In 40 years of Earth Day celebrations the Earth is still here

Today marks the 40^th Anniversary of Earth Day. The day that we are suppose to be aware of our non-stewardship of Mother Earth will lead to our downfall. When Earth Day started 40 years ago several predictions were made to help promote the cause. Chris Baker, morning talk show host on 100.3 FM, placed these statements made by Earth Day predictors on his blog today of which he obtained from reason.com:

"We have about five more years at the outside to do something."
• Kenneth Watt, ecologist

"Civilization will end within 15 or 30 years unless immediate action is taken against problems facing mankind."
• George Wald, Harvard Biologist

"We are in an environmental crisis which threatens the survival of this nation, and of the world as a suitable place of human habitation."
• Barry Commoner, Washington University biologist

"Man must stop pollution and conserve his resources, not merely to enhance existence but to save the race from intolerable deterioration and possible extinction."
• New York Times editorial, the day after the first Earth Day

"Population will inevitably and completely outstrip whatever small increases in food supplies we make. The death rate will increase until at least 100-200 million people per year will be starving to death during the next ten years."
• Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

"By…[1975] some experts feel that food shortages will have escalated the present level of world hunger and starvation into famines of unbelievable proportions. Other experts, more optimistic, think the ultimate food-population collision will not occur until the decade of the 1980s."
• Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

"It is already too late to avoid mass starvation."
• Denis Hayes, chief organizer for Earth Day

"Demographers agree almost unanimously on the following grim timetable: by 1975 widespread famines will begin in India; these will spread by 1990 to include all of India, Pakistan, China and the Near East, Africa. By the year 2000, or conceivably sooner, South and Central America will exist under famine conditions….By the year 2000, thirty years from now, the entire world, with the exception of Western Europe, North America, and Australia, will be in famine."
• Peter Gunter, professor, North Texas State University

"Scientists have solid experimental and theoretical evidence to support…the following predictions: In a decade, urban dwellers will have to wear gas masks to survive air pollution…by 1985 air pollution will have reduced the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half…."
• Life Magazine, January 1970

"At the present rate of nitrogen buildup, it's only a matter of time before light will be filtered out of the atmosphere and none of our land will be usable."
• Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

"Air pollution…is certainly going to take hundreds of thousands of lives in the next few years alone."
• Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University biologist

"We are prospecting for the very last of our resources and using up the nonrenewable things many times faster than we are finding new ones."
• Martin Litton, Sierra Club director

"By the year 2000, if present trends continue, we will be using up crude oil at such a rate…that there won't be any more crude oil. You'll drive up to the pump and say, `Fill 'er up, buddy,' and he'll say, `I am very sorry, there isn't any.'"
• Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

"Dr. S. Dillon Ripley, secretary of the Smithsonian Institute, believes that in 25 years, somewhere between 75 and 80 percent of all the species of living animals will be extinct."
• Sen. Gaylord Nelson

"The world has been chilling sharply for about twenty years. If present trends continue, the world will be about four degrees colder for the global mean temperature in 1990, but eleven degrees colder in the year 2000. This is about twice what it would take to put us into an ice age."
• Kenneth Watt, Ecologist

Now the scare tactics have been used in recent years to push for tougher gasoline standards, cleaner coal, and the use of alternative fuel sources. Debate has raged over the Al Gore's global warming mantra while hackers attempted to provide evidence of data manipulation. It is interesting to read these statements and compare them to some of the more recent conversation on global warming and man's dire need to curb greenhouse gases. The question is did any of these predictions come true? I do not see people in New York, LA, Chicago or Miami wearing gas masks to walk around. I just filled up my car, paid $2.81 a gallon, yesterday even though Kenneth Watt claimed by 2000 we'd be on the brink of having none; it's 2010.

Don't get me wrong I am not advocating the raping of Mother Earth. It does make sense for us to look for cheaper, cleaner ways of producing energy. If we did not move society forward we'd all be stuck riding horses still to get around. We do need to be good stewards of Mother Earth or she will erupt another volcano and more than likely it will be bigger than the one in Iceland; bye bye California. Take time toward to honor Mother Earth and the bounty she offers us. At the same time be aware of the global warming craze or our children will be looking back in 40 years talking about all the dire predictions as noted above.

Chief Judge Bloomquist holding Todd Gilly in Contempt of Court Sparks Debate on Jury Duty

This morning, on the way to taking the kids to school, I was listening to the Chris Baker show. Chris Baker was discussing the prospect of establishing a professional jury pool. The reason for the discussion materialized from events that took place yesterday in a Kanabec County courtroom. During jury selection Kanabec County Chief Judge Timothy Bloomquist asked the jury pool if any had reason that may disqualify them from partaking in the jury trial. Prospective juror Todd Gilly answered the inquiry by Chief Judge Bloomquist by saying, "I could see myself getting awfully frustrated having to take more time off than …a day. I don't get paid when I'm not working. I could see myself just going with the flow to get it over with to get back to work" (Star Tribune, 11/13/09).

That statement did not go unnoticed by Chief Judge Bloomquist. Chief Judge Bloomquist retorted, "To be frank with you, Mr. Gilly, apparently you thought that I was just going to sit here and do nothing while you told us all that you intended to disregard about the law and the facts and the rights of both the State and the Defendant because it was inconvenient for you to be here. I don't intend to disregard that" (Start Tribune, 11/13/09). Chief Judge Bloomquist then sentenced Todd Gilly to spend a day in jail for being in contempt of court. The sentence actually ended up costing Gilly two days of work. Had Gilly not said what he said, he would have only been on jury duty for one day as the trial concluded the same day it started.

Jury duty is a civic responsibility that is not to be taking lightly. Chief Justice John Jay sums it up well when he said that "juries are the best judges of the facts" during the 1794 Supreme Court jury trial State of Georgia vs. Brailsford. Juries have been granted great power by the United States Constitution. A jury has final veto power over the laws that Congress pass and the President signs by interpreting the facts of the case as they apply to the law in question. So, to shirk ones civic obligation of jury duty or to make light of it is an egregious dereliction of civic responsibility. Not every one of us is going to enlist in the military to defend our freedoms and liberties afforded us under the United State Constitution. That being said, a way that many of us are capable of performing civic duty is through being a juror.

The depth of power the juror has is great. Constitutional Rights Network sums up the power a juror have (http://www.constitutionalrightsnetwork.com/JuryDuty/):

    "If you feel the statute involved in any criminal case being tried before you is unfair, or that it infringes upon the defendant's God-given inalienable or Constitutional rights, you can affirm that the offending statute is really no law at all and, that the violation of it is no crime; for no man is bound to obey an unjust command. In other words, if the defendant has disobeyed some manmade criminal statute, and the statute is unjust, the defendant has in substance, committed no crime. Jurors, having ruled then on the justice of the law involved and finding it opposed in whole or in part to their own natural concept of what is basically right, are bound to hold -for the acquittal of said defendant."

Right now the United States is experiencing double digit unemployment and a scarcity of jobs and for someone, like Mr. Gilly, to sit on a jury makes it tough to pay the bills. Understandably, one can see why Mr. Gilly said what he said but if every judge dismissed jurors because of the "inconvenience" that jury pay brings then our system would be filled with the unemployed and retired. As I stated earlier, the conversation on the Chris Baker show around the prospect of having a "professional jury pool" prompts me to write on the topic.

While I can see the benefits of a "professional jury pool", a major pitfall takes place. The assumption is that the "professional jury pool" will be a government employee. Being a government appointment offers the possibility of becoming a political hot potato. Should a "professional jury pool" be established? Is jury duty really a civic duty that we ought to participate in? What excuses are viable for being relieved of jury duty?

Race for Governor of Minnesota has started!!!

Gov. Pawlenty announced several weeks ago that he will not seek another term as Governor of Minnesota. Although the election is 17 months away, many are starting to line up for their party nomination. With a wide open field and several of candidates to choose from, my neighbor and I decided to hear what one of those candidates had to say first hand.

Last night at the Chanhassen American Legion, Rep. Paul Kohls held a kick off meeting for his campaign to become the next Governor of Minnesota. Mr. Kohls spoke for about a hour on what it will take to win the nomination and the Governorship, gave insight into his position and character, and finally asked for support of those in the room. Back in April at the Tea Party held at Capitol, Chris Baker challenged the crowd to not end their participation in the process with the Tea Party gathering.

I took that personally which was part of the reason why I attended the meeting last night. Rep. Kohls has been out to Hamburg to hear the biggest issue facing the city. In fielding questions from the City Council and the general public, he didn't use vague terms or political talk when answering the concerns. Since that meeting, I have corresponded with Rep. Kohls to gain greater understanding of his stance on issues that concern me the most.

During the meeting last night many questions were asked but I still left the meeting with a few questions unanswered. I did leave my questions for Rep. Kohls and look forward to hearing his responses. As an Independent, I will find a candidate to support that best fits my core ideals. From my conversations with Rep. Kohls and observations from his website, my support is leaning his way.

That is my challenge to all that read my blog. Find a candidate that represents your ideals best. While there will be several candidates vying for your vote for Governor, take a moment to visit each of their websites to learn more about them. One can start by visiting www.kohlsforgovernor.com

Minnesota Tea Party: Right-Wing or American Issue

April 15th is a day that every American dreads as the preparation of tax forms are finalized and sent in to the IRS. In St. Paul additional activities took place on the steps of the Minnesota State Capital building. Exercising the right to assembly, nearly 10,000 people assemble to mark April 15th with a “Tea Party”. The crowd began to gather around 2:30 pm and stayed until well past 8:00 pm. Prior to the kick off by Master of Ceremony Sue Jeffers; several conversations took place from excessive taxation to the mounting debt that will burden future generations of Americans.

Many came armed with signs, slogans, and cloaked in garb from 1773. Below are several signs being carried:




Even an Anti-Bush Sign presented itself.



The crowd was reported at the rally to be near 10,000 while Star Tribune reports only 2000 people showed and the Minnesota Tea Party site reported 7500. The true count is probably somewhere in between. The vast majority of crowd was white and was a strong mix between men and women. In an unofficial straw poll of mine (125 people), 80% of the group voted for McCain and 15% voted for Obama. 10% of the group was liberal. 25% of those asked were at their first rally. The oldest person found was 82 year old while the youngest was a two year old.

Here are some pictures from the crowd:



Several speakers spoke over an hour and half ending with KTLK Radio show host Chris Baker. Jim Schottmuller, 2008 Ramsey County Commissioner candidate, said during his speech the he was called to action after learning of a vote by Ramsey County Commissioners panel of a 25% pay raise to an annual income of $80,000. Mr. Schottmuller challenged the crowd to not stop with the Minnesota Tea Party but to run for office, be an activist, and/or freedom. The continuation of the grassroots campaign of the Tea Party was echoed throughout the speakers. A website has been established to continue the campaign as well. http://www.aftertheteapary.com/.

Other speakers were Scott Nehring (average citizen), John Salsbury (Constitution Party of Minnesota Veterans Coalition Co-Chairman), Stephen Parente (PhD economist), Barb Davis White (conservative African-American), Twila Brase (health care rights advocate), Harold Hamilton (Anoka County watchdog), Dave Thompson (KSTP radio talk show host), and Bill Jungbauer (2010 State Senate candidate). Full transcripts of what all speakers said can be seen at http://www.teapartymn.com/.

The crowd was very interactive with shoots of support and wit. Chants of U.S.A broke out after Jim Schottmuller spoke. No clashed took place. No burning of cars or breaking of glass took place. The crowd was respectful of each other’s point of view and at one point a man’s wedding ring was turned in. The gentleman who lost his ring did say a few words upon retrieving it and thank the crowd. The reason given for the lost ring is the gentleman has been losing weight.

Chris Baker ended the speeches by inviting everyone to the annual May 2nd anti-tax rally.