Dear America,

Guess I didn't have much to say yesterday; you know what I should have said?  I should have just plastered a big shout out of

"NO COMMENT"

for the day and be done with it...

only, just find the idea of the President of the United States not having any further comment, at a time when a radical American President statement is most warranted and needed, utterly shameful.  Sure, he is acting presidential -- for he has every right and privilege, as both citizen and president, to scoff off such insidious duties such as this -- speaking up; but is it the right thing to do?  Especially in light of the fact that he already jumped into the pool with both feet; I guess he misspoke -- or he had absolutely no idea the water would be so cold.

Welcome to America, Mr. President.

the cold, racist, intolerant, bigots that we are, right?

Nope, that's not exactly true, is it.

We just speak up when we see something being done that's wrong, that's all.  We speak up in our homes, we speak up with our teachers, we speak up with our congress, we speak up with our community leaders, we speak up with our ministers, we speak up with our children, we speak up as individuals, groups, en mass or alone.  WE SPEAK; and it is good.

Something beautiful was captured on the front page of this morning's local section of the newspaper, from the San Diego U-T -- a picture of our latest addition to our Wild Animal Park's elephant family, Emanti; he was born May 12, so that makes him a Taurus... like as in The Bull but more like an elephant, strong willed and headstrong, but a true thinker; they thrive on security, seldom lose control; they are of the earth -- representative of the art, beauty, and strength, and shown to be seldom, if ever, vain.

Emanti means "water" in Siswati, the language of Swasiland, as the U-T makes known for those of us not well versed in Siswa-tian.

Now, you may think that's it -- Emanti, water, little Taurian elephant... done.

Nope.

Interesting to take little Emanti's fifteen minutes of fame further, he is one of the rare breeds who actually responds to his name, just like our domesticated animals we all know and love; he will learn to come when he is called -- by his name!  Isn't that just precious! 

Apparently, lions do too; but Rhinos, not so much -- and out where the deer and the antelope roam, neither will they come when you call, even if it's really loud and time for dinner.

According to Rulon Clark, a biology professor at San Diego State, "they are vocal animals to begin with...they're social creatures who live in herds," so it should be "no surprise that elephants can relate to their names."

Having been given a name, the animal is more prone to advancement, by being stimulated mentally -- allowing for their relationships to move beyond the superficial level, deeper than the pure physical attraction and beauty of their trainer or little Ellyana next to him (I just made that last part up; everything beyond the dash...totally made up, rhetoric if you will, something maybe even entirely not true).

Okay, NOW I'm finished with baby beluga elephant named Emanti; even though I can't wait to go see him and introduce myself...you too, can see him by going to www.uniontrib.com/babyelephant

The thing is, even when being perfectly clear, a president can miss the mark;  a true blue American President would inherently and completely, without thinking about it sort of thing, side with the majority of Americans.  A president such as a Bush or Reagan, perhaps a president like a Clinton or Kennedy, they would never give creative license to building a mosque on Ground Zero; they would, without a doubt in my mind, say to the Imam, speak to the developers, direct his thoughts to all Americans, New Yorkers specifically, the rest of us metaphorically, but certainly to the Islamic world  -- that this is AMERICA! And we will not be stampeded into the ground any further by a victory mosque placed on or near the closest watering hole next to Ground Zero -- we will not stand for that; for we call it like it is.

For this kind of bad behavior has been done before all over the world; and this Imam Rauf, this Daisy Khan, know exactly what they do.

But here we are in namby pamby land apparently, one day the President shows all guts and no glory, and speaks to his fellow Muslims at the White House Ramadan dinner, open mic and proud of it; the next day, he takes a step back, pondering the damages by his very own gigantic hoof in mouth; morphing slowly and ever evolving into, finding the balls to venture into I have "no regrets" and "no comment" country; and now I'm done playing, Martha's Vineyard is calling my name.

What is troubling today, in America, is having a President who -- in spite of having been birthed a beautiful name -- he has no idea who he truly is.

He doesn't really know how to be or behave as an American President and citizen -- for just look at his history:

• he was given a name, which at times he has hidden from view (the Hussein part)
• he was living on an island, a place just barely a state, or in Indonesia, his most formative years
• he was given a heritage, who at times -- in his words and sentiment -- he has purely despised (speaking of his reference to "whitey" commentary, and a grandmother of a particular color).
• he was given a political view, which continues to confuse and dismay the majority of us -- we of course knew he was hardly "right", but center was what we thought we got, while the rules for radicals left could only be witnessed from deep water drilling -- and you had to know it was there or you would never go out that far in the first place.
• he was given a religion he claims to be Christianity, yet he has worshiped as a Muslim (childhood), and in adulthood as a Black Liberationist under his mentor and closest thing to a real father, who baptized his children, who he consciously chose to follow loyally for twenty years in a church, a church who does not believe in the sanctity of America, individual salvation and self-reliance  -- but the collective salvation and damnation of America, through the most radical hate speech a "preacher" could ever muster -- all of which he never would have given up until he ran for President of this United States -- of this America.
• he was given the highest honor in the land, and one of the first thing's he does is apologize to the world for our behavior and imperialistic arrogance, beginning smack dab in the Muslim world.

The man, the citizen, the president does not really know who he is -- but even if by some miracle he does, right now we are watching him pretend to be something he is clearly not.

It's not because of his color.

It's not because he may be Muslim.

It's not because he is clearly, by all appearances, very, very liberal.

It's not even because he demonized part of his own ethnicity and family heritage.

It's because he, himself, is not in harmony with his own American spirit -- thereby breaching whatever relationship we, the people, thought we had with him; the surface does not match what is inside the man; we have been fooled and sit at the edge of cliff, looking over the land we know and love, disheartened by our own naivete and trust, only wishing we had a clue as to the easy way back.

Oh Emanti, you lucky boy!  You know who you are today. 

You are an American elephant, with a whole herd of family surrounding you, born in the second happiest place on earth (second to Disney, of course).  All you will ever have to do is be true to yourself, never thinking you're a lion, a tiger, or bear -- you are an American elephant christened with the name, Emanti, which means "water" born in the sun sign of Taurus.

You will be happy to know that earth and water mix really well together, each taking turns characterizing the beauty and brains of a balanced relationship; but no matter, don't worry that pretty little head by thinking too much about it, just be yourself and you will get along just fine.

That's all Americans really ever want (speaking of presidents or bakers or car makers or preachers) -- honest to goodness, your word as good as a handshake as good as a done deal as good as apple pie and sunshine all melting into one big happy family.

Honesty (integrity, honor, charity...see 9/12 project in sidebar) is the best public policy, and it all begins with an American President; guessing, "it's no surprise" that presidents "can relate to their names;" but stumbling over half truths and make believe, you will fall and fail all of us, but mostly, here in America, your self.

Make it a Good Day, G

My name is Gretchen...Gretchen Suzanne...just a girl who loves elephants this day in the life of G -- here, in America -- and make no mistake,  a happy place -- a place where we come when we are called and speak up!  Yeah for you and me and Emanti!

Take a few minutes, maybe ten, to witness the first moments with a mother and child on "Dear America" theater today; there is no music, but a sit in the silence, being apart of something pretty magnificent, is all you really need.

Dear America,

Happy Tuesday.

I have recently been told, and I quote,  "you've got nothin better to do, all you do is pick..."

You got me.

Yup, that's it; you bet; hang a star on that one.

In keeping with the thrill of having no idea what set this comment off (as we know, context is soooo yesterday), but let's review.

First, I have nothing better to do.
Second, all I do is pick.

Well, in the macro sense, watching the world tumble from the way we were, to worse than the way we were, to God knows, if we will ever see the light of day of the way we were or could ever be again -- is worthy, to say the least, of one's involvement.

There IS nothing better to do than to play a part in setting things right side up once more, nothing.

From The 5000 Year Leap, in a segment dealing with "what is 'public virtue'", an historian by the name of Gordon Wood is noted saying,

"In a Republic, however, each man must somehow be persuaded to submerge his personal wants into the greater good of the whole.  This willingness of the individual to sacrifice his private interest for the good of the community -- the eighteenth century termed public virtue....The eighteenth century mind was thoroughly convinced that a popularly based government "cannot be supported without virtue."

We have nothing better to do as a nation but to rise up to our own potential, pay attention to the details of how we create our communities, and fully recognize that we can only be as good as the people we associate with as a whole, and as a family, and as ourselves.

At the time before we separated from England, as a people, we doubted our capability to be able to do just that.  Our minds were wrapped around all sorts of demons, and questions, and uncertainty surrounding our ability to break free from our co-dependency with the mother land.  It took us, as a people, to a point of getting so unnerved and elevated in our frustration, that we finally came to the realization that we had nothing better to do than rise up, speak up, and vent until the gathering of such common sense ideals was good enough to cause a revolution.

Nothing better to do, you bet.

Now the second thing, in the matter of 'all I do is pick' -- that might also be in the eye of the beholder.

But throw me in the dungeon, anyway, for there, most certainly, is all the time in the world to stare at the stone walls and pick, pick, pick at everything under the sun and more (throw in a typewriter, and we have magic) -- but my point is, perhaps, eventually, the light of day will show through.

I can tell you this, by golly, I would rather be on the side of the pick-er than upon the side of being drowned in a sea of apathy, only highlighted by the steady stream of indifference making it's way to the deep, dark chasm of being unattached to anything outside the bubble created by one's own ignorance.

I will choose to pick till my hearts content any day, anywhere; for at least upon the duty of the picker, I am using my power to make choices, to take a stand, to elevate the mood -- the conversation -- the dialogue -- the resolution -- to a point where real understanding can begin...and welcome everyone else to do the same (you, too, can be a picker too).

I am not afraid of where it may lead; I am not hiding from, manipulating, dismissing, or otherwise, putting my head in the sand, for fear of what may come of it -- of the truth yet to reveal itself.

It is when we don't pick that we should all become concerned; for what do we really have left when we stop caring about what happens next?

Our society, created lovingly and painstakingly by our forefathers, was created out of the rule of law and order.  Yet, much of the law itself was not based on the government holding our hand to the fire and legislating every bloody thing under such rule, embodying the likes of pure abstinence and solemn pledges and strict codes to keep us sound -- it was a law created through our attachment, as a people, to the freedoms of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness under a much higher calling; natural law, inherent to the laws of man through the Creator of all of life, was all that was deemed necessary and wise; and those, for all intents and purposes, came from pure love, and nothing less.

From Sir William Blackstone,

"Man, considered as a creature, must necessarily be subject to the laws of his Creator....This will of his Maker is called the law of nature...This law of nature, being coeval with mankind, and dictated by God, Himself, is of course superior in obligation to any other.  It is binding over all the globe in all countries, and at all times: no human laws are of validity, if contrary to this."

The fact is, anytime the government usurps the power of the people (that's simple folk like you and me), it is our duty as a people to pick -- and pick it apart as fast as we can (again) -- in order to get to the root of that which will, not only sustain us forevermore, but serve us well and good -- granting all people the freedom to make their own happiness -- for that is really akin to what God wants for each and every one of us (but like it, or not, free will gives us all the freedom to do as we please).

From Thomas Jefferson,

"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and, accordingly, all experience has shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But, when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security."

We MUST go back and choose -- no, PICK for ourselves -- to return to the original authority and freedom to create our world... after, by all appearances, the pure and utter destruction, in every sense and sensibility of it's kind, of a government run amuck.

Pick, choose, pick, write your congress-minion, pick, vote, pick, speak up, and pick some more is what we must do -- or else, we can kiss this America goodbye.

Today, I am proud that I have nothing better to do than pick.

Make, pick, choose, pick again, and make it a Good Day, G

your music for the day is just a click pick on Dear America...everyday...cuz I got nothin' better to do...