Murdering Mother

   During a recent walk, I was distressed to see warnings that pesticide had been applied to the expanse of grass at apartment complex where I reside. I was overcome by a wave of nausea and revulsion. It breaks my heart to see Mother Earth's children treat Her so shabbily. We are appointed stewards of the lands and seas of our home planet. Is this how we handle our sacred charge? It might not be just United States that is manic for cosmetically enhanced grounds but here, it seems to be an evil mad chemist's dream come true.

   Pesticides don't only kill the targeted "pest" but innocent adjuncts thereof. Those grubs killed by your lawn chemicals? Bluebirds love 'em, but because grubs make your grass less "pretty," you decided they must die; but if the grubs don't die right away, any bird devouring them might get sick [and eventually die]. And the toxicity doesn't stop there: bunnies and other denizens of the wild ingest this poison. The names Chem-Lawn and Monsanto are familiar, undoubtedly in the States and perhaps even abroad. Even when activist groups call them out for their dirty deeds, money has a way of blinding legislative bodies: and non-monied peoples are just expected to suck it up. Not for the greater good but because corruption is more lucrative than justice.

   As species continue to be eliminated, it will not be so very long before humans are on the endangered list. In many places, they already are. Where do you suppose runoff chemicals go? They don't just disappear, you know. They enter waterways; destroying ecology and tainting drinking water. Although risks are minimally acknowledged, "powers that be" have deemed the levels of danger *acceptable;* mainly because said powers are not affected. The situation has been especially dire in poor areas, which are inhabited by large numbers of persons of color. Yet another way to keep oppressive [white supremacist] patriarchy alive. Can people not see, not understand, that destroying the planet, destroys society. Granted, we humans have flaws; but it would be better to heal, than kill.

   A good place to start would be to encourage and promote more areas of natural habitat; particularly outside city limits. If a property owner declines to mow, don't impose some bully ordinance to force it, by threats to send county equipment to do the job and bill the property owner for it. There is an awful lot of nonsense going on and it just seems these funds would be better spent, cleaning up toxic waste, fixing roads, and enforcing fair housing practices.

Even inside city limits: promote turning yards and roadsides to raising food crops. If the early days of the Covid-19 taught us nothing else, it made people aware of disruptions to supply chains. For example, thousands of gallons of milk were dumped: maybe it was greed and maybe it was not physically manageable to donate to poor people. It did nothing to help that relief subsidies went overwhelmingly to mega-farms: the wealthy, who could have come through this situation virtually unscathed, were bailed out. Crony capitalism will be the death of us. Then what?
   But while I still have your attention, I would implore you to be kind: not only because it is the right thing to do; just do it for yourself - it will make you feel better.