others who have been arrested over the past few weeks.

These are brave citizens in my opinion. They have worked tirelessly to educate themselves and others about the issue of Gas Storage in Reading. They have taken steps to communicate and request action with and from government officials. They've studied civil disobedience and understand its consequences and value. They are a mix of young and old.

Most recently they are being attacked for being outsiders and for putting the citizens of Schuyler County at risk and in danger by tying up police agencies and resources with their activities. These attacks are pretty typical arguments by people in power who try to discredit demonstrators. They are the same criticisms made in every case of public assembly to protest the status quo. When these attacks occur, they are usually prefaced or followed by statements supporting the first amendment and peoples' right to protest but........The but is always there - but others are being put in danger - but there are better ways to make your point - but what if everyone did this - but the law has to be upheld. There are many more buts and we'll most likely hear them while people explain their support of the first amendment, but.

Now to be clear, these Lake Defenders are doing more then expressing their first amendment rights. They are challenging the law. They are blocking access to private property. They are also prepared to take the consequences.

What about the fact that they're outsiders? Well, some are and some aren't but so what. Crestwood is an outsider. Tourists are outsiders. Companies being sought for economic development tend to be outsiders. None of this really matters in the world we live in today. We're all connected - sometimes in ways that are good and sometimes in very bad ways. But let's accept the fact that these are people who are concerned about water that impacts 100,000 plus people.

These folks are a danger to public safety? The argument goes something like this. Schuyler is a small, rural county. Its police agency is limited and when they are tied up with protests and arresting people, everyone else is at risk because they (the police) could not respond appropriately to an emergency. Police agencies have the responsibility to protect all citizens, including those protesting and expressing their displeasure with government. They have the responsibility to enforce the law. It seems pretty ludicrous though to say this fairly small group of protesters are endangering public safety when what they are protesting is the storage of volatile gas under an important source of clean and critical water. It's also ludicrous to believe these activities somehow are equal to the stress placed on police agencies when 90,000+ people attend the NASCAR event in Watkins Glen. There are also many festivals, events and just increased traffic related to tourism that places stress and/or danger on public safety. The reality though is that how those situations are dealt with are through proper management and cooperation with other police agencies.

These folks are breaking the law and they know it. At this point it's one of the only avenues that they have left to get the attention of government, the media and the public. They are willing to pay the consequences for their actions. You can read about them at their website We Are Seneca Lake. You may even be able to catch a live feed of their actions.

Clocks, Time & Time Changes

Normal Time has arrived and with it some struggles, thoughts and rest. Normal time is when we fall back an hour from Daylight Savings Time. I don't understand any of it. I'm supposed to feel better but I'm always lazy and tired when the change is made. No difference this year. Its been a few weeks but my body clock is out of step, messed up and confused like many of you I would guess. Supposedly I got an extra hour of sleep but then again, I stayed up later. Help!

All of this brings me to clocks and specifically, the clocks in my house. I grew up in a clock family. My father was infatuated with clocks. He collected them and had them ticking throughout his house. I'm not sure if this was a shared love between him and my mother or if she just put up with it. Perhaps he just put up with it but after her death became more attached to the things she loved. Whatever the case, they had every kind of clock and they have been distributed among his sons and daughters. There were mantel clocks, cuckoo clocks, grandfather clocks, 7 day, 30 day and school house clocks. They would tick, tick, tock, tock all over the place. A few would chime on the hour and others on the half or quarter hour. It was always a surprise, depending on where you were in the house, what you would hear and when you would hear it. Some of them would chime together, others would go off on their own schedule within a minute or two of the first. I believe his goal was to one day get them all coordinated but he never did.

I remember visiting him one day in his later years. He had one of the clocks in a hundred or more pieces laid out on the kitchen table. A lamp was set up with the cord stretching dangerously across a walk space. He had gotten himself a set of small pliers and screw drivers and was working away on this latest project. He got things working to his satisfaction (chimes within five minutes of the other clocks). He also spent lots of time (no pun intended) cleaning, dusting and polishing his collection. To be honest, I enjoyed watching him and the homeyness I felt when all of those clocks started their chant.

All of that brings me to my clocks. Oh, of course I have the digital clocks that keep us all on schedule - the mobile phone, the appliance clocks and so forth. All of these are set on nuclear time or something of that sort. In my front room I have a Seth Thomas mantel clock. A modern, battery operated quarter hour chimer. I changed batteries about a month ago and something strange happened. The pendulum works but the hands don't move. It has been stuck on 5 after 8. In the hallway, I have a nice mission oak wall clock. It's supposed to chime on the hour and 1/2 hour. No luck, it sits stuck on either noon or midnight. In my living room I have one of the clocks my father left me, a nice school room wall clock. I've had it repaired at least three times and right now the hands are stuck on 8:55.

So please, if you ever come to visit, wear a watch or bring your cell phone. Time here is pretty relative - 5 after 8, noon or midnight, or 8:55.

Update - the battery clock hands have started moving again but it's losing an hour for every 12. Chimes are nice but have nothing to do with the actual time.

Civil Disobedience at Seneca Lake

I've been thinking a lot lately about the arrests that are taking place at the Crestwood facility in Reading, NY, just north of Watkins Glen on Seneca Lake. A total of 25 people have been arrested over the past few weeks while blocking the entrance to Crestwood on Rt 14.

The ongoing protests are about Crestwood's plan to use salt caverns under Seneca Lake to store LP and Methane Gas. There are lots of articles about the issue that can be found by doing a fairly simple search.

Being a Lake Keeper or Defender of the Lake is serious business and these folks are proving it. I have considered myself a Lake Keeper for quite awhile. My feelings and commitment go back a long time. I first became aware of Seneca Lake when I was 5 years old. My father and a business associate brought my brother and I to Seneca on fishing trips in those early years. They were the years that I became aware of the water and its importance. Later I spent summers on the waters around Nantucket Sound and the Atlantic Ocean. I also lived at the Jersey Shore in those early years. All of these experiences brought me close to the water - fishing, swimming, boating. I learned respect for the water as well as a real love for it.

I moved to this area in the late '70's and reunited with Seneca Lake. I had a small sailboat at the Last Ditch Marina in Watkins Glen and later, a powerboat at the newly built Village Marina. I've lived in a number of houses and owned property on the shores of Seneca. My love affair and relationship with Seneca has been long and solid.

Like many others I have evolved as a Lake Keeper. There were times in my life when I didn't respect this or other great waterways as a natural resource. I have seen and been a part of the fishing lines discarded, the beer bottles and cans finding their way into the lake, a small overflow of gas as a motor was being filled. I've watched and seen the plastic bags being thrown into the water along with trash like wood, metal and concrete. The agricultural runoff of fertilizer and chemicals has been reduced but does continue. All of these things have helped me evolve and see how serious the problem really is for Seneca Lake and many other bodies of water.

I say this because I want to make it clear that the issues we have relative to protecting our water is much more complicated then just an outside corporation storing gas in salt caverns. Just yesterday I watched a farmer not very far above the lake spread cow manure on his fields. Multiplied by hundreds, it will have an eventual impact. A recent report by Seneca Lake Pure Waters indicates that testing streams feeding into Seneca Lake shows she is being choked by phosphorous - Seneca Lake Choking. We are all part of the problem and therefore have to be part of the solution. Here's the reality though. We can hold individuals much more accountable than we can a corporation, especially one driven by fuel and fuel storage profits. It doesn't mean we shouldn't try - we certainly should. I also think we have to be careful about holding up the wine industry and tourism as being so totally environmentally friendly and pitted against a corporation like Crestwood. If we're really honest about it, wineries, breweries and tourism bring their own baggage to the environment including the aforementioned agricultural runoff, traffic and social consequences. Many small rural roads were never meant to handle the bus and limo traffic that is part of the tourism reality. Bringing thousands of people to an area has its pros and cons. Community planning, community conversations and people caring about their environment is important in all aspects of what is easily touted as economic development - always.

These Defenders of the Lake have certainly made us think. Their arrests are significant and important even if law enforcement and the opposition want to make us think it is all pretty minimal and, if anything, creating safety issues in the community.

You see, civil disobedience is very serious business. It's something people need to think about very clearly. It has consequences, some unknown. I happen to believe in civil disobedience as a strategy and at times as a moral imperative. I have been arrested numerous times protesting or fighting for social justice issues.  It should never be taken lightly. There are times when justice screams out at you about laws that need to be broken. This may in fact be one of them. I'm not completely sure yet, but I have a feeling.

I went back recently and re-read Henry David Thoreau's piece on Civil Disobedience. It was written in 1849. Many people may have skimmed over it in high school or college as part of their reading and study of Thoreau's work Walden. Thoreau makes the case but doesn't do it lightly. He recognizes the consequences for both the individual and for society.

I sense more people will commit to civil disobedience and be arrested before it's over. Hopefully these acts will not be taken lightly and many more people will begin talking about and thinking about the importance of our natural resources.

Sit Down and Shut Up!

That's quite a message for an elected official to give a constituent but it's Chris Christie's message to a former Councilman upset about the slow flow of money to homeowners relative to Sandy aid. The two of them, Christie and the former Councilman, got into a shouting match the other day. Christie's bravado and tough guy attitude was somewhat bizarre for a guy who had the microphone. He really did come across like someone who needs anger management counseling. What's somewhat surprising is that he seems quite proud of his behavior. No walking back - that would be a sign of weakness.

We should probably be more concerned about the fact that there are a lot of people cheering the Governor on, hoping to see him do it again - the more the better, the louder and meaner the better. All that's missing is that the person he's yelling at is some hippy bum with long hair listening to Grateful Dead music.

People should really step back and think about Christie's defense about his problems with the George Washington Bridge. In a very quiet, almost contrite voice, he explained that he knew nothing. Remember, he couldn't fathom where his staff would have gotten any idea that he wanted people punished. Review the video of him arguing with the former Councilman and think about where and how people working for him could have gotten an idea that people should feel his wrath. Not much of a leap in my opinion.

So I think we should get him an orange T-Shirt (orange is the color used during anti bullying campaigns) and have him sit through a class on anti bullying and then lead a march of middle and high school students through the streets of New Jersey opposing bullying and making positive statements about mediation and negotiation.

Understanding Fear vs Acting On Fear

The Ebola virus has certainly created fear. The fear is all over the place. It exists in every geographic area and across economic classes. People are scared because it's a really deadly disease. Everyone has some level of fear about Ebola and that in itself is not a bad thing. Actually it's pretty smart. It helps us all take it seriously and to show some very healthy respect. It should also help to focus us on education and communicating good information about the disease, its spread and its prevention. I think we all understand the fear that's out there and there's nothing wrong with that in itself.

But acting on fear is completely different and some people are acting badly and irresponsibly. Examples include the kids who beat up two young boys from West Africa while calling them 'Ebola'. Then there are the folks in Maine refusing to go to their local hospital because the partner of the nurse who had been quarantined, works at that hospital. These are fear based actions that aren't based on any real facts. Sadly, these actions are fed by elected officials who seem to think it's their job to spread fear. That is not what leadership is about. There are ways to protect public safety without spreading fear. As a matter of fact, spreading fear itself is not in the best interest of public safety.

The tough guy image that some politicians want to present doesn't help either. If you think about it, it implies that we or someone need the protection of these bullying types. Their tactics are rough and tumble. Anyone who disagrees is an idiot. Negotiation or even just listening is not in their playbook. Obviously there are lots of people who like or want this type of behavior. Perhaps it's entertainment, or in some cases there are people who want and expect this type of 'protection' by their elected leaders. But worse yet, some learn from it and model it in their own behavior. It becomes ok to segregate, harass or beat up people identified as the problem.

We've seen this over the years when people fear other people's looks, freedom, lifestyle, illness, religion or nationality. People have stigmatized people with HIV/AIDS, developmental disabilities, and a host of other health or physical differences. Most of these things have proven to be wrong and bad public policy. Most have required science and facts as well as people to speak up about what is right or wrong.

I am impressed with Kaci Hickox, the Nurse from Maine, who is challenging the quarantine policies that seem to be based totally on fear versus good medical and scientific information. She is raising important issues relative to individual rights vs state rights. Although sometimes put forward as irresponsible, selfish, etc., she seems to be presenting a pretty reasonable approach. She is agreeing not to take public transit and to help track her contacts. She is following all protocols relative to monitoring. Her main point is that she is not symptomatic at this time and therefore not contagious. Scientific facts seem to back up her position.

Currently, however, 80%+ of the general public believe quarantines should be put in place. We are in a very sad state if public health policies are going to be established based on polls rather than science and medical facts. There is no question, our leaders, all of them, have failed us. There is no clear message. They are all basing their responses and reactions on the fear of their constituents and in the process, they are feeding that fear. They should all take a deep breath, step back and get their act together - understand the fear everyone is feeling and then take actions based on science and educate in the process.

Quarantine Policy by Cuomo/Christie Raises More Questions

Things seemed to be going fairly well a few nights ago when it was announced that a doctor, Craig Spencer, had been diagnozed with Ebola in New York City. NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and the NYS Commissioner of the Department of Health sat next to Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYC Commissioner of Health and Mental Hygiene, Dr. Mary Travis Basset. Everyone seemed on board with both the response and the message. Hospitals and health care workers were prepared. Communication was going to be key in preventing panic in NYC and by osmosis the entire country.

Everyone was in agreement. Few were in danger, appropriate actions were being taken, no one should panic. It seemed like a dose of good medicine that we all needed in the wake of questionable management of previous incidents and communications.

Then something strange happened. Something that again would raise antennas and questions. Less then 24 hours after this initial show of unity and confidence, Andrew Cuomo held a joint news conference with Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey. There they both announced a new policy of quarantining travelers from countries in West Africa if they had worked with or come into contact with people with Ebola. In the news conference, Cuomo also seemed to question the actions of Dr. Spencer for being out and about when he was not showing any signs of the disease.

An interesting turn of events and a continuation of the mixed messages that politicians seem to give when discussing or acting on policies relative to the control of Ebola. It's important by the way to remember that these are politicians and not doctors or scientists. As a matter of fact it was only a few short days ago when Gov. Cuomo in a debate with his opponent for elected office indicated that he was not a scientist and couldn't really make a judgement on the safety of Hydrofracturing or Fracking. At that time he said it was important to follow the science. Now, it seems, he wants Gov. Christie and himself to call the shots on medical issues related to Ebola.

In that news conference both Governors began talking about state boarders being under their control and responsibility. Who knew two northeast Governors would be making states rights arguments about protecting their boarders. This is being presented as an example of strong and needed leadership in the face of a crises. All indications are that this new policy will have a devastating impact on medical personnel wanting to volunteer in Ebola ravished countries. Most people may not be aware that doctors and nurses are volunteering 3-4 weeks of their time, service and expertise. If they return to the potential of a required 21 day quarantine symptoms or not, many will opt out from this volunteer activity. In addition, this new policy just seems to continue the fear mongering.

But this is text book Andrew Cuomo. He is reacting to his own fear of the public and voters. He is positioning himself again as a national figure. He has changed his position in 24 hours with his finger in the air testing which way the wind is blowing. In announcing his new policy, he left out Mayor de Blasio and Dr. Mary Travis Basset. He left them out, and after the fact stated bluntly that the Port Authority of NY&NJ are separate entities acting independently. Dr. Basset was not very happy and I'm sure the mayor is scratching his head on this one.

All of this just continues to raise more questions in the public's mind. Is the threat real or imagined? Can they/we trust elected officials to tell the truth? Do they know the truth? Are people working together? The questions are real. I fear the politicians are not. My money is still on the doctors and nurses.

Saints and Heroes

I struggle with the concept of saints. Their existence implies all sorts of things. First and foremost is that they're gone, looking over us having led a good life among us at some point. Heroes on the other hand are a bit easier for me to get my head around. There they are. You see them. This little piece is about saints and heroes. I'm seeing a lot of them around today and it makes me think they've been around forever. When I say being around I mean just that - walking among us, interacting with us on a daily basis, not floating above.

The Ebola virus has helped me see these folks a little more clearly. Beyond the fear, the fear mongering, the confusion and the missteps, the saints and heroes are out there doing what they do. They're in West Africa caring for people sick and dying from the virus. These saints and heroes come from Cuba, the US, New Jersey, other African nations. They're doctors, nurses, educators and soldiers. They try to heal but also watch parents and children die terrible deaths. They care for children whose siblings and parents die. They care for and support each other. Few of them worry about if and when they can get a flight back to their homeland through travel bans created with some sort of false hope or worse. We should all be forced to watch these saints and heroes more. Watch them care for the sick and try to keep others healthy. Watch them and try to understand their strength and motivation.

They also exist in Texas and Maryland and Nebraska. And when Ebola leaves the front pages, more saints and heroes will be all over, supporting people with cancer and dementia. We'll see them in the streets of Syria and Iraq dragging bodies into hospitals. Saints and heroes trying to bring peace in streets of war - Muslims, Christians and Jews.

The saints and heroes are among us and they should make us feel so foolish about the things we do to create their work. There are others who paint and write and dance and play. Yes, they're here among us but sometimes we just don't see. They're not statues in a church or someone with medals on their chest or people written about in books. If we open our eyes we can see, touch and feel the saints and heroes walking with us. If you're lucky, you'll recognize one and you'll have the opportunity to shake their hand or better yet hug them. What a gift they are to all of us.

Epidemics and Fear

The recent news and developments related to Ebola have raised lots of issues and fears. Some legitimate and quite a few unfounded. The worst of it all is the continued politicalization of the disease and communications about it. The best advice I've heard is to follow science and not the politics. It's disgraceful how some politicians on both sides are dealing with this issue.

Obviously Ebola is a scary and dangerous disease. That's clear from the death and devastation it's causing for thousands in West Africa. Scare tactics and fear are the worst way to deal with it. Health professionals understand the virus better than all of the politicians. But we do have to understand that fear is a historical method for people to get their way. Fear has been used for centuries to accomplish all kinds of goals - the justification of wars, the treatment of groups of people and so forth.

I've had some expierience with fear - leadership by fear and just plain life expierience with fear. It comes in all shapes and sizes. I've seen people try to lead by fear in both the non-profit and for-profit world and of course in government. It's effective because it helps bring people around to a point of view. The downside is that the people being led many times find out that their being used or misled in terms of facts and truth. Eventually that makes some or all angry and the leader can be defeated or removed. All of that can be and often is a painful process.

But I've had other experiences with fear. I'll share one that is related to some of what we're seeing today. My family lived in Spring Lake, NJ in the late 40's/early 50's. Spring Lake was one of many communities on the Jersey shore that was hit very hard by the polio epidemic of that period. Children all over the country were stricken with flu like symptoms that led to muscle paralysis.  In the worst cases individuals ended up in iron lungs, large tubular canister units that helped that paralyzed person breathe.

My family was hit hard by polio. Out of four children, three ended up with polio. My older brother, my older sister and I all had it. My younger sister didn't contract the disease. No one then or now knows why. I can't really imagine the fear and confusion that my mother and father must have gone through. I was about five years old at the time. What I write about this expierience is a mix of early childhood memories and family storytelling.

The impact of the polio hit us chronologically - my brother, my sister and me. All of us ended up in the hospital separated from each other in various states of paralysis. In my own case my entire left side was paralyzed. Neither my left arm or leg would work properly although there was always some level of control. There were no known cures at the time. We were right on the cusp of the Salk vaccine. There were various treatments, however. One was to place heavy cast type material on the affected body areas. My guess would be to help build resistance and therefore strength to the muscles. The other was exercise developed by a nun, Sister Kenny. I believe the later is the approach that I received. I remember a hand and leg bar set up on pulleys with weights that I would utilize throughout the day to move my affected limbs. There were also continuous doses of penicillin given at various times during the day and night, all in my rear end.

My brother honed his social skills organizing wheelchair races down the hall. My sister was on a different floor. There were iron lungs, wheelchairs, braces, crutches and everything you can imagine for the many children in various states of paralysis. I was fitted for a brace and used it for a bit. It could have been days or weeks. Miraculously all three of us recovered over time with no remnants of the paralysis. I have had some weakness on my left side but that's about it.

The town in effect was under quarantine. The beaches were closed. Municipal pools were closed. Public congregation was discouraged. No one knew where this awful disease was coming from but it was targeting the children of many communities. There was certainly fear. I was too young to understand or even remember the conversations and political discussions that must have taken place. Along the boardwalk there were two or three municipal pools where we had always swam as kids. I never understood why there were pools built right on the ocean but there they were. I remember some talk of the virus being transmitted at the pools. My mother had her own theory. She was convinced we got the virus from flies that had been very prevalent that summer. I'm sure the CDC would appreciate her input and insights today.

The point is, it was a mess and people were fearful. They depended on their doctors and nurses to help them and to provide them with the best information available. But people were scared. Kids were segregated and separated. Families stayed in homes looking for the smallest indication of the illness appearing. I wasn't a part of those conversations but I know they took place in addition to the rumor mills and news stories.

In the end science did win out. People received treatments of various kinds and Salk's vaccine came online. Many people though weren't as lucky as me and their paralysis remained.  Others died. Families struggled. We should learn.

Buffer Zones For Fracking But Not for Storage!

This is really just an additional thought on my earlier piece about the storage of LP an/or Methane Gas in salt caverns under Seneca Lake. The main point of that piece was to try to wrap my head around the logic or lack of it in believing or thinking that it makes sense to store gas in caverns that are part of an evolving environment under a beautiful body of fresh water. As I continued to think about it, I came up with some other somewhat confusing pieces of information.

Hydraulic Fracturing (Fracking) has been a separate but also controversial issue throughout the Finger Lakes region. Again, there are arguments on both sides, that sight the dangers or benefits of the process. Academics, engineers and health professionals have all weighed in and continue to do so. The debate has forced politicians and elected officials to take positions of some sort. Everyone seems to agree that the protection of large water sources like the Finger Lakes themselves need some level of protection. Most politicians have taken the position that a buffer zone of some sort should exist around the Finger Lakes. People argue over what the distance should be. I've heard some say a half mile and others a mile and so forth. Don't these discussions point out the illogical concept of storage in natural caverns under Seneca Lake? Why would you create a buffer zone around a lake of let's say a half mile to protect that water from Fracking and then support the storage of gas under that same body of water? Some things just don't make sense.

Storing Gas Under Seneca Lake

Seneca Lake is a jewel. She's a beautiful body of spring fed water in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Seneca is the source of fresh drinking water for 70,000 plus people. Seneca is also a recreational hub for its residents and tourists from all over the world. Her hillsides are home to some of the best wine grapes and wineries.

Those are the positives. It would seem that's what should drive any discussion about this gem of a lake. It should also be obvious that protecting the lake and its water is imperative. Our fresh water is one of the greatest assets we have in upstate NY.

For a number of years, an energy company, Crestwood Midland, has been planning and requesting authority to store Liquid Propane Gas and Methane Gas in salt caverns that exist under Seneca Lake. There have been arguments for and against their proposal and I've tried to follow both sides as they go back and forth with facts, purported facts and dueling engineering studies. In the end I just have to depend on my own gut and what logic tells me. It seems absolutely absurd to store gas in natural evolving caverns under a huge lake. It just doesn't make what I would call logical sense. The earth moves and shifts. We know that. Gas will move to fill new space and on and on.

But my logic doesn't seem to work in this case. Recently the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved Crestwood's proposal. The next phase of the approval process is a decision by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. Perhaps they will think about my simple logic. Perhaps they will weigh the value of fresh drinking water and recreational uses of this beautiful lake against the monetary savings for a large corporation. Traditionally, LPG and/or Methane would be stored in large tanks but of course those cost money. So it looks like what we have here is a corporation looking for a less expensive way to do business, potentially at the expense of many others as well as the environment. Anyone who objects or opposes their plan is viewed as some kind of job killing, energy cost inflating weirdo and perhaps a communist to boot. Well I'm all of the above I guess, because this proposal just doesn't make any kind of logical sense to me.

I try to be a Lake Keeper. Someone who sees and understands the importance of this body of water to so many people. Someone who tries to protect Seneca for years to come for drinking and fishing and just plain enjoyment. There is so much pressure on our lakes and streams. All of us have to try to do more to protect them. It shouldn't be viewed as radical. It's just common sense and a recognition of the importance of our natural resources. If you want to read more about this project click on this article FERC Approves Methane Storage Project.

Misplaced Outrage

The past couple of weeks have been filled with bad news and it seems President Obama just can't get a break on anything. Everything is his fault. That's been a chant of some for a long time but now it seems to be taking hold. It's that old principal of "if you say something often enough, over and over, eventually it will be proven correct". In addition, Obama, his family, his administration and supporters are tired. He can't get anything done. He and Congress are on two different wave lengths and it doesn't look like that will change any time soon. It's easy to point fingers but as is often the case, both sides share the blame.

As I look at all of the major issues that are out there I have to wonder how much of this is a reckoning  of sorts, chickens coming home to roost as it were? How much of everything that we're seeing is truly the result of a dysfunctional Congress, an ineffective President and an apathetic public? In the end, will these issues have enough of an impact to wake everyone up? How much of what we're seeing is driven by the inability of the President and Congress to come together on a budget? Do they realize it?

Misplaced outrage is what we see everyday. Congress can rant and rave about Syria and ISIS but where are they in terms of financing the military and the war some of them are frothing for? Where are they in terms of even voting on military interventions?

Then there's Ebola. We seem to be pretty close to a panic response with coordination and communication being pretty poor. Turns out the President has nominated a candidate for the open Surgeon General's position but Congress refuses to confirm the nominee along with many other appointments. "We'll show him. We won't approve appointments." A competent Surgeon General by the way could provide some leadership and a calming and educational voice during a potential health crisis as opposed to a seemingly confused group of people at a podium in Dallas.

Next we have what seems to be a crises at the Secret Service. As you dig into the issues there you find that sequestration has had an impact on the hiring and recruitment of agents. The list goes on and on. Problems related to inaction on a budget, continued threats of a government shutdown and people wagging fingers at each other. Immigration has become not only a political football but an opportunity for some to spew hatred for particular groups of people.

Well we're learning that actions (in this case inactions) have consequences. It's clear that a majority of people in charge in Washington don't care much about the Food Stamps that have disappeared or the supports and services for vulnerable people with disabilities that have gone by the wayside, or the single mothers trying to survive on minimum wage, or the homeless who still struggle in our communities. Those issues aren't close enough to them. Maybe, just maybe, these other issues will make a few of these folks see how badly they are screwing up governing and how their lives as well as others are being impacted.

But first of course we have to get through an election. That's why they're all on recess after all, to get out there and talk about what a great job they're not able to do because of the other person, party or that President. I just hope they and the voters begin to connect the dots and realize that actions and yes, inactions have consequences.

Off The Sidelines - A Good Read & Good Advice

Senator Kirstin Gillibrand's book, Off The Sidelines - Raise Your Voice, Change The World, is a good read for anyone. Senator Gillibrand makes it clear that she wrote it with a very specific audience in mind, specifically young women. It's interesting that her audience is much broader then that. I think that's for a number of reasons. The publicity around the book has certainly helped. In addition, Senator Gillibrand is a strong voice right now on a number of issues that are important to people. She has been an outspoken leader about sexual assault in the military and on college campuses.

Her book is a good read for a number of reasons. Her writing style is easy and conversational. Her personal history around her family, growing up in Albany and her work and political experiences are interesting as well as instructional. Instructional is key. She clearly wants to share useful information with anyone who is interested in their own personal and professional growth and share she does.

Gillibrand helps her readers understand feelings, pressures and expectations placed on women in the workplace. She doesn't pull any punches either. She tells it like it is but doesn't whine or make excuses like so many of us do when confronted with obstacles. She is clearly a leader, a mover and shaker. She covers issues like self esteem, weight gain and loss, the impact and pressure on all of us, but women especially, relative to personal appearance. Her discussions about how we view ourselves vs how other people view us are important especially when referencing hard working women in male oriented arenas.

Gillibrand is a Feminist and a good one. She speaks meaningfully about being an advocate in general and a voice for the voiceless. There are many who need her encouragement today as voices do tend to get drowned out if not muffled by others. Kirstin Gillibrand is someone you'd want on your side and on your team no matter what you were doing but in my opinion she's best suited for fights for justice and equality.

Young professional women especially may like her book and what she has to say. But others will too - girls, women, boys and men. There's something for all of us. So if you get the chance, grab the book and give it a read.

Fall In The Finger Lakes

The past few weeks have been beautiful in the Finger Lakes and on Seneca Lake. Sun shining and temperatures actually rising. Grape harvesting and wineries busy with plenty of visitors. Grape growers have been hoping, praying, wishing for some warmer temps as this helps with the ripening of the fruit. The leaves seem to be changing colors very quickly. Take a ride and you can almost see the changes from the time you leave to the time you get back. The next week looks like continued good weather with some cooler temperatures coming but still good working weather.

That's what I've been getting done. Lots of outside work and organizing of space preparing for dare I say it, winter. I've gotten more done this year than I ever have in the past. Could be because I go so little done during the summer. Who Knows? I feel good about all of the work and the prep. Garden has been harvested, rototilled, manure added and worked into the soil. Some brush clearing and trimming, house pressure washed, and new floor covering put in garage. NYSEG's contracted crew swept through the neighbordood last week trimming trees close to power lines. That helped identify some additional branch cutting and tree removal that has to occur. Hope to get to it this week.

Also trying to organize/reorganize some space in the basement and a few outside sheds that have just become drop off points over the years. Always fun trying to decide what stays and what goes. We all know the drill. Arguments with yourself, your partner, the dog or anyone who will listen and participate. Things get put in piles, some tentative, others almost definite, and once in a while get moved from one to the other. All of this uncovers more work to be done - cleanup, re-stacking, new bins or shelves, etc. Great to find all of the things you've gone out and re-bought because you couldn't find them when you needed them.

I'm also finding some time to get some reading done. Started NYS Senator Kirstin Gillibrand's book "Off The Sidelines - Raise Your Voice, Change The World". It's a good read and she's pretty impressive.

If you're from the Finger Lakes, find some time to get out and indulge in the beauty of the area and get some things done. If you're from elsewhere, come visit, relax and enjoy these seasonal changes.

Planning Return to Selma, Alabama 50 Years Later

I had written here a number of years ago that I planned on returning to Selma, Al in 2015 for the 50th Anniversary and the annual reenactment march across the Edmond Pettus Bridge even if I had to be pushed across the bridge in a wheelchair. Well this month I began making arrangements for that upcoming trip. The reenactment takes place in early March every year but this year is special. This year marks 50 years. There will be thousands of people from all over the country wanting to celebrate this moment in history.

I will be joined by my youngest son who lives in San Francisco. He's interested in being a part of the celebration and the history of this event. There are other friends who have asked about joining us. I began checking around for places to stay and was able to get a couple of rooms in Montgomery. That will allow us to make visits to other civil rights historical sites in Montgomery and Birmingham, Al.

This year has marked anniversaries of the Voting Rights Bill, Freedom Summer, the death of civil rights workers and other significant events. It also was a year where we've watched activities in Ferguson, Mo. that made a lot of people wonder what had been accomplished since Selma. Recently the spirit of Martin Luther King, Jr. was evoked as part of the justification for bombings in Syria. His non violence is sadly still not understood.

John Lewis, Congressman from Georgia and one of the leaders of the march in Selma in 1965, recently pointed out that there most likely wouldn't have been a President Jimmy Carter, a President Bill Clinton or a President Barack Obama if there hadn't been that march across the Edmond Pettus Bridge. A number of years ago I returned to Selma and was walking with the then mayor of Selma, a young black man. He thanked me for what I did in 1965 and pointed out that it was only because of those 'foot soldiers for justice' that he was able to be mayor of that city.

I look forward to returning with family and thousands of others to mark such an important part of history in our country.

3 Month Check-Up - All Is Well

People who have followed this writer know that in early June I had surgery for diagnosed colon cancer. At the time of my diagnosis I decided I would share my experiences by writing about them, letting people know about the things that people diagnosed with cancer feel, fear and find out as they move along on that journey. I've posted a number of items that you can find here.

Today's post is about my 3 month check up with my surgeon that took place today, Sept. 22nd. But it isn't just about today. As with most other Dr. visits, there is a build up of sorts. A few weeks ago I went for a blood test specifically for a marker that helps the Dr. identify if there is anything going on relative to the cancer that he cut out in June. Also in July I had seen an oncologist and had a good report from him. But there is always apprehension when you get the latest tests and wait to see the Dr. to hear about the results.

In addition, the healing from my surgery has been slow (in my opinion). I still expierience odd pains at and around the incision. I also have done a couple of things that have stretched and/or strained the area. As recently as last week I tripped while stepping over the fence I have around my vegetable garden. The fall caused some ripping and stretching of some of my internal parts and new pain appeared. Also in August I lifted more weight then I should have and felt the results for a few weeks. So I've had some different discomfort and pain going on for awhile. Anyone who has had cancer will understand that pains appearing and disappearing always raise new fears and concerns. The fear is always there and most likely never goes away. This disease is so ornery and insidious.

In the end, my visit today went well. My blood work was fine. No signs of anything odd there. As for the pains, my Dr. spent good time with me explaining the reality of all of the nerves that have been affected by the surgery and getting me to recognize that any trauma to the area effects the ongoing healing. I'm not sure if he realizes how much relief he provided even though I thank him profusely every time he gives me good news. I drove home (about an hour) and crashed on the sofa. I'm sure stress or the relief from it had a lot to do with the nap that ensued.

So now I'm good for another 3 months, another blood test, etc. The cycle will continue and in between I'll probably feel an odd pain here or there but will move on and get things done like preparing for winter in upstate NY.