One of the nice perks about working at a school is that I get a spring break--two weeks, in fact, since I am at a year-round school. I had the good fortune to get invited along to a farm in the Hoopa Valley of Northern California for most of last week with a group of friends and fellow garden teachers. The experience was wonderful and rewarding: working the land and enjoying farm fresh meals in great company. The life felt very wholesome and rewarding, and I felt refreshed and re-energized after only a couple of days away. The previous three months of work and life had really worn me down for a variety of reasons, and being on the farm and traveling with friends really did the trick. Although I have spent nearly all of my life in cities, rural life has a strong pull on me: the idea of living close to the land, growing food, being attuned to the rhythms of nature and the seasons. It's hard, back-breaking work at time, and I wonder if I'm up for it.
Only a few days later, I find myself in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It's part of a trip I'm taking to the East Coast to visit friends and also see New York City for the first time. Needless to say, it's a real contrast from the few days I spent on Greenfire Farm. It's cold out here too, but it was cold in Humboldt County, too. Both places make me appreciate the real, changing weather that the Bay Area lacks.
I am sure I'll have more thoughts and observations to ramble on about as this spring break trip proceeds...
For those who have read thus far, here's another action for racial justice that we can take, also from the organization Color of Change. It also fits in with one of the major themes of 'The Wire', and I'm sure those who have seen the show, or perhaps even suffered these injustices, can attest to the importance of making our drug laws more fair.
Dear Friends,
The so-called "war on drugs" has created a national disaster: 1 in 9 young Black men in America are now behind bars. It's not because they commit more crime but because of unfair sentencing rules that treat 5 grams of crack cocaine, the kind found in poor Black communities, the same as 500 grams of powder cocaine the kind found in White and wealthier communities.
These sentencing laws are destroying communities across the country and have done almost nothing to reduce the level of drug use and crime.
Senator Joe Biden is one of the original creators of these laws and is now trying to fix the problem. But some of his colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee are standing in the way. I've signed on with ColorOfChange.org to tell them to stand with Joe Biden and undo this disaster once and for all. Will you join me? It just takes a moment and you can start by clicking on the link below:
http://www.colorofchange.org/crackpowder/?id=1969-121790
Thanks.
Please spread the word. Also, if you read this blog, let me know what you think. I want to help promote causes such as a fair drug policy, but am wondering if this is an effective place to do my bit to spread information.
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