Willie Nelson

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Amy Nelson sent us this video she made of her Dad, Willie Nelson, singing “A Peaceful Solution.”

One thing I noticed about the video was the view of the audience listening to Willie. Thousands of people hear Willie sing “A Peaceful Solution” at the end of his shows.

Have you been in one of those audiences?

Have you felt the energy behind the message?

Doesn’t it feel great?

Liz and I were discussing the power of the individual to effect meaningful change with Willie when he stood up and gestured around him in a circle.

“What can each of us do but extend peace into the small area that we can personally influence?” Willie asked.

We will find this power becoming more important every day. As the sick social structures weaken and fall away each of us will find more opportunities to stand up and influence others in our immediate circle.

News on global food supplies, resource depletion, energy stocks, fuel stocks, increased population and global resource demands spiraling out of sight provides all the indicators required to let us know profound changes have become inevitable.

Where are you going to turn?

Hope you are not depending upon the same people who did not make it to the aid of New Orleans after Katrina.

You will find your best alliances to be with family, friends and neighbors. The term popping up to describe this phenomenon is called Relocalization.

Relocalization speaks of renewed grass-roots efforts to reestablish local sufficiency in a renewable and socially responsible manner. You can hear these groups talk about the Post-Carbon era with thoughtful consideration.

Another group you may hear about is APPLE - Alliance for a Post Petroleum Local Economy.

Local family farms will become the energy and food centers for human culture as they had been for thousands of years before the commercial industrialization of the agribusiness conglomerates.

Shipping in things that can be grown locally will become economically unpractical. If you have noticed the rising prices in the grocery stores then you realize the truth in this.

Global climate change is real.

The Arctic will be ice free in just a few more years. This will trigger gigantic and massive crop failures all over the world, low land flooding, sea level rises and a huge number of global refugees. Increased hurricane severity, drought and flooding is already happening.

All of these issues and more become exaggerated in the context of conflict, violence and war.

We need peace to solve our common problems.

More and more you will find yourself turning to those around you, perhaps at a Willie Nelson concert, and see those around you with new eyes. The people standing around you are your only security not corrupt bureaucracies.

To get along with people we will all need to learn and practice peace in all aspects of life.

We must live in peace with the Earth and the plants and animals no less than with our fellow human beings.

Be ready for the change. Be the change. Bring peace.

* * * * * Artist’s Statement * * * * *

To my extended family at WNPRI,

I had never dreamed that over 160 artists would record their own versions and videos of ‘A Peaceful Solution‘ within a year’s time. How could we have imagined such a powerful response?

I can’t speak for Dad. He might have planned it all along. ; ) What a beautiful story that we get to watch unfold, day by day. It’s a reminder of how unimaginably great things are possible with every seed of hope, and every dream is filled with infinite possibility.

Thanks to everyone who has participated. Thanks to Jay and Liz for their vision that has created this wonderful online atmosphere, and continually putting your best energy into WNPRI. It shows.

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You do not need to be a Hawaiian resident or even be a visitor to provide testimony concerning bills in front of the Hawaiian House of Representatives.

You only need to have the desire to help make positive change.

There is a widely held belief that the Hawaiian House of Representatives weighs the testimony of people from outside the state of Hawaii greater than testimony from within the state.

I can only assume that since you read this blog, you have an interest in promoting peaceful resolutions.

Now this is your chance.

Below I’ve supplied sample testimony that you may copy and paste into an email to support a peaceful resolution to a significant element of the so-called “War On Drugs.”

I ask you to participate in this small way to help set things right in Hawaii and provide a positive example of how any state government may comply with the Federal Controlled Substance Act while allowing patient access to medical marijuana.

Please lend your support to House Bill 2678.

The biggest source of revenue to the State of Hawaii is tourism.

The Hawaiian House of Representatives will credit your testimony in support of this modification of Hawaii’s medical marijuana law. They listen to out of state opinion.

Anyone truly desiring peace recognizes the requirement of unity.

Demonstrate your unity with others for the goal of peace.

Send your testimony to:

HLTtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

* * * * * copy and paste email testimony start * * * * *

HB 2678 Testimony

1. Health Committee: Chair - Rep. Josh Green, Vice-chair - Rep. John Mizuno
2. Date of Hearing: 2/1/07
3. Time of Hearing:
4: Location of Hearing:
5: Bill Number HB 2678
5. Position: Support
6: Number of copies needed for committee: 10

Aloha Council Member,

I am writing today to urge your support for House Bill 2678, a bill that seeks to improve Hawai’i’s medical marijuana program.

The most critical issue facing Hawaii medical marijuana patients is the safe and legal acquisition of medicine. Theft, armed robbery, and helicopter eradication programs continually threaten patients.

The Hawaii Revised Statute states that legal medical marijuana patients can acquire and possess the medicine that their doctor recommends, but patients have no choice but to acquire from an unregulated and unethical black market.

It is not in the interest of Hawai’i’s public health to force patients into the black market.

An important question is:
How does a patient who is diagnosed with cancer and to undergo chemotherapy immediately acquire the medicine that his/her doctor recommends?

In this case, there is not enough time for the patient to grow, harvest and cure the medicine that will help with nausea during immediate chemotherapy treatments, and any stress from buying medicine from drug dealers will not help the health of the patient.

Because of conflicts with federal law, Hawaii does not provide for a legal means of supplying marijuana. Allowing patients to form collective and co-operative operations will help individual patients to have their needs met immediately. By employing a “certified facilitator,” it will ensure that patients will have access to the right strains of medical marijuana most suitable for their ailment.

According to the Hawai’i Revised Statutes, a medical marijuana patient must control (through lease or ownership) the area of his or her grow site.

By creating this model allotment system on the island of Maui, agriculturally zoned family farms will be able to secure and lease individual plots of land to individual patients.

This plan will not violate state or federal law. There will be no distribution of marijuana. Money will only be exchanged over the land lease in the secure facility.

The State of Hawai’i has had its medical marijuana program in place for eight years and it is time to rectify some of the problematic aspects of the law.

For the majority of Hawai’i’s medical marijuana patients, it is extremely difficult to consistently grow medical-grade marijuana to continuously meet their needs. Theft, mold, bug infestation, disease, lacking knowledge of successful growing and curing techniques and time consuming trial and error are just a few of the issues patients face.

Allowing patients to grow together in a secure location with access to a knowledgeable facilitator will make it easier and safer for patients and law enforcement. There will be no need for marijuana eradication helicopters to fly low over backyard medical marijuana grow sites.

Once again, I urge you to vote “yes” on HB 2678.

Sincerely,

* * * * * copy and paste email testimony end * * * * *

Send your testimony to:

HLTtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

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We need your help. Over 200,000 acres of wetlands in the Mississippi River flyway are at risk of destruction.

Take action to save these precious wetlands!

Some of the richest natural resources in the nation are in the heart of the Mississippi River flyway. The Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) wants to spend $211 million of your tax dollars on a project that could drain and damage more than 200,000 acres of the wetlands in this area.

In one of the most sparsely populated regions in the state of Mississippi, the Corps would like to build the world’s largest hydraulic pumping plant.

In a throwback to another era – and contrary to federal policy – the Yazoo Pumps would be used to drain wetlands so agribusiness can intensify production to reap more farm subsidy payments.

We need your help today. The Corps has released its final recommendation for the Yazoo Pumps, and we must put a stop to this wasteful and destructive project.

Send an email! Tell the Corps of Engineers, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of the Interior to dump the Pumps and protect these wetlands.

Thanks for taking action,

Environmental Defense Action Network

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Gordon Soderberg sent Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute the first video in the Willie Nelson Peace Video Contest. Gordon lives in New Orleans and dedicates himself to serving the folks who lost so much during Katrina and continue to lose in the aftermath 2 years later. Gordon doesn’t forget.

And just like Willie Nelson’s and Amy Nelson’s song A Peaceful Solution, Gordon offers his peaceful solution.

I thought you might like this video I made with Ms. Gertrude Leblanc. She asked for the City to come and cut the grass in the lower ninth ward, she got no response.

Bio Liberty is a company I’m starting with a local dentist, DR. Kevin Curley DDS. We have our new John Deere tractor and want to start a bio Diesel plant to fuel our lot clearing efforts for the people in New Orleans lower ninth ward.

As you may know, The City of New Orleans is using its “Good Neighbor Plan” to seize property form homeowners who unable to keep their lots cleared.

Over growth of plants have engulfed the steps and foundations where a community once stood. Since losing their homes after the levee breached two years ago, people from New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward are still trying to get home.

It’s ironic that the City of New Orleans does not keep cleared or gut the homes it now owns. Yet, they are fining people who can’t return to New Orleans because of the lack of help. Sad, but true.

Bio Liberty volunteered in the Lower Ninth Ward with a new John Deere tractor, mower, and weed eaters August 28 and 29th.

Bio Liberty is making this all-volunteer effort with the goal of demonstrating its willingness to provide a civic service. We are also looking to find organizations that could help fund doing this on a regular basis. We can make sure these lots are not seized and the cost to the property owners is significantly reduced if not removed altogether.

In order to reduce costs to Lower Ninth Ward Residence, Bio Liberty will use bio diesel. The profits made from selling Bio Liberty Fuel will help pay for the transportation and labor costs.

We believe; You don’t have to make a killing to make a living.

What do you think?

Gordon Soderberg

Website: http://www.bioliberty.net

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Rattlesnake Annie in collaboration with Amy Nelson recently shared a powerful version of Willie Nelson’s and Amy Nelson’s A Peaceful Solution. While researching the article for A Peaceful Solution we watched Goodbye to a River and read the story that gave birth to this classic song. We felt compelled to share this song from a one-of-a-kind musician with you.

Willie Nelson Peace Research Institute wishes to thank Rattlesnake Annie for permitting us to show you her classic performance of Goodbye to a River. Rattlesnake Annie became a citizen of the world 30 years ago when she became dispossessed from her dream. The first Nuclear Power Plant was built in Texas destroying her land and home on the Brazos River.

This song conveys the gut wrenching sadness Rattlesnake Annie felt when she realized the life she had created vanished before her eyes. She sincerely shared her deepest feelings through this song and the world responded. Goodbye to a River became the vehicle, which launched Rattlesnake Annie’s international career.

Rattlesnake Annie continues her journey for peace and understanding today by sharing her heartfelt music throughout the world. Rattlesnake Annie and her songs show us that the key to a worthwhile life entails standing up for what you believe.

Lyrics to Rattlesnake Annie’s song:

Goodbye to a River

Goodbye to a river

Goodbye to the trees

Goodbye to the night birds that sing in the breeze

They’re building a dam and it’s too late to cry

Brazos de Dios, adios goodbye

I love you in springtime

When the wildflowers bloom

I love your summer skies

With its big yellow moon

I love you in autumn

And when the whippoorwills call

I love your people

Most of all

The men with the power

Say it’s just what we need

But I’ll tell you folks

It’s a matter of greed

They’ll dam up the water

And cover our land

Then chalk it all up

To advancement of man

Publisher: © 1976 Ann McGowan Music Inc. BMI (International Copyright Secured)

* * * * * Rattlesnake Annie’s story about the song * * * * *

I wrote “Goodbye to a River” in 1976 in Texas.

I was living by the side of the Brazos River with my husband and our two sons, Lynn and Al. We were located between Palo Pinto and Mineral Wells, Texas.

Our land had not been lived on since the Indians were removed from the mid 1800s.

We built everything we needed on our land with our own hands. We grew our own food, had chickens for eggs, goats for milk and horses for fun.

We put all of our hopes and dreams in our beloved ranch on the river and thought that it would be our home place forever. It was like paradise, surrounded by nature, wild flowers, wild animals, the sounds, the sights, and each moment the miracles of Mother Nature!….the river!

Then, the first nuclear power plant in Texas was build very close to our home.

It was built near Glen Rose, Texas. They built it on Comanche Peak, which was historically the sacred meeting place for Indian tribes in the area to discuss peace.

Of course, we felt like it was too dangerous to live so near the Nuclear Power Plant, which was only a few kilometers down the river. So, we decided that we must leave our land and home.

We had a party for our dearest friends called “The Great American Give-Away” and gave away all our life-long possessions of art, books and various treasures.

Since that time I do not value material possessions. Now I know that you can never really own anything.

We left the river in 1977..…”Brazos de Dios , Adios Goodbye”.

The popularity of this song launched my international career, and it has been recorded in many different languages.

The Brazos River is the longest river in Texas. It is 1,400 km (870 mi) generally southeast across Texas to the Gulf of Mexico southwest of Galveston.

It was named by the Spanish “Brazos de Dios”.

“Brazos de Dios” in Spanish means “Arms of God”

Brazos = arms

de = of

dios = god

“Adios” is a Spanish word meaning “goodbye”

adios = goodbye

* * * * * Rattlesnake Annie’s Peace Bio * * * * *

1. USA

PEACE MOVEMENT

Took part in many activities

Protested, Vietnam War and Draft

Protested, National Guard killing of students at Kent State

2. CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (many protest activities)

wrote “Free The Children”

3. WOMEN’S RIGHTS, EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN THE SOUTHERN UNITED STATES

wrote “Southern Discomfort”

wrote “Apple Pie Blues”

4. AMERICAN INDIAN PROTEST ALCATRAZ ISLAND

wrote- “Reservation Blues”

5. NUCLEAR POWER (protest) Texas first Nuclear Power Plant was build on Comanche Peak

wrote “Goodbye to a River”

6. PALO DURO CANYON, TEXAS Comanche Indian’s home, to bring awareness to our younger generation, of the genocide committed against Native Americans

wrote “Comanche Tears”

7. AMERICAN FARMERS PROTEST ON WASHINGTON (Framers drove their tractors to Washington from all over USA)

wrote “Trail of Tears”

8. 1989 CZECH REPUBLIC, VELVET REVOLUTION

wrote “Letter to Olga”

9. JAPAN-SHINSHU EXPO BENIFITED CHEROKEE INDIAN CHILDREN

1992:

Oklahoma City, Oklahama USA — Governor Walters declared august 24 “Rattlesnake Annie Day” in the state of Oklahoma for outstanding service to the Cherokee Indian Nation.

wrote- “Indian Dream”

wrote- “Mother Mountain”

WILMA MANKILLER, FIRST WOMAN CHIEF OF CHEROKEES HONORED RATTLESNAKE ON BEHALF OF THE CHEROKEE NATION FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE

wrote “Cherokee Eyes”

10. KOBE JAPAN EARTHQUAKE 1995

I went to Kobe shortly after earthquake and played in tent villages, public buildings, places where thousands of people were living who had lost their homes.

Also I went every year for 5 years following the earthquake to sing in memorial services.

wrote-“Great Hanshin Earthquake”

11. CHERNOBYL CHILDREN BENEFIT

1996:

Tokyo, Japan

Concert with Tokiko Kato

recorded “Revolution” with Tokiko Kato

12. JAPAN & SPAIN BENEFIT CONCERTS FOR TUSNAMI

13. PRISONS IN USA AND EUROPE (concerts to bring awareness to the death penalty and prison reform)

wrote “Prison Blues”

14. ISLA MUJERS MEXICO RED CROSS BENEFIT

Isla Mujeres, Yucatan, Mexico-Rattlesnake Annie annual benefit concert for the Red Cross to aid the Mayan Indians.

15. Willie Nelson FARM AID concerts, late 80s

16. INDIA-INTERNATIONAL WOMENS DAY (empowerment of Indian Women)

17. AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL concerts (awareness of Human Rights)

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