Happy Earth Day - NOT!

NOW THAT EARTH'S DAY HERE, WHAT I WROTE ABOUT IT A FEW DAYS AGO, WITH A FEW MINOR ADDITIONS!

Of 'Earth Day', 'Deep Ecology', and assorted forms of False Knowledge

I have substantially survived the week -- although cash flow matches the economy -- very slow! I wrote the following last Saturday, but since "Earth Day" is today, it is worthy of reprint, at least in my opinion.

April 22, comes one of my least favorite holidays, 'Earth Day.' For the last 35 years, it has given me the creeps. I was both a student at Michigan State University and working for the Michigan House of Representatives as a speechwriter and "Legislative Analyst" when the first Earth Day was 'celebrated'. I will confess to you I did not like the Vietnam War -- most people in my generation did not, although we had lots of empathy for those in our age group drafted to fight in that 'conflict.' I had no trouble marching against that war. I also had no trouble marching for civil rights. I will confess to you now that I was an energetic young activist. I still treasure so many of the friendships and acquaintances I made in that era, including even Rosa Parks herself. I was running a mayoral campaign in Highland Park, Michigan in 1975 -- a successful campaign to unseat a sitting mayor. While sitting in a church service that we descended upon in what I now will concede was a shameless effort to gain votes for our side, I felt something tugging on the hem of my dress. I looked and there was Rosa Parks with thread and needle. She had noticed my hem was loose and she was in her usual unassuming manner, repairing same. About 8 years later, I was to meet Tony and Sue Liuzzo. Tony is the son of slain civil rights crusader, Viola Liuzzo. Although Viola Liuzzo turned Unitarian in her quest, Tony and Sue now share my traditional Christian beliefs. They remain close personal friends.However much I passionately participated in the first two events, as I did in the Eugene McCarthy presidential campaign of 1968, I could not and would not participate in the first Earth Day, even though so much of the crowd in the various peace and civil rights movements were there. I sat in my cubicle in the Speaker's Staff headquarters of the House of Representatives section of the Michigan State Capitol and literally shivered with creeps as I read the announcements for the day. I bought the books for research, but I frankly instinctively disliked all I was hearing. I could not tell you why until 1981, the year I first discovered the New Age Movement. Perusing literature of popular groups of the Movement starting with the Sierra Club and moving through Friends of the Earth and the scare projections of the Club of Rome, I had what the New Agers would probably label an "aha moment" and others might call "an epiphany." My thoughts went something like this:"They are talking about increasing living space, population reduction, mandatory abortion, licensing people to have children, encouraged and even forced sterilizations, terminating life supports -- My God -- that is what the Nazis were all about! So many nice people into this -- somebody's got to warn them." When I discovered the esoteric underpinnings of the movement which were almost universally talking about (a) a new 'messiah' coming; and (b) recognition of Lucifer as a benevolent planetary force (Theosophical Society; Lucis Trust; Benjamin Creme, et al ad nauseum), I knew that I was facing something for which I could not conscientiously keep silent. I remember saying to myself about the probable consequences for speaking out "professional suicide; political suicide"! But speak out I did.I was surprised over the years to see that much of my support came from places where I often least expected it and so much of my opposition came also from places where I least expected it. I will write more about that in future blogs, but for now1. I will not be celebrating Earth Day -- not this year -- not any year.2. I recommend you take steps to obtain a read a book by Bruce S. Thornton. I read significant portions of it today on a subscription service I employ, Questia. com. I plan to track the book down on Amazon.com and order same as soon as possible! Publication information is:Book Title: Plagues of the Mind: The New Epidemic of False Knowledge. Contributors: Bruce S. Thornton - author. Publisher: ISI Books. Place of Publication: Wilmington, DE. Publication Year: 1999. "I frankly found the book tracking down sources where Javier Solana's mother was quoted. I rather doubt if Mr. Thornton caught her own 'false knowledge' which was an open profession of OSHO/Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh as her 'teacher.' He quoted her in a context of how false beliefs get started and are perpetuated. He skillfully identified so many, including the myths behind Earth Day, and the alleged 'civility' (NOT) of pre-Christian cultures

For an invaluable historic perspective on Earth Day, read Stephen Levy's THE UNICORN'S SECRET: MURDER IN THE AGE OF AQUARIUS. It will give you the less stressed more seamy background of one of its major founders, Ira Einhorn of Philadelphia.


# posted by Constance Cumbey : 3:36 PM 11 comments