Vote for Joe

Yesterday an extensive report was released saying that more than 40 scientific studies all show global warming is having a widespread effect — from dramatic polar ice-cap melting, to all kinds of animal species’ habitats being changed, to… Now, we can sit back and lament about how not much is being done about this , or: we can take matters into our own hands. For instance, even though the current administration isn’t currently participate in the Kyoto Protocol to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, our family has decided to participate. That is, we walk or bicycle 90% of wherever we travel in Bluffton, Ohio. We’ve cut the thermostat back, close off part of our place during the winter, and wear sweaters. We don’t use air conditioning (there was a time when no one used air conditioning). We often share the same bath water — I just try and make sure I get in before the 18 month old has had his bath. And on… What’s more, we put up a yard sign that said we were a “Kyoto Protocol Home Zone.” And we tell everyone who asks, and even some who don’t ask, what that means. It just takes “one candle” in every town to start to shift this. Not to mention, we’ve been using candles, instead of electric lights, sometimes at night too. Note: Liz and I frequently tell reporters we are running as “concerned parents.” And one of the things we’re concerned about is leaving our children a “world of global warming.” I mean, what caring parent would do that, huh?

Today I met with a family who moved to a small farm in the village of Maria Stein, Ohio a couple years ago. They are from California, and felt compelled to get “back to the land.” They eat their produce primarily from a series of well designed raised bed gardens. Dan Souter told me they grow everything organically and he takes great care to make sure the soil is as mineral rich as possible. Why? Because he said as “head of the household,” it is his spiritual responsibility to make sure his family is eating as healthy as possible. What’s more, he said having his family on the farm puts them way more in touch with “God’s natural creation.” He said with his children, for example, they have become fascinated with this creation (seasons, plants, animals…); as opposed to being fascinated with “dead material things that come from factories (sofas, TVs, cars…).”

A question: If a presidential candidate has the best platform in regard to where the country needs to go, but he/she loses the election; did the candidate lose, or did the electorate lose?

Our platform calls for, not only making more tangible amends to the Native Americans for the absolutely unconscionable genocide and theft of land committed by our forefathers — but it also calls for much more strident attempts to build bridges, and learn from the Native American culture… I talked with Bruce Thumm in Findlay, Ohio today. He married a Seneca Indian woman and has two sons who have dual citizenship, as card carrying Senecas and citizens of the U.S. Mr. Thumm told me: “Our ancestors killed more than 10 million Natives… and of the 800 treaties that were created — not one was honored.” [Talk about a ‘terrorist nation,’ huh.] One of Mr. Thumm’s sons is an artist. He painted an American flag as he interpreted it would be seen through the eyes of a Native. His painting had the red stripes bleeding into the white, representing the attrocities at: Wounded Knee, Bull Run, Little Big Horn, Trail of Tears… The flag was featured in the Governor’s Art Show… Mr. Thumm said through his marriage he started “to learn of their (Seneca’s) ways and spirituality.” He was deeply impressed. For instance, he said the Natives didn’t believe in owning land, “the land owned them, and they were functioning in harmony with the land and nature.” Question: If we were doing that, do you think we’d have all the environmental problems (global warming, vanishing species, acid rain…) we have now? I don’t.

Average Joe Buckeye Blitz cont. A cluster of last minute e-mails of support have come in. A pastor of a small church in Kentucky wrote that he was struck with our message of “simplicity, concern for life, compassion for the poor…” A college student from Alabama wrote: “I happened to run across your website (recently) and was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. Here was this man who I honeslty felt would not only keep America and the rest fo the world from getting worse, but actually make both drastically BETTER!” Another man from Rome, Georgia, sent a copy of an e-mail he just sent to “family and friends.” Part of it read: “Yet I truly believe that my vote for Joe Schriner will mean, and perhaps signify, more than just another vote for a candidate I am uncomfortable with. What’s more, my conscience will be clear as I leave the voting booth. I now can’t wait for Tuesday.” (Me either.) What’s more, he ended the letter with: “I’m Tom Farmer, and I approve of this message.” [I loved that.]