I Am Not Hamlet

This morning I finished C.S. Lewis' On Stories an uneven collection of essays about literature, some worthwhile, some only so-so. Now though I've got The First Emacipator: The Forgotten Story of Robert Carter--the Founding Father Who Freed His Slaves by Andrew Levy. I have for as long as I can remember interested in this period of history especially when the question of slavery comes up. I like to see how people, some near geniuses, dealt with the great moral evil perpetuated in their midst, much like abortion is today. On the first page Levy writes that Carter presented a "Deed of Gift" to a Virginia court. In the document was the instructions to free his 450 slaves "more American slaves than any American slaveholder had ever freed, more American slaves than any American slaveholder would ever free." Levy continues: What made Carter's act even more striking, however, were the circumstances that surrounded it. Carter lived next to the Washington...

I overheard on one of the cable news channels tonight that some white voters in Kentucky have brazenly announced that they are sticking with Hillary because she's white. How sad, sad, sad, sad. Who can know the human heart? I will not be voting for Senator Obama in November (I might not vote for anyone based on what my choices will be) but it won't be because of his skin color or hair texture. Should I not vote for Hillary because of her plumbing? Oppose ideas, people, not immutable characteristics. Addendum (6-12): There is the other side--some Black folks are voting for Obama simply because he's biracial. The motive may be less despicable then latent, malevolent racism, but voting along racial lines for any reason is stupid.

Joseph Pearce took E.F. Schumacher's ideas from Small is Beautiful (see 2-22-08 post)and updated them, proving that his "New Age Economics" weren't crackpot ideas at all, but workable and necessary. Pearce covers all of Schumacher's themes: Giantism, economics and metaphysics, localism, ecological concerns, and human-sized technology. For instance, with the mantra of neo-classical economics and it's obsession with growth (G.O.D.) Pearce writes: "Economic 'realism' dictates that the world economy must expand or die. Yet economic 'realism' is on a collision course with ecological reality. In the real world, as opposed to the utopian dreams of consumerism, expand or die translates simply as expand and die" (38-9). For the "autistic" economists he summarizes Schumacher's thoughts: "In the first place, economics needs a metaphysical critique of itself, an examination of its intrinsic purpose. Secondly, there is a...

WHO CARES. --An idea for a t-shirt by Kathleen Norris at the Festival of Faith and Writing.

Well, tonight's episode of BSG was the best so far--I've missed the last two. The acting was subdued, rather than lots of yelling which occurs on most every episode. Though it is still a bit early, I think Starbuck is a cylon. Man, this post has geek-speak written all over it. Ummm, OK, Small is Still Beautiful progressing; I'm reading about some communities in England who are slowly but surely, with the help of their utility company(!) switching to renewable sources of power. Ahh, who am I kidding--"We're going the WRONG WAY!"