Honor Their Sacrifice

Please do not wish anybody a happy Memorial Day. 

There is nothing happy about a day set aside to honor the men and women who gave their lives in service to our country. I can think of nothing more insulting than using the word ‘happy’ in the same sentence with Memorial Day.

Far too many Americans either are unaware of or choose to ignore the true meaning behind this day. It should not be just another excuse for a three-day weekend. It isn’t all about barbecues and baseball and the unofficial start of summer. And worst of all are the Memorial Day sales that are screamed about in endless television commercials.

This is the day to honor those who died defending our country and our freedoms. It is not the same as Veterans Day, which happens every year on November 11. Veterans Day is the appropriate day on which to recognize the service of all who are serving and who have served in our armed forces. This simple distinction clearly is too complex for most Americans to comprehend. The days are not the same. So please, this Memorial Day weekend, enjoy your barbeques and your parties. But please don't forget to honor the sacrifices of theses men and women. 

As an American, I find it extremely embarrassing that so much of our population is totally clueless about which holiday is which. If you have forgotten your civics lessons from high school, please spend five minutes doing some research so you can understand the difference.

So please, on this Memorial Day weekend, enjoy your parties and your barbeques. But please don't forget those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

American Military Cemetery, Normandy, France, where the D-Day landing occurred on June 6, 1944.

Simply the Best

 Tina Turner has died. 

The legendary singer was 83. I have always loved her music. I currently have several of her CDs in my collection. I watched many of her televised concerts over the years. 

In addition to her powerful voice, I was always in awe that she could dance throughout the concert on 3 inch heels. I know I couldn’t walk in heels that high, much less dance and sing simultaneously.

I am always saddened by the passing of an icon. But her death has hit me really hard. She was only a few years older than I am when she died.  Perhaps it’s knowing all the things she overcame and all the torment, both physical and emotional, that she endured before she became a superstar. Her current husband reported that she continued to suffer from PTSD as a result of abuse by her first husband.

She said she was an unwanted child who was abused by her father and unloved by her mother. She was raised by her grandmother. She was beaten by Ike Turner, her husband of 16 years, until one day she found the courage to leave with, as she reported, a Mobil card, a quarter, a dime and a penny to her name.

Fortunately for the world, Tina never gave up. She persevered. And she was rewarded with an amazing career, tons of money and worldwide acclaim. She ultimately met the wonderful man she eventually married. She gave up her US citizenship and became a citizen of Switzerland, where she lived until her death. 

Tina Turner has been described as a survivor, a role model for abused women, and at the end of her life, as an advocate for controlling one's blood pressure. She ignored her high blood pressure for many years, which caused her to have a stroke and to severely damage her kidneys. 

Tina Turner was a singer, a superstar, a survivor, a pioneer.

My favorite description of this incomparable woman was from Dan Rather, who described her as a force of nature.

That she certainly was.

Finding Something to Smile About

There isn't a great deal in this world to smile about.

But I have noticed that there is one thing that makes me smile: reviewing my digital images of my numerous trips to Africa.

I just finished a project that necessitated going through the tens of thousands of digital images taken during my 10 safaris to southern Africa. I put together a photo book featuring my best and my favorite images of African elephants in their native habitat. I pulled some 50 images taken in a variety of African countries. I should receive the printed copy later this month.

I have started my next project, a photo book of lion images. This undertaking will be easier, as I have far fewer photos to review.

Are Americans Better Than Others?

To answer the question in the title above, I say no, we are not better.

I would guess that most people believe that they and their compatriots are better than people in other countries. I disagree with that sentiment.

What brought this question to mind is a lot of online complaints about how World Central Kitchen should be feeding Americans rather than Ukrainians or Haitians or Turks or Syrians. If you're not familiar with WCK, it is an organization founded by renown Spanish chef Jose Andres to provide meals to people affected by natural disasters, climate change and war.

WCK does respond to natural disasters in the US such as tornadoes, hurricanes and floods, but its purpose is not to feed America's poor indefinitely. WCK chefs and volunteers arrive in the aftermath of natural disasters to provide hot meals while the communities start to recover. WCK uses locally sourced ingredients and local chefs and volunteers as much as possible. They also strive to provide meals that will bring comfort to those impacted by the disasters. The organization is not there to provide a lifetime safety net for Americans. It is there to respond to disasters, wars and other crises.

And the last time I checked, American cities aren't being bombed into oblivion. as are many regions of Ukraine. Our apartment buildings, electrical grids, hospitals, schools and government buildings are not being destroyed as they are in Ukraine.

I'd love to ask what these critics are doing to help feed people in this country. My guess is, very little.

I happen to believe that people other than Americans deserve to be fed. I believe that Americans are not better than people in other countries. We may have a higher standard of living, better health care, greater freedoms, etc. But those things do not make the average American better than the average person in Italy, France, Japan, Kenya, Costa Rica, Brazil or any other country.

So I support the World Central Kitchen wherever it is operating. I also support Meals on Wheels in my local area, as well as my state's largest food bank. And I have done so for several years. I volunteered every week at a local food pantry for a couple of years. I served Thanksgiving dinner to anyone who showed up for a free meal. And when I lived in California, I supported the local food bank there every time I got paid. I also donated food during my California church's monthly 'food barrel Sunday.'

Just last Saturday I donated a large bag of food to the USPS food drive for our largest food bank, which supports food banks throughout the state.

On trips to Tanzania, our trip guides collected unwanted food from our box breakfasts and lunches and gave it to local people nearby. They were always grateful for the food.

Helping to feed the hungry is not an either/or situation. Americans, unlike people in most countries -- particularly those at war -- have many resources for food. We have food banks -- I know of several in my area -- and soup kitchens and other sources of food. And I do not believe that Americans are any more deserving of assistance than are people in other countries. Americans are not better than people in other countries. Most of us are better off, but we are not inherently better. We all are human.

I know this sentiment goes against the 'America first' attitude so prevalent among many right-wing Americans. But how and to which organizations I choose to donate money is entirely my business. Those who don't agree with WCK's choices of where to provide hot meals to those is need are free not to support the organization. They also are free to donate food and money to organizations serving Americans in need. But criticizing the organization really isn't necessary or helpful.

I would guess that most of the naysayers and complainers don't support any organization helping to feed the poor. It's a lot easier to complain than to actually do something to help.

For me, I will continue to support WCK, local food banks and Meals on Wheels.

Jambo, Dada!

Jambo, Dada is Swahili for Hello, Sister. 

I heard this greeting one evening at one of my favorite lodges in Tanzania as I walked up to the main tent for dinner. I didn’t recognize the woman who said it. And I don’t know that I have ever met her. I was so surprised I don’t think I responded in as friendly a manner as I should have. But this two-word greeting nonetheless made a big impression on me.

I don’t know what prompted her to refer to me as ‘sister.’ I hadn’t interacted with her previously. We have little in common. I was a guest in her country, while she was a citizen. She was black, and I am white. I know only a few words of Swahili, and I would guess she knows a little English.

But somehow she reached out and connected with me with a simple, two word sentence. Now refer to a friend with whom I have made two trips to Tanzania as dada. 

Asante, Dada. Thank you, Sister.

How Many Deaths Are Enough?

How many are enough?

How many dead children murdered by some mentally ill or simply evil gun- toting person are enough? How many workplace shootings? How many people must die while going about their business, attending church services, grocery shopping, going to the post office or to the movies? How many children must be murdered while simply attending school? How many mass shootings must we hear about day in and day out, week after week, month after month, year after year?

Is there an upper limit we have not yet reached to satisfy the blood lust of the gun gods?

So far in 2023 there have been 210 mass shootings, according to the Gun Violence Archive. A mass shooting is defined as a shooting in which there are at least four injuries or fatalities, excluding the gunman.

Members of Congress refuse to do anything to even attempt to curb gun violence. Many oppose a ban on assault weapons, which have only a single purpose -- to kill quickly and in massive numbers. The best they can do is to offer still more platitudes of thoughts and prayers. Big effing deal. Thoughts and prayers are too little too late. They do absolutely nothing to ease the pain and the heartache of family and friends of those who were murdered.

I don’t want to hear any more thoughts and prayers. They are useless. They are insulting.

And don't talk to me about your freedom to own as many weapons as you want. Want about my freedom to go to the grocery store or to the mall without fear of being murdered? What about the freedom of our children to attend school without fear or being slaughtered?

I want our so-called ‘leaders’ to actually act like leaders. Rather than squabbling and wasting time and taxpayer money on still more investigations and hearings and political posturing, they need to start dealing with this country’s real problems.