News & Views You Can Use
Nov 3, 2004
City Pages
Anda McPherson-Burke
Anda MacPherson-Burke
Please allow us to mark the occasion of what would have been Anda's 25th birthday on Nov. 4 by extending our profound gratitude to all of you who have helped us in the difficult task of accepting the unacceptable.
Your generous offerings have nourished us; your contributions to Nuçi's space have honored Anda's (and so many others') struggle; your kind notes, your compassionate hugs, and even your silent prayers from afar have all given us strength, support and sustenance. May we all continue to reach out to each other with love and compassion, and to consider with kindness the little bit of crazy that resides within us all.
Anda Burke took his own life July 18, 2004.
Helping Hidden Herps
An artist friend was waiting to meet Whit Gibbons after his talk, titled "Discovering Hidden Biodiversity in the World around Us: Adventures with Reptiles and Amphibians." She lamented that more artists didn't attend his Oct. 20 presentation at the Institute of Ecology. "The beauty of these creatures is incredible," she said. "I know so many people who'd be inspired by the colors and diversity of the animals that Whit showed us tonight."
Janice Sand
But whether the reptile or amphibian was gentle enough to let children and adults hold, or too fierce to put near untrained individuals, Gibbons treasures them all. He stated throughout his talk that in order to appreciate these diverse animals (herptofauna) we need to know what we have. He asserted, "To do conservation right we must have ongoing research, education and museums."
His lecture was sponsored by the Georgia Museum of Natural History, Friends of the Museum and the Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystems Processes. It was the first in a series of lectures on the environment open to the general public to help heighten awareness and appreciation of the natural world. But it's hard to appreciate what is rarely seen, and this is where Gibbons puts forth his greatest enthusiasm: he brings the hidden world up close to the public eye. "Many of our reptiles and amphibians are 'cryptic species,'" he says. "They remain hidden for protection. Humans walk by them, and don't even know that they are there."
Due to lack of human awareness and understanding, many of these animals are in decline. Gibbons noted that if more Georgians knew what their state has, there might be more interest in protecting them.
"In this state, we have 55 species of salamanders, which is more than any other state… In Australia, they have none… These are the jewels of the world, and they are about to disappear."
A major problem is habitat loss or alteration. Some animals, such as the spotted turtle, require small wetlands (about the size of an average classroom.) However, federal laws don't protect those kinds of wetlands, even though they are critical for more animals than just turtles. Also, many of our native species cannot live in human habitats like subdivisions. Gibbons described how some exotics seem to thrive in human populated areas, such as the Cuban tree frog which has just recently been discovered in Georgia after invading Florida. It eats our native frogs.
Another area of concern involves diseases and parasites. Some people capture animals, keep them as pets and then release them back to the wild when the animal gets sick. What they are also doing is releasing a disease that can spread to wild animals.
Unsustainable use, such as the trapping and killing of turtles which require many years to mature, is causing a decline in our native species. "By the time a turtle matures," Gibbons says, "the deer have already gone through several generations."
However, Gibbons didn't want to end on a totally dismal note. He noted there is innovation coming out of the current research which may help in protecting these reptiles and amphibians.
For example, tunnels may be built under roads to help wildlife pass safely below the dangerous traffic. Indigo snakes require tremendous area to forage and to breed, so these snakes cannot go very far without having to cross a road. With more research and public awareness, there is some hope that these "jewels of the world" will still be around for future generations to enjoy.
For those who enjoy snakes, Snakes of the Southeast, by Whit Gibbons and Mike Dorcas, will be available in May 2005 from the University of Georgia Press. This is an educational guide to the snakes as well as a guide to the importance of snake conservation.
Liz Conroy is a local writer and environmentalist.
Archbishop Chaput
Dear Most Rev. Charles J. Chaput: I was astounded (and disappointed) to read about your involvement in trying to persuade Catholics to vote for Bush and in your implications that Catholics who vote for Kerry might be questionable recipients of Catholic communion.
By turning the election into a one- (or two- or three-) issue debate, I think you have done the same disservice to Catholics that Bush has done to the "born again" gang: choosing only certain elements of Christian doctrine in your arguments to the exclusion of all others. (For instance, Bush rushes to detest the concept of same-sex marriage, using the admonitions of Leviticus, but chooses to ignore other Judeo-Christian "laws" that aren't as convenient… I would wager he enjoys bacon for breakfast… a BIG no-no!) And, perhaps worse, neither his nor your rantings seem to have any REMOTE relationship to the teachings of Christ, which I, for one, believe to be the true, "litmus" test in such questions.
What does the Bible (or Jesus, for that matter) say about greed? About selfishness? About lack of concern for the "least among us?" About arrogance? About wealth? About poverty? About dishonesty? About lying? About cheating? These are issues that don't seem to concern Bush in the least. It's why I see him as a complete "fraud" of a Christian. Dragging Jesus into his debauchery is, at best, in extremely poor taste and, at worst, completely despicable.
This pre-occupation with the unborn (particularly among celibate priests) seems a bit absurd. In the Catholic church, in particular, we have a bunch of old men deciding what decisions women should make regarding reproductive rights. We have a medieval Pope, drooling profundities in 18 languages, while millions of unwanted, uneducated, under-nourished children who are already here languish in the United States and worldwide. I say we should attend to those who need our immediate attention and quit worrying about when a cell develops into a good, tithing Catholic. Perhaps the Vatican could sell off the Pope's wardrobe and jewelry collection… I'd wager that alone would go a long way in feeding starving millions, worldwide. (And, wow, just think what the art treasures of the Vatican might bring at Sotheby's! There'd probably be enough to fund a successful search for a cure for AIDS. I can't think of a better use of Michaelangelo's handiwork… after all, he was a good-ole, gay-boy himself!)
I realize nothing frightens the Catholic church more than the concept of change. (It was big of you to excuse Galileo, by the way!). On the other hand, wouldn't it be a better world if we could concentrate on our common humanity, one toward another, in an effort to bring peace and hope to the world at large? Bush is NOT the man who can lead the free world in such a quest. Your endorsement of his selfish administration belies your vow to emulate Christ in your utterances and in your writings.
In short, I think it's a disastrous policy for Bush (or for the leadership of the Catholic church) to focus on agendas of hate and divisiveness while professing to "love" Jesus. Your love of Jesus rings a bit hollow when you champion policies which are antithetical to his teachings.
I am not a Catholic (although "some of my best friends" are!). I fear the Catholic church is running out of plausible myths to continue leading the lemmings to the sea.
Need a topic for your next article for the Catholic Weekly Reader? Here's one: "What Would Jesus Think About Halliburton?"
Cheers,
Joe Causey is a local businessman and musician who wrote this letter in response to an Oct. 10 New York Times article about Denver Bishop Charles J. Chaput warning young Catholics against voting for John Kerry.
Cowboys and Tiggers
Cowboys and Tiggers have at least one thing in common: they're both individualists. One of the cable networks has western movies and old cowboy television shows airing every Saturday. It's a pleasure to watch the old shows many of us remember from childhood. But in each show the cowboy relishes being alone. The bunk house is simply a building where the individuals gather to be by themselves. The range is nothing more than a wide open space to wander in alone. Their values are typically self-serving and egotistical, even when rescuing a "damsel in distress."
Living and being in community is simply not a reality for the cowboy, nor an existential reality he seeks. The "I" or the "me" dominates, and the cowboy centers himself around the notion that "what's best for me is best for everybody."
A.A. Milne has a similar character in his Winnie-the-Pooh stories. The character, of course, is that funny but irritating Tigger. Tigger, while appearing to desire community with others, constantly says and does things that disrupt the very relationships he seeks and destroys the opportunities that could make for a better life. While Tigger coaxes our sympathy for him on the one hand, he frustrates us on the other.
Tigger seeks really what is best for himself. All other personalities and contributions of others are drawn into his attempts to always outdo and top anyone else. And, like the cowboy, Tigger seems to feel there are no limitations or boundaries he needs to honor. The world and everyone in it exists for his purposes.
Cowboys and Tiggers also assume there are no weaknesses or limitations with which they have to contend. Cowboys and Tiggers live in an illusion. They're playing out a myth that superhuman strength will always prevail.
I'm afraid you and I have bought into their illusion. We've been sold the idea that with hard work and determination there are no obstacles we have to consider in our pursuit of the American dream. Each of us has the capacity within to make great things happen, even to change the world. We simply have to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps and make it happen! We don't need others, for all things are possible. If we do need others, it is only to make our mark in the world.
The value of community is not cherished by cowboys and Tiggers. Others may have different ideas or a different agenda of how the planet can be sustained, war prevented, or the hopes and dreams of others realized.
Our current state of affairs is one example of the cowboy and Tigger mentality. These days feel very much like the Reagan days when strength was the number-one priority and a more than adequate nuclear arsenal was the way to display that strength. The community of nations was the stage where we would fly our military muscle for everyone to admire and fear. The community both at home and abroad was nothing more than a means to our end.
Homelessness and poverty increased during those years just as they have today. Individual rights were checked, for individuals were to exist only for the stated agenda, just as today. We had a cowboy in office then, and we have a cowboy in office today, and Tigger is gleefully going about his destructive ways.
Every religious tradition critiques an out-of-control ego and shows how honoring limitations and weaknesses is a path of holy living. They humbly proclaim in their unique way: to have life, one must lose it. To unseat the ego for a higher purpose than self is to become a vessel for goodness and harmony to flow into the world. To let go of self and the all prevailing "I" is to remove the blinders and see others as just as important as yourself. Hope then has an opportunity to ignite a flame that can be passed to others, and the world becomes enflamed in compassion instead of a nuclear cloud.
By learning to let go of selfish wants and desires, faith is deepened and love calls forth a fuller and richer life.
The very existence of nuclear weapons in our nation and across the globe only points out our moral and spiritual blindness. But when cowboys and Tiggers are playing around recklessly with our lives, what more can be expected?
Mike Marsingill is pastor of Young Harris Memorial United Methodist Church here in Athens.
Last Week's Scorecard
Athens-Clarke County Animal Control responded to 72 calls.
6 complaints of animal cruelty
3 bite cases
3 complaints of barking dogs
7 citations for ordinance violations
46 animals impounded
42 dogs
1 cat
2 raccoons
1 chicken
34 dogs placed
9 adopted
19 reclaimed
6 turned over to other agencies
ACC Animal Control press release for the week of Oct. 21 to Oct. 27.
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