XML FeedsArchives for: August 2009
Heaven on Earth in the USA
Let me share a true story - a moment in the history of my country when heaven came to earth for three days.
It was called The March Against Death in November of 1969 long before you were born...
I was a teenaged hippy then and had been a die hard activist for 3 years. I began by picketing (at 14) the local Pick and Pay (no longer in existence) for exploited the Mexican grape pickers in California, lead by Caesar Chavz. Once I started I could not stop.
Well, The March Against Death was an anti Viet Nam protest. Not anti soldier but antiwar. Most of the soldiers were not much older than I was at the time. I was 17 and MOST of them were 19. There is a song about that I will go look for..
Anyway, I was not legal adult and was going to miss school to do this and my father (who worked for NASA and happened to detest the government - he liked space but not the government and it pissed him off that there was no private space program...) told me I would flunk ALL my classes while I was gone because he WOULD NOT call in to excuse my absense. I said, fine, and got on the bus to D.C. My (now estranged) older brother also got on the bus with me. He had avoided Viet Nam service by being the only son of an only son - last in line...
Anyway, when we got there we wer taken by car to one of the volunteer homes for protesters. They were people who supported the Antiwar effort. They bedded and fed us and drove us daily to the protest. They were real angels,
At the protest there was a 3 mile walk carrying a candle and wearing a placard of a soldier who had died. It began at the Lincoln Memorial and ended at the White House. Once at the White House there was a line of White Coffins. When you got there you threw your name into the coffin and screamed out the name. Three days. Without any stopping.
The heaven part is this: It was windy the whole time and candles kept going out. Because of this we had to endlessly help each other with fire and this made us closer. Also we were (in general) generouos people and everyone kept giving things to others. Mostly food. I once ended up with so much food that I had to give some away. No way I can eat five whole food sandwiches! So I gave all but one away. And then I noticed that others were doing the same. It created abundance,
And so I say to the world. Whatever you have, please share it. In this way we can care for all people. That is my hope and that is my dream.
