WHAT DO WE SEE?

I was attracted to a small article about the plant life recorded by Henry David Thoreau in today's New York Times. The article is a collaboration between Richard B. Primack, Boston University, J. Miller-Rushing,science coordinator at Arcadia National Park, and Becca Stadtlander, illustrator.

"Early Bloomers" is a brief account of what has become of the plant life of Thoreau's time. It concludes with a timely quote by the naturalist, philosopher and writer: "The question is not what you look at, but what you see."

As we celebrate Earth Day and remember the Holocaust, would that we take to heart that quote by Henry David Thoreau and ask, what do we see?

SHE ARRIVES LIKE A LADY THIS TIME!

Since the first of the year, Mother Nature has been playing coy with us. At times viciously letting go with tornadoes out of season and monstrous, like the economic and political roller coaster we've been on. The next moment bringing us summer time when we least expected it and having us search for lighter clothes. While, literally as we turn around, we are covering shrubs flowers and fields to protect against frost.

But this morning, all was sunny with temperatures and breezes that are more in keeping with the arrival of Spring. What convinced me that She is really here to stay was the sweet, melodic chirping of birds.

As I walk, I welcome her in a whisper. I know this Lady has another part to her nature which is less than gentle and I don't wish to provoke her.

IS ALL BUDGETING THE SAME?

When a candidate running for public office compares government spending and deficit reduction to managing household budgets, we are in trouble. Here's why.

Ordinary household budgets do not, except through taxes, build and maintain infrastructure like transportation, bridges, sewerage, highways, roads and streets. Government has the wherewithal to expedite such community-wide and national projects. Nor do individual households provide community-wide health care for veterans, children or families. Government has the ability to do so and should do so.

When we hold up household budgeting as an example of why we need to "balance" governmental budgets with cuts to libraries, educators,and health care workers, we jeopardize our quality of life and the country's future. When a candidate tells us to buy our own guns for protection, while cutting budgets for police, firemen and the justice system, the candidate's budget plan contributes to community-wide lawlessness.

How a candidate for elected office views budgeting and deficit spending for the enormous issues and opportunities before us could put us on the road to the future or the road to an unobtainable past. Is personal and government budgeting and deficit spending all the same? I think not!

WHAT A NAME: PINK SLIME!

I had never heard of "pink slime" until I read about it on the Internet. Reading about it I was reminded of a friend who put himself through college working as a waiter for a large fancy caterer. He would regale everyone with stories of the people he met at some of the events he worked.

He also told us if we saw how the food was handled, we would not eat it. That was a time when restaurant kitchens were off-limits to diners. Now there are glass enclosed kitchens and some restaurants encourage patrons to go through them.

Today there are governmental standards for cleanliness around food service and sales. Still, we are confronted by "pink slime." Congressional hearings are planned. Businesses rightly or wrongly have been shuttered and consumers are outraged.

There is a remedy for all this. Manufacturers should be required to list everything contained in the packaged food they produce. We need to buy more local, small farm-raised food and animals or become vegetarians. Having said all that, I wonder who the heck ever came up with the name. But then, I suppose there is no other way to describe the product.

SHE HAS THE VERY LAST WORD!

The crocuses, daffodils and forsythia all showed their heads a few weeks ago. Our city is awash in color. Here the parks are alive with activity and people. We take our conversations and food outside. It's Spring! But wait!

Mother Nature reminds us we are still in March and she has stored plenty of wind, fog and rain. Whenever She makes an exhilarating dip to spread frost we prepare to cover buds, flowers and trees. We wait to put winter cloths away. We hope she gets over surprising us.

We try to reason with her. No more trading winter for summer and summer for fall. No more tossing things about. Let the seasons be as you arranged them so we may admire your beautiful handiwork.

With it all, we know that she will have the last word, uttered in a very loud voice.

SILENT ABOUT WHAT WE KNOW?

Trayvon Martin, 17 years old was shot and killed on February 26 in one of Florida's many gated communities. We know that federal, state and local agencies are investigating the case. We know that like Florida more than 20 states have little or inadequate gun control legislation, including the "Show Me State" of Missouri.

We know gun Laws like "Carry," concealed or otherwise, and "Castle " Laws, as in "my home is my castle" are expanded through national campaigns by the National Rifle Association supported by our elected officials and us. We know that our presidents, elected representatives, children, and innocent people have been shot and killed by guns, legally and illegally purchased.

We know that parents and grandparents in all communities, gated or with special security patrols, speak of their realistic fear for the safety of their children and grandchildren when walking "outside." We know that the meaning of the "right to carry arms" is debated by lawyers, Constitutional Scholars, and voters. We know that laws giving each of us the ability to kill each other outside of our judicial process do not strong communities or a nation make,leading to anarchy.

Yet, as voters we remain silent bemoaning our legislators' inability to fight the power of misguided citizens and the organized gun industry. We know these laws, passed by the men and women who are and who would be elected by us, make our future bleak and cheapen our quality of life, yet we remain silent.

SARBANES-OXLEY LAW TO BE GUTTED?

According to the March 11 New York Times editorial,there is bipartisan support for "gutting" the Sarbanes-Oxley Law. The name of the law may not dance trippingly off your tongue but it is or should be known to directors of present and past profit and nonprofit making organizations.

It came into being after the havoc caused by ENRON, the Texas company that functioned with little or no regulatory oversight in the 90s. Enron grew like a giant octopus with tentacles that surrounded and destroyed much more than investor portfolios. It destroyed lives, communities and institutions around the country.

In the field of energy it trampled environmental concern, disregarded responsibility for human welfare, and was lead by a calloused management some of whose actions were found to be criminal. We are going backwards if we pass a politically expedient, watered-down version of the law whether nonpartisan or not.