"Well" (to quote Raygun), To STOP, I select HIS party! Hats OFF, please.

Sounds good - believe it or not, every faith says nearly the same thing, Yet here we are grilling meats, celebrating war, watching an Ocean reel under a horrific industrial disaster, and remembering all the folks who needed to die, for spurious, hazy reasons. The Pentagon, always a marketer, announces this memorial day that it will eventually become an "equal opportunity employer",

I certainly agree that giving up hate,although difficult,holds out the only,faint,hope that humanity will survive. Hatred and violence are the Right's strong suits and they will always prevail in a contest of violence,simply because they have fewer scruples and less human empathy. They may appear kind an dwarm,but only with those they think are like themselves.Their outer limit of fellow feeling is 'tolerance', ie they will tolerate gays, other races,other religions other political opinions,but only on their terms and only provisionally.When they deem it appropriate, this tolerance disappears. Acceptance of difference is impossible, because difference is an affront to their hypertrophied egos, which see threat, danger and menace in all that is Other. While advocating retreat from the world that these creatures have created,and non-involvement in their games of domination and exploitation, I am,of course,being unreasonably optimistic. In reality they will come for us, searching us out as 'Evil Doers', 'enemies of freedom','friends of terrorists'. 'warmists', 'greenies', 'rag-heads'etc,any description you like that will justify our destruction.

Mary, thank you.

If all of us would stop 'otherizing', we would understand that the things we can all agree upon outweigh our differences. When we see only in black and white, we are blind to the spectrum--the colour of lives lived--and blind to the humanity of the other.

Too funny, David. I've been an activist for 52 years, been busted, monkey wrenched (the statute of limitations has run out on that one, so I can tell you that.), there is an FBI file on me. The only reason I don't carry a gun is because I would use it. Google my name, especially an NPR commentary on sending matches to the folks who burned down mega mansions in Arizona and you'll see just how nice I am.
I believe exactly what you know - we are in a holy war. I fight with everything I have, including coded messages and spiritual aikido - I don't want to go to jail. Been there, done that, no thank you ever again - of I have that choice.
I am not an activist for any member or members of my misbegotten species. I fight for the web of natural connections on the earth - which was in perfect balance before we came along.
Now - how about your creds?

That's fantastic to hear, Mary! I only knew you from what you wrote in this article. I will read Hayduke Lives. My other favorite book of Abbey's is Desert Solitaire. In your "split" article you sound very nice. I too have seen the good side of bad people. Probably even Sarah Palin is "likable," if you catch her on a good day. Unfortunately, it is true that earth is Pandora. I also notice that most of the progressives/liberals on Truthout are afraid to put their lives on the line to stop the fascists and earth killers. Thank you for what you have done to help defend innocent earth.

Isn't "one side stopping" the equivalent of allowing the other side to take power? Do we see, here, in this injunction to "just stop" a political weariness, a tiring of struggle, an inability to engage fruitfully in political struggle?
Why not converse with the woman at the diner, explain to her her mistaken beliefs, ideology assumptions? Is it fear of conflict that holds one back?

There is a corollary to the buddhist injunction. The only way out is for one side to defeat the other.

You write very beautifully. Craft a novel.

What we can do...I used to be an activist who got beaten up by loggers and the police while doing non-violent protests in the Headwaters forest. Lately my way of fighting the fight has been: get rid of leaf blower, ride bike, work to ban jet skis and boats on lakes where I live, grow my own organic garden, become vegetarian, not use the air conditioner, boycott BP and drive less then 50 miles per week, give speeches to young people to counter military recruiters, did not have children even though would have loved to be a father, give money to hardcore activists, stay healthy and prepare for the coming war between those of us who love mother earth and those who love petroindustrial society!