Musings of a Malcontent: Brother can you spare a gun?

Musings of a Malcontent: Environmental Irony in an Imperfect (but humorous?) World“Musings of a Malcontent” is a weekly op-ed by GlobalWarmingisReal contributor Carlyle Coash

Have you noticed a theme of people open firing on others the last few weeks? Guy shooting co-workers in San Jose, CA. Guy shooting people on the freeway in San Diego, CA. Guy shooting people at a hair salon in Seal Beach, CA. Not the best few weeks for the men of the world. Thanks guys. Go to the batting cages next time. I am also noticing a theme of California as the location. I am sure that means nothing.

So glad I live in California.

There are many cultures in the world that pay attention to what goes on in the community. They do this because often the community reflects larger issues that are not being addressed. The economy tanking, retirement age being re-set to 100 and the environment being pillaged – and for the most part we are not talking about it. I mean, not really. Sure it gets some news attention but frankly Lindsey Lohan’s missed community service got more coverage this week.

Does it surprise you that people are shooting each other?Grief not expressed comes out somehow. It has to. Ignoring it, a favorite for many of us, seems great at first. We go along and grief waits patiently for us to acknowledge it. The more we don’t, the more it finds a way to be heard. When you are shooting unarmed civilians, grief is speaking loud and clear. Without acknowledgement, it speaks the one language we seem to pay attention to.

So, how much do environmental issues stress you out? Does the thought that everyday there is an organization somewhere working to get away with as much as possible – dumping some toxic death substance into a water source, for instance – nag at you at all? How about the idea of a trail of trash stretching for miles along the Pacific Ocean keep you up at night? Is the notion that the increase in violent weather events is because of the changing climate causing you to grind your teeth and burst spontaneously into tears?

If you are passionate about the world, then you are likely grieving at its treatment. It is hard not too.

Humbug! Grieving? Me? No way! You are crazy. So what if I occasionally lose my temper and yell at people for not recycling. So what if I occasionally throw my coffee mug against the wall when I listen to a political pundit attack environmentalists. So what if I occasionally threaten to jump off an overpass onto a busy expressway in a large metropolitan area.

Oh, yea – that actually happened last week.

A man protesting medical marijuana legislation and some environmental issues threatened to jump onto Route 163 in San Diego on October 14th.  He disrupted traffic for hours and was finally arrested. His list of demands was not met, at least I hope not. He had sent them to local media before climbing the rail of the overpass. What is even more interesting is that someone else tried to jump onto Route 163 a few hours before I wrote this on the 20th. From what I can tell Route 163 is popular for this kind of event.

Like I said, grief will find a way.

So I want to make a request, a plea to that part of you that might be holding some emotion about what is going on around us. Find a way to express it – creatively – and let it go. Do not store it up and get a nice stockpile going. Untether it and let it fly away before it explodes. Does this make sense?

No shooting. No jumping. No raping. No pillaging. No smashed store windows. No mixing it with alcohol or other mood shifting substances.

Speak it out. Write it out. Paint it out. Sing it out. Line Dance it out. Run it out. Partake in a Sesame Street marathon. Go to Burning Man. Eat 100 hot dogs. Plant some trees. Play naked Twister. Go sit by a tree and bongo it out. Arc weld a series of fabulous iron statues commemorating smelt fishing.

Whatever. Just stop causing more harm.

Trust me, we do not need more harm. We are saturated with it. Seeing our future, and our present, take a royal beating. So help yourself out by helping someone else out. Put the Uzi down and breathe a little. Watch the video on YouTube of the guy kayaking with a Blue Whale. That alone should get you off the overpass.

Do it now, because we need you and your loved ones alive.

And the Earth needs you to grieve.
Image source: The Alopecian Muse

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