Tonight, while driving home from my corporate servitude in the city, I once again drove past this symbol of Peace which has shone in hope over lower Goldstream Road for at least the past three winters. You know it, that stretch between Ivory Jacks and the three point intersection of Sheep Creek, Gold Stream and Murphy Dome – what is it with Fairbanks that one road has two or three names?

Within two weeks of "9/11" (the eternal Boogey Man) I came down from the remote mountain perch I was on as a fire lookout near Eugene, Oregon in search of a peace emblem, such as the one that has enlightened the Goldstream Valley.

I dunno about you, but the constant beating of war drums by George Bush (aka Dick Cheney) on "9/12" scared the living poop outta of me.

Every time I heard "that" man (the ever evil GW Bush -- whodda thunk I'd ever miss Nixon) on the radio I was all about “Oh shit, we ARE going to nuke someone.” Then Colin Powell would come on the radio and I would feel all relived that SOMEONE in power was dealing with an extremist action with a calm, rational perspective. WRONG!!

That fall I was working at a remote fire lookout in Oregon. You know, the typical lower-48 fire lookout story a mere three mile walk from the nearest road, yet a million miles away. You know, the stereotypical tree hugger/adventure freak story with the outhouse, being a lightening rod, hauling water two miles with a minimum 1,000' rise by foot story -- heaven in a handbag. Trust me, run out and hug a tree for Jeezus

Bllissfully, and very thankfully, far, far away from the insanity that passes for "civilization." I mean I was out there at least 30-miles from people and even further from their drama. After a week or so that tends to skew your perspective on "life." Ya know, I mean you DO live around Fairbanks, right?

Anyway, the night of 9/12 is one I will never forget. As I sat out on the catwalk I heard the breeding bugle of Elk, watched a shooting star, while an owl flew across my vision and saw that the issues of humanity are not what matters in the big picture. Nations rise and fall, and so too will the United States. All that remains steady is God’s creation which we have strayed away from.

When I heard Colin Powell on the radio the morning of 9/12. I thought there was hope for the future of humanity. The hope that we would not react from fear.

Lord, was I mistaken. The reaction of the US to 9/11 with the invasion of Iraq is proof positive that the human race remains a very primitive species that reacts at a primal level to threats as opposed to an enlightened perspective.

I remain disappointed that the greatest, richest, most powerful nation in the history of human kind has failed the test.

We had an unprecedented opportunity to follow the teachings of “Jesus” (Buddha, The Great Pumpkin, or whatever) and meet violence with peace and totally blew it – and in the process have isolated the USA in the international arena.

Our nation could have changed history for the better. Instead we let our animal nature take over leading us down a path toward global chaos and mayhem. So unevolved a species, we are no more spiritually evolved than the ancient Greeks, Romans or Egyptians! It has only given more validity to my contention that the human species is deserving of extinction, that this planet and the gift of life it has will be far better off without us mucking-up the works

The current economic situation is in part due to this internationally illegal and unnecessary war in Iraq – a war that is being run off the nation’s official budget to the tune of $10 billion a month! Bush/Cheney are destroying this nation economically. After all the outright lies and misinformation that has issued forth from Bush/Cheney I am continually astounded that anyone still believes a single word that comes out of those men’s mouths. It amazes how many have sipped at the Kool-Aid.

Even if Bush/Cheney really believed what they said (which I doubt) had they been corporate CEO’s they would have been fired long ago for making bad decisions by accepting questionable and faulty data. Our nation should have stayed focused on getting Osama in Afghanistan rather than creating a boogey-man out of Saddam. If we would have, much of the “terrorist threat” would have been over by now, rather than the nightmare Cheney lead us into that will pale in comparison to Vietnam.

We are essentially told that if we pull-out of Iraq the world will end. The Islamic extremists (aka anyone who is Muslim) will destroy Western civilization and worse. Yet I recall hearing similar arguments about Vietnam – the domino theory – and when we did FINALLY leave the world did not end. Communism did not take over the world. Too many people have drunk the Kool-Aid Cheney has been serving-up through his puppet GW Bush.

BTW, that peace symbol I picked-up in Eugene in October 2001 remains on my day-pack even now.

War is not the answer. I wonder what it is about peace that is so scary?

IMNSHO: In My Not So Humble Opinion is a trade mark or some such of that moron Bruce Amsbary.