Pluto in Capricorn: A New Earth

Pluto was first discovered when it was in the sign of Cancer, where it started its journey in 1913, just before World War I (WWI). After WWI the power factions in for instance Russia were in complete disarray, first after the collective murder of the entire family of the Tsar, and the rebellion of the suppressed nation; the result was thorough and lasting, a true Pluto action. Pluto remained in the sign Cancer for 25 years while the European world, its countries' boundaries, its empires, were being ravaged. The power of the aristocracy and monarchies belonged to a previous zodiacal cycle of Pluto a completely new cycle of power had started the power of the "common people" (Cancer).

In a way, it's easy to compare the sign Cancer to the fourth house, especially when mundane astrology or the 'astrology of the world' is being discussed. Toward the end of Pluto's sojourn in Cancer, the forerunners of the Second World War (WWII) could be noticed, a time in which a dictatorial demagogue (Pluto) tried to control the masses (Cancer) who didn't shun collective murder of those who in past times were thought to have had power.

In Western Europe the passage of Pluto through "the fourth house" of the mundane chart thus correlated with the rumbling of wars, although WWII did not truly start until Pluto entered Leo

In 1937/1938 Pluto began a 20-year period in the sign Leo. If we divide the horoscope circle in eight phases - like the Moon's eight phases- one can compare 0 degrees Cancer with a New Moon, a moment at which all is still unaware and the fundament of the entire following cycle needs to be build first - or shaken up as was the case with Pluto when it was in the lowest 'house' of the world's horoscope. The most dramatic period coincided with the point 0 degrees Cancer - 15 degrees Leo, for after that point, when Pluto had arrived in the next (waxing) phase of its total cycle - after WWII -, renewed building and a collective baby boom started. Of course 'children' also fall under the sign Leo.

After Pluto's ravaging at the lowest point in this western "world's horoscope", when for instance weapons were discovered for mass destruction (the atom bomb), Pluto began to proceed upwards in the world's horoscope, rebuilding from the 15 degrees Leo point or, putting this differently, from the first semisquare of Pluto toward the turning point, the first square, at 0 degrees Libra.

The second phase thus started at the first semi-square and finished when Pluto reached the point of the square.i.e. at 0 degrees Libra. Rebuilding was continued during this entire period; people worked very hard, and the nations (Cancer, with which it all started) achieved more and more power over their destinations. Power and money go together, and people continued to earn more to spend. Around the 1960s earnings became higher still, and slowly but surely the people who in a previous Pluto cycle were suppressed, began to earn enough money to obtain power and, ultimately, also status.

Thus, while Pluto travelled through the first quadrant of the new cycle -which started at 0 degrees Cancer- a total turn-around of the powers that were took place. In Russia and Eastern Europe a new dictatorship had risen: that of the people's collectives with a lot of mutual espionaging going on. The time had arrived for the next phase, namely the one from 0 degrees Libra to 0 degrees Capricorn, from about 1971 - 2008. Halfway through this quarter-cycle this new dictatorship in Eastern Europe would start to fall as well, with Pluto in the 8th sign (Scorpio), midway in this second quadrant from 0 Libra to 0 Capricorn.

Matters concerning Pluto often appear to be bloody events, but alltogether it seems that we are in a Pluto-cycle during which "the people" no longer are suppressed.

Right now we have reached the end of this 'waxing' phase of Pluto, halfway through the horoscope's zodiacal circle. During the latter part of Sagittarius we notice that all over the world people hanker after safety, certainty and freedom, and wherever in the world people still are suppressed, they want to escape to the free West, which by now feels nearly inundated by the suppressed of other countries.

What will happen when Pluto will reach yet another new quadrant? To stay with the Moon cycle terminology, this will start in 2008 when the waxing phase has finished and the waning phase starts, i.e. the Full Moon point.

On January 26, 2008, Pluto will move into Capricorn for the first time, to then travel retrograde into the tail end of Sagittarius between June 14 and November 27 of that year. From November 27, 2008, Pluto will stay in Capricorn for 15/16 years 2008-2024.

The increase of population is now at its peak, and if Cancer means birth and Pluto is -of course- the most important and collectively strong factor, we may presume that this increase will last until 2008 and will decrease thereafter! Because unfortunately, the populationgrowth creates tremendous problems in Western Europe, living space (Sagittarius) becomes smaller and smaller, with the result that collective migrations are now taking place, looking for space and individual possibilities to expand. The population growth keeps demanding more and more regulations for the simple reason that we, 'the people', can't always cope with the concept of freedom and misuse our planet and the still open spaces so badly because we're still fighting for our own safety, thereby endangering the safety of others and of nature itself. Pluto is now still in the quadrant of 'mutual relations' between people (Libra, Scorpio and Sagittarius), but the planet will move into a more collective quadrant (Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces) - the quadrant which asks us 'how will we all find a space that keeps us individual yet together; how will the world work it out on a grander scale?'.

A new kind of suppression is noticeable already the suppression by rules that are imposed upon us by outside forces, the authorities (Capricorn). It is also possible for us, individuals, to try if we can work with fewer rules by using our own disciplines better, by taking responsibility ourselves, as members of 'the people'.

Action is always followed by reaction. Whenever we take too much freedom individually, without regard for others, there will be a reaction. This may be imposed upon us by the ruling powers. During the sign Cancer the people murdered these rulers in order to claim power for themselves.

Now the people (that is, 'we') have gained power and occupy positions of political influence and authority. Will these same authorities this time be killed in a hostile manner, or will the people (we) show that we can handle individual freedom by actually accepting responsiblity?

Responsibility or rule? Rules originate when people don't take personal reponsibility; where there is chaos rules need to be created in the interest of the collective safety. Whenever we accept personal resonsibility, we'll need far less rules. Will it become possible during the Pluto in Capricorn period to have global governments that are formed by us, i.e., governments we personally created - apart from a collective new global dictatorship (also created by us) which will impose all sorts of laws and rules? The promise Pluto in Capricorn gives us is not at all a bad one - but are people capable of listening to their inner voice, or will they only take liberties and permit themselves to do as they like, at the cost of others? That is the question. Can we, "the people" who wanted the power in fact handle power? That is the question. This is always the question when Pluto occupies the tenth house of an individual's chart; power and the lack of it in relation to our social status are the order of the day in such cases. This theme exists because Pluto tries to use power in a pure, clean way, NOT at others' expense. Will it become possible to observe that our global governments will show far more prudence? - that people will take reponsibility for their own actions? - (just listening to our inner voice and our conscience should be sufficient) - so that all the objectionable rules will no longer be necessary? We will be tested from 2008 onward, and to begin with we might experience lots of noise and violence before we finally understand and can put it in practice - for Pluto is not a surgeon who leaves festering wounds. On the contrary should wounds occur they will be noticeable and they will cry out to be cleaned.

What can we do as individuals, when we are powerless and feel bullied by the collective powers? Just this: bring the power back to where it belongs - to ourselves. We, as people, have no power over circumstances beyond us, no matter how much we try to attain omnipotence to cover our fears. All we have is power over our own reactions and our inner life. Every individual is able to make a difference in this world. Our inner voice is far more important than any dictatorship - no matter whether this is a dictatorship of the times, of fashion, of status, or of entire global governments. Let's free ourselves of the dictatorship of status, of striving and distancing ourselves from ourselves. Take the power back and keep it with you; lead your life in harmony with your inner self, with nature and the people around you. Let's busy ourselves with all this rather than perish in the maelstrom of the collective force of social status, positions and powerful respectively powerless relations. We are in a prolonged Pluto cycle in which we must learn how to handle power, a cycle in which individuals ultimately need to be free to be their own self, without this happening at others' expense. Pluto in Capricorn appears to be the culmination of what was happening during Pluto in Cancer, when the planet was discovered and showed us that power belonged to the people. The people, that's us, you and me and all the others. Can we create a better world with Pluto in Capricorn by showing that we need fewer rules from the outside world and simply listen to our inner rules - the rules we all possess anyway?

We haven't reached that point yet in the coming year Pluto will first be making a conjunction with the Galactic Centre (at 26 degrees Sagittarius). In 2008, times will have changed again, and personally I definitely feel I'm still in the Pluto-in- Sagittarius phase, so that I cannot do better than speculate what will occupy us in the future. Still, astrology shows us in theory which themes will become of importance. It is evident that from 1995, when Pluto began its journey through Sagittarius, a huge revival of near "obligatory success" in the world took place. Sagittarius is rather expansive, very enthusiastic and full of vision. The economy continued to exist by the grace of all sorts of slogans regarding visions of the future that, for a great deal, rested on pantomime and balderdash. All this took place in a world full of advertisements of succesful power brokers making telephone calls in the streets for instance. Reality will overtake them all from 2008 on. I will be breathing with considerable more ease when all this economic coaching and all the balderdash about huge sums of money will become more realistic. However, I will also sadly say farewell to that part of the period Pluto-in-Sagittarius that brought us a great stimulant for meeting other peoples, other cultures, much travel, and the adventures of new worlds.

Living 'in the Now' is really better suited to Pluto in Capricorn than to Pluto in Sagittarius, for Now we live in the Future (Sagittarius). Capricorn is Time itself. Collectively we will be living in the Now more and more our future depends on it. The past and its abuse of power will certainly be brought to light and cleaned up, but unrealistic visions of the future will also belong to the past.

We will handle the principle of living in the Now better; day after day we need to be aware of how we regard the world using our own reponsibility rather than someone else's, which is helpful to others. By the year 2008 I will start living in the Now, and I'll be discovering how this feels, this new period with Pluto in a new sign and in a new quadrant. My quess is that it won't be easy-going during the first few years as large 'tension aspects' will occur with Uranus, Saturn and Pluto in the cardinal signs in 2010. The world will change, that's a certainty.

Hopefully we will witness large corporations, so powerful now and misusing these powers, (and made up from the people who took over the power at the beginning with Pluto in the "fourth" house) go under in favour of a better use of power. A better use which is not at the cost of others, and which will show more responsibility for the environment in which we live and which we share with each other, and this will not depend on outside factors, but on us. Our status might become ruined, but that is 'only' ego.

Our soul will want to express itself and will call for us to join our inner being so that we will be able to stand strong and whole in the outside world - not with a false status, not under the yoke of leaders or even boards and committees busy only with attaining status. Actually, 'status' will be out of fashion once Pluto will be in Capricorn ... ah, what a liberation!

source: http://www.astrologie.ws/plutocp.htm

Note: Pluto is a member of the Kuiper Belt, and is smaller than others in the belt such as Eris.

Winona LaDuke was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame

SENECA FALLS, N.Y. - Winona LaDuke was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls Oct. 7, joining eight other inductees.

LaDuke has dedicated her life to protecting the earth, advocating for renewable energy resources, and protecting and preserving American Indian cultures. Her efforts involve the preservation of ancient traditions, such as the wild rice that is central to her cultural and spiritual way of life.

LaDuke, Anishinaabeg from the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota, is a graduate of Harvard and Antioch universities. She returned to her ancestral land on White Earth and raised three children while starting businesses and traveling the country on speaking engagements and attending meetings.She ran as a vice presidential candidate on the Green Party ticket in 1996 and 2000.

LaDuke organized the White Earth Land Recovery Project, the largest reservation-based nonprofit organization in the country. Its mission is to facilitate the recovery of the original land base of the White Earth Indian Reservation while preserving and restoring traditional practices of land stewardship, language fluency, community development and strengthening the spiritual and cultural life of the community, according to the organization's Web site.

Her work to protect the planet began in 1993 with the organization of Honor the Earth, a grass-roots organization that has expanded its influence internationally to work for environmental justice and to encourage and support other American Indian communities in their efforts to sustain a healthy environment and live a healthy lifestyle. Honor the Earth also utilizes indigenous wisdom to understand the connection between all life and the earth.

LaDuke is especially vocal about renewable resources and especially what individuals can do to reduce the growth of global warming.

''I am proud of Winona being inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame,'' said Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network and co-chair of Honor the Earth. ''I have been working with Winona for years on energy and food-security issues. She has dedicated her life to working with our Native nations towards helping build sustainable and healthy communities.''

At a recent gathering of tribal leaders from across the northern Great Plains, LaDuke, as a keynote speaker, mentioned that her reservation was east of the Great Plains and the emissions from fossil fuel-powered facilities travel over her reservation. She said her reservation has 11 lakes that already have enough mercury in them.

''We continue to fish and harvest our wild rice,'' she said. Some of those harvests come from lakes that contain mercury.

''I'm acutely aware of our relationship over all these years with many of the Dakota people in our territory, and are interested in hearing about questions of how we can ensure that our air our land and our water will be there for those generations yet to come,'' she said.

LaDuke is a person who puts into practice what she advocates when it comes to the environment and traditional values. From a handful of corn kernels, similar to heirloom seeds, that were part of the traditional corn crops grown in the Southwest centuries ago, she has grown seven acres of corn that she turns into food products for her family.

She also drives a 1983 diesel automobile that burns biodiesel - or the cooking oil left over from fast food establishments.

''We don't want to change who we are; we don't want to change our identity. You are all really smart indigenous people - we know the truth to who we are and we know that our land is tied to who we are, is tied to identity, is tied to our spiritual practice.

''The covenant in our relationship to the Creator is where our sovereignty comes from - it doesn't come from an IRA government, it doesn't come from a treaty; it comes from who we are and our reaffirmation of relationship with the Earth, like harvesting wild rice, by having the ceremonies,'' she said.

LaDuke is one of 217 women who have been inducted into the hall of fame since 1969, when the hall was established. The National Women's Hall of Fame is on the site of the first women's rights convention in 1848.

LaDuke is a former member of the Greenpeace USA board of directors and is co-chair of the Indigenous Women's Network.

Time magazine nominated her in 1994 as one of America's 50 most promising leaders under 40 years of age; received the Thomas Merton Award in 1996; received the Anne Bancroft Award for Women's leadership Fellowship, the Reebok Human Rights Award and wrote her first novel, ''Last Standing Woman,'' in 1997; and was chosen as Ms. Magazine's Woman of the Year in 1998.

At the National Women's Hall of Fame induction ceremony, she promoted the contributions made by the indigenous peoples of this continent by speaking about the model for the nation's government structure that came from the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy of what became New York state.

She pointed out that in trying to establish a democracy, the Founding Fathers of this country had no role models in Europe. She said they turned to the Iroquois Confederacy as the model.

''In coming here, I saw signs along the roads against Indian businesses, against reservations, against sovereignty,'' LaDuke said in her acceptance speech, as reported in the Finger Lakes Times.

''If we want peace, we have to have justice. I would hope we could not encourage hate and division. It's time to end the war against the Indians and make peace.''

How You Can Support the People of Burma

Buddhist Peace Fellowship Action Alert/News

Action Alert: How You Can Support the People of Burma The news from Burma is not good, with reports of the Myanmar military troops occupying monasteries, arresting monks, and cutting off all communications to the outside, including Internet. The number of people killed varies from source to source, with the official Myanmar government report at 10, but it's probably many more. It continues to be critical for both the Myanmar and Chinese government to know that the whole world is watching this situation. Many vigils are being organized, including some generating from the BPF community. As the situation in Burma grows more urgent, your support and involvement can make a big difference to the people of Burma (Myanmar). What you can do: 1) Join or organize a vigil in your town or city. We have posted a calendar of vigils on the BPF website. There are currently events scheduled in New York City, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington DC, and Milan (Italy). We are updating the list regularly, so please keep checking it. Check with your local BPF chapter to see if they are planning a vigil. 2) Sign a petition showing your support. * Our friends at the Buddhist Channel have initiated a global petition to garner support for the Holy Sangha. Please go to the petition online here and follow the instructions given. This page also includes address information for the Myanmar (Burmese) Embassy in a number of countries. * Sign the US Campaign for Burma's petition 3) Light a candle and place it in your window every night this week, along with a sign in support of the nonviolent protest. Click here to visit our website where you can download a sign that reads "The World is Watching -- Free Burma!"

ICED! "I CAN END DEPORTATION"

Breakthrough's much-talked about game has been the "item to watch" on and offline. This 3D downloadable game, teaches players about the unjust nature of U.S immigration policy.

ICED was just featured in the LA Times, ABC News and Fox News. ICED also was covered on popular blogs including, "Rethink Immigration." To get a full list of media, please look at the left-hand tool bar.

How do you play?

Game players have to live the day-to-day life of an immigrant teen. The teens are constantly being chased by immigration officers, while making moral/consequential decisions and answering myth & fact quizzes about current immigration policies.

If the player chooses or answers incorrectly, he/she increases his or her chances of being thrown into detention. Once in detention, the player endures both physical separation from his/her family and unjust conditions while awaiting, often for unknown amounts of time, the random outcome of his/her case.

The game is set to launch online in November 2007.

source: http://www.breakthrough.tv/product_detail.asp?proid=92&id=7

Minnesota Peak Oil and Global Warming Conference - details

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NextStep home Registration closed: Conference full Agenda Keynote speakers Getting there For more information Sponsored by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Cosponsors Association of Metropolitan Municipalities Association of Minnesota Counties Fresh Energy Greater Minnesota Housing Fund ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability USA League of Minnesota Cities Metropolitan Council Minnesota Association of School Administrators Minnesota Association of Townships Minnesota Chapter of the American Planning Association Minnesota School Boards Association Minnesota Rural Partners Neighborhood Energy Connection University of Minnesota Extension University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships

Preparing Your Community for Climate and Energy Change: Opportunities for Local Sustainability Wednesday, June 6, 2007, 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Continuing Education and Conference Center, University of Minnesota, St. Paul Campus | map and directions A free conference for local elected officials, local government staff, and other community leaders. Learn about projected climate change impacts in Minnesota Track global energy trends that can impact communities Hear case studies from local governments Envision a positive lower-energy future Discuss how to overcome barriers to action Access resources for taking action at the community level Identify opportunities that have benefits now Receive valuable free printed resources Why attend this conference? Minnesota communities face serious challenges due to the interrelated issues of climate change and a projected decline in the global availability of fossil fuels — peak oil. This conference offers local community leaders and concerned citizens an opportunity to learn about the current situation and future projections regarding climate change and energy availability, the risk management implications, and what can be done to adapt to these trends. Examples from local governments that are taking action will be presented. The conference will also include discussion about next steps and identifying barriers to change, as well as topic sessions to help communities consider opportunities related to energy, food, buildings, and other areas. Many of these actions for a lower-energy future are “no-regrets” strategies — useful regardless of how climate and energy trends unfold. They have benefits for communities now, and can increase our local quality of life and benefit the global environment. Who should attend this conference? Local government elected officials, staff and volunteers Nonprofit organizations, including community and civic organizations and public interest groups Tribal governments State agencies Interested individuals Agenda Printer-friendly agenda Concurrent Afternoon Sessions: 2:45 – 4:00 p.m. Green Building and Community Development Strategies Warren Hanson, President and Chief Executive Officer, Greater Minnesota Housing Fund Rick Carter, AIA, Vice President, LHB John Shardlow, AICP, Principal, DSU/Bonestroo Keeping Energy Supplies and Money Local Bruce Anderson, Sustainable Community Solutions Jimmie Sparks, Residential Energy Program Manager, Neighborhood Energy Connection Ken Smith, Vice President, District Energy St. Paul Strengthening Communities with Diverse Transportation Options Russ Stark, Executive Director, Midway Transportation Management Organization Jan Parker, Ramsey County Commissioner Tim Springer, Executive Director, Midtown Greenway Coalition Local Food as Economic Development Ken Meter, President, Crossroads Resource Center Dayna Burtness, Co-founder, Saint Olaf Garden Research and Organic Works (STOGROW) Kristin Johnson, Intern, STOGROW Rob Smith, Intern, STOGROW Community Water and Tree Management in a Changing Climate Julie Westerlund, Communications and Education Coordinator, Minnehaha Creek Watershed District Ken Holman, Community Forestry Coordinator, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Minneapolis Case Study: One Community’s Response Elizabeth Glidden, Member, Minneapolis City Council Gayle Prest, Manager of Sustainability, City of Minneapolis 8:00 – 8:30 Registration, exhibit booths, refreshments 8:30 – 8:45 Welcome and introductory remarks Brad Moore, Commissioner, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency Mary Hamann-Roland, Mayor, Apple Valley 8:45 – 9:30 Climate Change Trends in Minnesota J. Drake Hamilton, Science Policy Director, Fresh Energy 9:30 – 10:15 A Time of Challenges and Opportunities for Communities Gord Miller, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario 10:15 – 10:45 Morning break 10:45 – 11:30 Meeting the Energy and Climate Challenge: One Community at a Time Dan Richardson, Senior Energy Consultant, Schmueser Gordon Meyer 11:30 - 12:15 A Vision for Energy Security in the 21st Century Julian Darley, President, Post Carbon Institute 12:15 - 1:15 Lunch 1:15 - 2:30 Overcoming Barriers to Action and Taking the Next Step Moderated discussion sessions to identify opportunities and sources of assistance 2:30 – 2:45 Afternoon break 2:45 – 4:00 Concurrent afternoon sessions Keynote speakers Julian Darley is president of the nonprofit Post Carbon Institute. Post Carbon’s projects include the Relocalization Network, Global Public Media, Climate and Energy Municipal Action Program, and Oil Depletion Protocol. Darley is author of High Noon for Natural Gas: the New Energy Crisis (2004) and co-author of the forthcoming Relocalize Now! Getting Ready for Climate Change and the End of Cheap Oil. J. Drake Hamilton is Science Policy Director for Fresh Energy, a nonprofit organization working to lead the transition to a clean energy system, one that will support healthy economies, healthy people, and a healthy environment. Hamilton is the principal author of Fresh Energy’s report, Playing with Fire: Climate Change in Minnesota and gives many invited talks each year on global warming and cost-effective energy solutions. Gord Miller is Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, an independent officer appointed by Ontario’s Legislative Assembly. Commissioner Miller’s role is to oversee the continued implementation of Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights. Prior to his appointment as Environmental Commissioner, he worked for Ontario’s Ministry of the Environment for 14 years. Dan Richardson works with Schmueser Gordon Meyer, an engineering firm based in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where he specializes in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and other climate action strategies for businesses and governmental entities. Until January 2007, he was Global Warming Manager for the city of Aspen, and manager of the city’s Canary Initiative. He is a former Glenwood Springs City Council member and chair of the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority. Getting there: Directions University of Minnesota Continuing Education and Conference Center 1890 Buford Ave., St. Paul, MN 612-624-3275 Map and driving directions to the conference center: www.cce.umn.edu/conferencecenter/directions.html Bus transit information: www.metrotransit.org or call 612-373-3333. Bicycle parking: www1.umn.edu/pts/parkbike.htm For more information Registration questions? Jennifer Holstad: email <jennifer.holstad@pca.state.mn.us> or call 651-296-7788 or 800-657-3864 toll free Technical questions? Paul Moss: email <paul.moss@pca.state.mn.us> or call 651-215-0243 or 800-657-3864 toll free Registration closed: Conference has reached capacity Thanks to strong interest in the event, the site of the conference has reached capacity and registration for this conference is now closed. If you would like to be informed of future events on this topic sponsored by the MPCA's Sustainable Development unit, email us with the following information: Name Organization Postal address City, State, Zip Email address Email to Paul Moss <paul.moss@pca.state.mn.us>.

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A necessary choice

By Dan Neil Los Angeles Times

My wife and I just had an abortion. Two, actually. We walked into a doctor's office in downtown Los Angeles with four thriving fetuses -- two girls and two boys -- and walked out an hour later with just the girls, whom we will name, if we're lucky enough to keep them, Rosalind and Vivian. Rosalind is my mother's name.

We didn't want to. We didn't mean to. We didn't do anything wrong, which is to say, we did everything right. Four years ago, when Tina and I set out on this journey to have children, such a circumstance was unimaginable. And yet there I was, holding her hand, watching the ultrasound as a needle with potassium chloride found its mark, stopping the heart of one male fetus, then the other, hidden in my wife's suffering belly.

We don't feel guilty. We don't feel ashamed. We're not even really sad, because terminating these fetuses -- at 15 weeks' gestation -- was a medical imperative. This has been a white- knuckle pregnancy from Day 1, and had it gone on as it was going, Tina's health would have been in jeopardy, according to her doctor. The fact is, multiple pregnancies are high risk, and they can go bad very suddenly. I wasn't going to allow that, though the fires of hell might beckon.

In the midst of this experience, practically on the eve of our procedure, the U.S. Supreme Court announced its ruling in Gonzales vs. Carhart, upholding the federal ban on a rare obstetrical procedure called intact dilation and extraction, or intact D&E, also known as "partial-birth" abortion.

The decision is a watershed in abortion law, the first ban on a particular abortion procedure since 1973's Roe vs. Wade and the first restriction on abortion to be approved by the court that does not include an exception for the health of the mother. Antiabortion activists were jubilant and immediately began talking about plans for state-by-state campaigns to restrict, and eventually rescind, access to abortion generally. For the first time in a long time, such talk didn't seem like wishful thinking.

I was stunned. Events in Washington that I had once followed with purely newsy and academic interest -- the recent appointment of Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., and the fate of Roe -- suddenly struck home in the most personal way possible.

I mean, my wife and I have always been pro-choice, but we never expected to actually confront the Choice. After all, we've been trying like crazy to have children. We had already undergone two in- vitro fertilization procedures before this last time, when we put back five embryos, despairing that any would take. Beforehand, the fertility specialist asked us if we were OK with "reduction" -- also known as selective abortion -- in the event that too many took hold. We said yes, not really appreciating what that meant.

To our delight, four set up residence. Our initial joy, however, was tempered by the realization that we would have to lose two to keep two. For the last couple of months, Tina and I have discussed our options with our doctors, gradually wrapping our heads around this personal and private decision -- only to have the government invite itself to the conference at the eleventh hour.

To be clear, the procedure banned by the court last month -- intact D&E -- was not an option in our case. But it doesn't take much foresight to see how the court's decision could have huge consequences for fertility and reproductive medicine. For instance, the case upheld a ban on a midterm abortion procedure -- that is, one that takes place between 12 and 28 weeks. If the government begins to foreclose obstetrical options in the midterm, it will tie the hands of family health doctors in unexpected and dramatic ways.

Take our case. As soon as we found out at about four weeks that we had too many fetuses, we wanted to undergo the reduction procedure. But our doctor told us to wait to see if the number would reduce on its own, as often happens. Then, at about 12 weeks, we underwent a type of genetic testing (chorionic villus sampling, similar to amniocentesis), reasoning that if we had to abort two, it would be better to abort any fetuses with genetic abnormalities. The results took two weeks to get back, and by that time Tina was experiencing complications so severe that we had to put her in the hospital. The whole time, an awful clock was ticking.

Amniocentesis testing -- which involves extracting fluid from the placenta -- is usually performed between 15 and 20 weeks. That's solidly in the second trimester as well. If midterm abortions are banned, what will the state tell parents confronting the agony of a fetus with severe abnormalities? Would it oblige them to carry through with the pregnancy against their will? Would it -- as proposed by South Carolina's pending "ultrasound" legislation -- require women to look at pictures of their fetuses in an attempt to impress on them the humanity of the fetus they are aborting? Believe me, they know.

We got a sense of this kind of heavy-handed paternalism in Justice Anthony M. Kennedy's majority opinion in Gonzales vs. Carhart, in which he asserted that the ban would ultimately be good for women, who would be spared the mental and moral trauma of the procedure.

If only women and their doctors were as smart as Congress.

The court's ruling upholds the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003, which declares the intact D&E -- in which the fetus is partially extracted from the uterus before being dispatched with an aspirating needle, scissors or forceps -- to be "gruesome and inhumane." But the truth is, there is no such thing as a pretty abortion. The alternatives to intact D&E are no less grim. Is grasping and dismembering the fetus in utero with forceps (as opposed to after a partial extraction) or injecting it with heart- stopping chemicals and then delivering the stillbirth any less repellent?

Gruesomeness is no standard at all. Removing the organs from a brain-dead teenager is gruesome, yet we do it to preserve the life of an organ recipient. The point is, sometimes it's necessary.

Americans need to be careful what they wish for. I think antiabortion advocates imagine a world in which women -- promiscuous, lazy or selfish singletons -- roll into the doctor's office for midterm abortions and stick their feet in the stirrups while still chatting on the cellphone. Recreational abortions, you might say.

But in the real world, that's not how it happens. Virtually no one takes the matter lightly. I would also point out that even the most fervent abortion opponents may one day find themselves suffering from infertility and may rue supporting the court's from- the-bench obstetrics.

Some wanted to know how we decided to keep the girls. Partly, it was a matter of how the fetuses were arranged. Partly, it had to do with other factors. Some studies show offspring of older fathers (I'm 47) run a higher risk of autism, and males are four times as likely to be autistic. Still, I had reservations about bringing girls into the world now, when forces seemed to be aligning to disenfranchise them (nine of 10 GOP presidential candidates favor reversing Roe vs. Wade). I hate to think my girls will have to fight the battles their mothers and grandmothers fought.

I feel sorriest for our doctors. The three we have seen are all extraordinary people, deeply compassionate, superbly trained. All are parents. All regard abortion with the greatest gravity. And yet they are obliged to be circumspect, if not downright fearful. And who can blame them? The physician who performed our reduction asked that her name not be used, for fear that she might be terrorized by some gun-toting antiabortion extremist.

For our part, we are grateful that she was out there. Without her, we wouldn't have been able to have a family. When Roz and Viv grow up, I hope one day I can introduce them to her. I think she'd be proud.

Dan Neil is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

(c) 2007 Deseret News (Salt Lake City). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.

Source: Deseret News (Salt Lake City)

Earth Voice Food Choice

Our world is facing huge problems, from environmental and health issues, to wars and resource mismanagement. These problems seem unsolvable and affect us all on a deep emotional level. Suprisingly, there are actually solutions. All of us can contribute – everyday – without expensive campaigns, demonstrations or lawsuits.

Most people can agree that our world is run by money. The billions of people of the Earth spend money every day. What most are not aware of is that with every dollar they spend they cast a vote. Our monetary vote is a powerful tool to speak directly to industry and corporations. If we don’t want polluted lakes and rivers, but keep buying toxic food we cast a vote for a toxic world. This is just one example of how we all can start speaking out without waiting for politicians or government to “fix it” for us. Voting with our dollars goes right to the source. If we don’t buy it, they won’t make it. We have this power.

The effects of our individual food choices are far-reaching. Our everyday food choices directly affect global warming, water pollution, and topsoil depletion as well as obesity, cancers, and heart attacks. Buying and consuming more whole, organically grown plant foods is one of the most powerful, yet simplest actions we could do everyday to help our health and the health of our world.

The production of animal food products is responsible for causing many of the planet’s most catastrophic environmental problems and depleting natural resources at an unprecedented rate. The animal and chemical agriculture industries are the primary polluters of our planet’s water and soil. They accelerate desertification, forest loss, global warming and the depletion of water, soil and ozone. Chemicals and animal agriculture are major causes of species extinction, like the vanishing bees. Furthermore, the livestock industry is consuming most of America’s grain supply, which could be used to help solve world hunger problems.

Animal products such as meat, poultry, fish and dairy are also heavy contributors to most of the diseases afflicting Americans. Heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, osteoporosis, some forms of cancer, obesity, and other less life-threatening diseases are all influenced by the excess consumption of animal foods. Treating these diseases is costing hundreds of billions of dollars per year in health care and health insurance. Notwithstanding advice from experts, the United States government continues to spend billions of tax dollars to subsidize these industries.

In contrast, a diet of organically grown plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds produced without synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, enhance personal and environmental health. Plant foods contain vitamins, nutrients, protein, fiber, antioxidants, phytochemicals, essential fatty acids and many other beneficial compounds designed by nature to promote health and prevent disease. Plant foods are heroes for health. Plants are the only living things on Earth that have the ability to take the sun, the air, the water and the soil, and make food and oxygen for most of the living beings on our planet.

Compared to animal foods, plant foods are less polluting to the environment and conserve natural resources. If plant foods were consumed more and animal foods less, hundreds of billions of dollars could be saved on health care costs.

The animal and chemical agriculture industries, through the Department of Agriculture (USDA), supply enormous volumes of chemical laden, animal foods to children in schools. “The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is our government’s largest feeding program. It is based on an outdated model that teaches children little about the cause and effect of their food choices. Our health and our planet are suffering the effects of an economically driven food program that needs to be updated to twenty-first century nutrition standards. The manner in which our children view food, the development of their eating habits, their health and the condition of the world they will inherit, are directly linked to the NSLP.

Earth Voice Food Choice is a multimedia Manual and DVD designed to educate teachers, parents, students and government officials how to present, inform and inspire people to eat more unrefined, organically grown plant foods and fewer chemically processed animal and junk foods. The Project is designed to initiate a positive shift in human awareness and in the hearts and minds of children, parents, teachers, and people in government. The possibilities for beneficial change are monumental.

Earth Voice Food Choice is a “How to” manual for anyone who wants to initiate a healthy food and education project in their schools, homes, camps, or institutions. This Manual contains over 350 documented facts; history of the USDA; proven field tested strategies for implementing the project in schools; tips how to present to students; actions students can take to inspire government to support the concept of healthier foods in schools; kitchen preparation ideas for food personnel; institutional size recipes that fit within the RDA’s and the USDA’s meal pattern requirements and draw off existing and available USDA commodities; delicious recipes for home use; handouts for students and parents, letters of introduction, news articles, announcements and everything else people will need to implement a successful project. (200 Pages, 8.5” x 11” Manual with 100 Recipes.)

Earth Voice Food Choice DVD takes you on a ride through outer space in search of a planet that has the three things humans need for survival: air, water and soil. Fly into the atmosphere of Earth and witness the profound beauty of our world and the animals we share it with. Watch hundreds of beautiful pictures of the natural world and learn about Earth’s life support systems. Experience how humans have destroyed much of our natural resources. Learn how animal and chemical agriculture are negatively affecting health, environment, economy and world hunger. Travel into the interior of the human body and learn how to prevent disease. Meet the super heroes for health and the power of consuming and producing more organic plant foods. Learn how to make mindful food choices, vote with our monetary purchases and become part of the solution. This DVD is great for classroom and auditorium presentations and for home use. (39 minutes, plus 57 minutes of bonus features.)

For more information, to see clips of the DVD or pages of the Manual, and to order these materials, please visit www.earthvoicefoodchoice.com or contact him at 928-301-4552 or email toddwinant@esedona.net. You may also write to Earth Voice Food Choice, 730 Sunshine Lane, Sedona, AZ 86340

by Todd Winant

Todd Winant, founder of the Earth Voice Food Choice Project is the co-author of EarthSave's Healthy School Lunch Action Guide (now out of print). His new project addresses the detrimental effects of America’s current National School Lunch Program and offers logical suggestions for its improvement.

American demographics

This table lists some major demographic groupings in the United States. Race, gender, ethnicity, religion, and other factors are factors in personal and group identity. This table is unusual in that it presents a merged list of these factors. This more accurately reflects actual American society, in which most people belong to more than one group. All individuals can be classified into multiple groupings below. This list is not comprehensive. Please write to suggest additional groups.

( My note - I think this list is inaccurate. But being part of the "outliers" in our society, perhaps I am biased to this viewpoint that my numbers aren't quite so small. Though, I think the "vegetarian" and "vegan" numbers are close to accurate. But we have 16M more people and our culture is diversifiying faster than any time in our history )

Group	Number	Percent of U.S. population
Total 1	284,800,000	100.0 %
English-at-home speakers 6	245,497,600	86.2 %
Christian 2	217,872,000	76.5 %
White 1	211,460,626	75.1 %
Protestant 18	150,944,000	53 %
Female 1	145,532,800	51.1 %
Male 1	139,267,200	48.9 %
"born-again" or "evangelical" 9	125,312,000	44 %
Republican 8	90,950,000	33 %
Democrat 8	85,440,000	31 %
Catholic 2	69,776,000	24.5 %
Non-English speakers 6	38,087,127	13.8 %
Nonreligious 2	37,593,600	13.2 %
Hispanic/Latino 1	35,305,818	12.5 %
Black 1	34,658,190	12.3 %
Baptist 18	34,176,000	12 %
Evangelical (theologically) 16	22,049,360	8.0 %
Methodist 2	19,366,400	6.8 %
Spanish speakers 6	20,744,986	7.5 %
Southern Baptist 3	15,800,000	5.6 %
Lutheran 2	13,100,800	4.6 %
vegetarian 19	12,000,000	4.2 %
Asian 1	10,242,998	3.6 %
United Methodist Church 20	8,251,042	2.9 %
Presbyterian 2	7,689,600	2.7 %
Multiracial 1	6,826,228	2.4 %
Pentecostal 2	5,980,800	2.1 %
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) 15	5,503,192	1.93 %
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America 3, 20	5,038,066	1.8 %
Episcopalian 2	4,841,600	1.7 %
GLBT (gay, lesbian or bisexual)5	4,300,000	1.51 %
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) 3, 20	3,595,259	1.3 %
Judaism 2, 21	3,702,400	1.3 %
Eastern Orthodox 9	2,756,170	1 %
Assemblies of God 11	2,575,000	0.93 %
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod 3, 20	2,512,714	0.9 %
Native American 1	2,475,956	0.9 %
Buddhist 13	2,400,000	0.87 %
Episcopal Church 20	2,333,628	0.82 %
French speakers 6	2,308,795	0.8 %
gay men5	2,000,000	0.70 %
Non-denominational 11	2,000,000	0.7 %
prison population	2,000,000	0.7 %
German speakers 6	1,851,418	0.7 %
Megachurch attendance 14	1,800,000	0.64 %
Jehovah's Witnesses 2	1,708,800	0.6 %
Chinese speakers 6	1,578,099	0.6 %
Italian speakers 6	1,565,165	0.6 %
Mennonite Church USA 11	1,525,000	0.55 %
Churches of Christ (non-instrumental / Corsicana, TX) 20	1,500,000	0.53 %
American Baptist Church in the U.S.A. 20	1,484,291	0.52 %
African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church 20	1,430,795	0.50 %
Muslim 2	1,424,000	0.5 %
agnostic 2	1,424,000	0.5 %
bisexual5	1,400,000	0.49 %
United Church of Christ 20	1,330,985	0.47 %
Baptist Bible Fellowship International 20	1,200,000	0.42 %
atheists 2, 10	1,139,200	0.4 %
Tagolog speakers 6	1,008,542	0.4 %
Independent Christian Church, Churches of Christ (instrumental / Joplin, MO) 20	1,071,616	0.39 %
Hindu 13	1,000,000	0.36 %
Church of God (Cleveland, TN) 20	944,857	0.33 %
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) 11	910,000	0.33 %
lesbians5	900,000	0.32 %
Polish speakers 6	865,298	0.3 %
Unitarian Universalist 2	854,400	0.3 %
Seventh-day Adventists 11	809,000	0.29 %
Neo-pagan (incl. Wiccans) 12	768,400	0.28 %
Korean speakers 6	749,278	0.3 %
Church of the Nazarene 11	608,000	0.2 %
Vietnamese speakers 6	606,463	0.2 %
vegans 22	591,468	0.2 %
Portuguese speakers 6	515,017	0.2 %
Japanese speakers 6	511,485	0.2 %
Pacific Islander 1	398,835	0.1 %
Reformed Church in America (RCA) 11	304,000	0.11 %
Libertarian party members 7	200,000	0.07 %
Baha'i 11	142,000	0.05 %
Native American Religionist 2	103,000	0.04 %

Oil Peak Could Catch United States Unprepared

WASHINGTON, DC, March 30, 2007 (ENS) - The U.S. government needs a strategy to coordinate and prioritize federal agency efforts to reduce uncertainty about the timing of an oil peak and to advise Congress on how best to mitigate consequences, finds a new report by the Government Accountability Office, GAO, the investigative branch of Congress.

The oil peak is that point when global production reaches its maximum and then can only decline.

The GAO report, published Thursday, says most studies estimate that oil production will peak sometime between now and 2040. But today, a Swedish scientist warned that the peak could come as early as next year.

Fredrik Robelius in the Department of Nuclear and Particle Physics at Uppsala University published his doctoral thesis today in which he says the rate of extraction from giant oil fields is a better indicator of the peak than oil prices.

"The reliability of the oil price as a single parameter can be questioned, as earlier times of high prices have occurred without having anything to do with a lack of oil," said Robelius.

"Instead," he said, "giant oil fields, the largest oil fields in the world, can be used as a parameter."

Future demand for oil is expected to increase annually by 1.4 to 1.7 percent, Robelius says.

"A worst-case scenario sees a peak in 2008, and the best-case scenario, following a 1.4 percent demand growth, peaks in 2018," Robelius predicts.

Texaco oil workers drill a vertical compound well. (Photo courtesy NASA)

The GAO says the range of estimates it found for the date of peak oil is wide because the timing of the peak depends on "multiple, uncertain factors" that will help determine how quickly the oil remaining in the ground is used.

These factors include the amount of oil still in the ground; how much of that oil can ultimately be produced given technological, cost, and environmental challenges as well as potentially unfavorable political and investment conditions in some countries where oil is located; and future global demand for oil.

Demand for oil will, in turn, be influenced by global economic growth and may be affected by government policies on the environment and climate change and consumer choices about conservation, the GAO said.

In any case, the GAO said, the federal government is not well prepared at this time. Federal efforts are spread across multiple agencies and are not focused explicitly on peak oil.

A giant oil field contains at least 500 million barrels of recoverable oil. Only one percent - 507 out of some 47,500 oil fields in the world - are giants, and the majority are found in the countries surrounding the Persian Gulf.

Fredrik Robelius is a PhD student in the Uppsala Hydrocarbon Depletion Study Group at Sweden's Uppsala University. (Photo courtesy Uppsala University)

Over 60 percent of the 2005 production and about 65 percent of the global ultimate recoverable reserve is from giant fields, says Robelius.

But giant fields are things of the past, the Swedish researcher says, since a majority of the largest giant fields are over 50 years old, many have begun to decline, and the discovery trend of fewer giant fields with smaller volumes is clear.

Robelius developed a model, based on past annual production and the ultimate recoverable reserve, to forecast future production from giant fields.

"In all scenarios," Robelius says, "peak oil occurs at about the same time as the giant fields peak."

The world's four largest oil fields are - Ghawar in Saudi Arabia, which produces 4.5 million barrels per day, Cantarell in Mexico, which produces nearly two million barrels per day, Burgan in Kuwait which produces 1.7 million barrels per day and Da Qing in China which produces one million barrels per day.

Oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana (Photo courtesy NOAA)

The most mature oil region, the continental United States, peaked in 1970, while the latest oil region discovered, the North Sea, peaked in 2001. Both regions continue to decline despite strong demand and high oil prices, which motivates high production rates, Robelius says.

"The declining trend in giant field discoveries suggests the good prospects are already drilled," he says.

In the United States, alternative fuels and transportation technologies face challenges that could impede their ability to mitigate the consequences of a peak and decline in oil production, unless sufficient time and effort are brought to bear, the GAO said in its report.

"Although corn ethanol production is technically feasible, it is more expensive to produce than gasoline and will require costly investments in infrastructure, such as pipelines and storage tanks, before it can become widely available as a primary fuel," the GAO said.

Key alternative technologies currently supply the equivalent of only about one percent of U.S. consumption of petroleum products, and the Department of Energy projects that even by 2015, they could displace only the equivalent of four percent of projected U.S. annual consumption.

In such circumstances, the GAO said, "an imminent peak and sharp decline in oil production could cause a worldwide recession."

Oil rig off the coast of Saudi Arabia (Photo courtesy Saudi Embassy in Washington, DC)

But if the peak is delayed, these technologies have a greater potential to mitigate the consequences, the GAO said.

To better prepare for a peak in oil production, GAO recommends that the Secretary of Energy work with other agencies to establish a strategy. In letters to the GAO, the Energy Department and Department of the Interior agreed with most aspects of the report.

The Department of Energy projects that the technologies could displace up to 34 percent of U.S. consumption in the 2025 through 2030 time frame, if the challenges are met.

"The level of effort dedicated to overcoming challenges will depend in part on sustained high oil prices to encourage sufficient investment in and demand for alternatives," the GAO said.

In its letter to members of Congress who requested the report, the GAO writes that U.S. consumers paid $38 billion more for gasoline in the first six months of 2006 than they paid in the same period of 2005, and $57 billion more than they paid in the same period of 2004, in large part because of rising oil prices, which reached a 24 year high in 2006 when adjusted for inflation.

Robelius writes that new oil discoveries are not likely to help ease consumers over the peak oil point.

"Although contributions from new field developments and deepwater is large, production from the 333 giant oil fields still dominates," says Robelius. "Despite optimistic production forecasts of the undoubtedly large resources of Orinoco and Alberta, their contribution is not enough to offset peak oil."

The Robelius study, "Giant Oil Fields - The Highway to Oil: Giant Oil Fields and their Importance for Future Oil Production," is online here.

The Great Global Warming Swindle: Response

The key argument mounted by Martin Durkin in the Channel 4 documentary, ‘The Great Global Warming Swindle’, was that the sun’s activity had more to do with global warming than levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. We asked Dr Richard Betts of the Met Office Hadley Centre to explain the scientific evidence for why the sun is not to blame for current climate change. He responded:

Date:15/03/2007		Author:Richard Betts
"Although the sun can play a part in climate change, there is overwhelming scientific evidence that it is not the cause of the climate warming that we have seen over recent decades. There have been proposed 2 mechanisms for how the sun might might be influencing climate. The first is that changes in the amount of solar radiation given off by the sun might be to blame. Solar irradiance has been monitored continuously for the last 28 years, and although an 11-year cycle has been well-established, no significant long-term trend has been detected over that period. The warming trend in global temperatures over recent decades therefore cannot be explained by changes in solar irradiance, simply because there has been no overall change in solar irradiance over that time. Earlier records show an increase in solar irradiance in the early part of the Twentieth Century, followed by a brief decrease before the current period of no significant trend. Global temperatures also underwent a warming until around 1940 and a subsequent cooling until around 1950, but then warming set in again and became more rapid. Computer models of climate suggest that solar irradiance changes may well have been a significant cause of climate change until the mid-Twentieth Century. However, the correlation between solar irradiance and global temperature breaks down after the 1960s as temperatures rose while solar irradiance did not. Over tens and hundreds of thousands of years, the amount of energy received by the Earth from the sun has changed because of changes in the Earth's orbit and the tilt of its axis. These changes led to the coming and going of ice ages in the past and are part of a natural cycle of climate change. However, these changes take many thousands of years and are therefore much too slow to account for climate changes seen over a few decades. The other hypothesis is that changes in cosmic rays associated with solar cycles might affect cloud cover and hence influence climate. However, while cloud cover was reported to be correlated with cosmic ray fluxes some time ago, this correlation has broken down as more years of data have become available. The available data therefore do not support the cosmic ray hypothesis."

Polygamy in Kenya

“Make Polygamous Families Compulsory” Say Nairobi Polygamists

Our Nairobians.Com team was shocked to meet Nairobi men who feel very strongly about the decriminalisation and legalisation of polygamy in the country. A polygamous family typically involves one man and two or more ‘wives.’ The Kenyan legal system recognises only monogamous marriages – it is illegal for a person to be married to more than one person at the same time. You might think that a pro-polygamy Nairobi man has a pot belly and grey hairs, but these men are in their twenties and thirties, and many feel that it is only lack of money that prevents them from being polygamous.

Blaming ‘Nature’

Salim Nganga of Shauri Moyo believes that nature bears the answer to the question of polygamy, pointing out that women outnumber men: “Kenya kuna wanawake wengi zaidi ya wanaume. Kwanini wanawake wengine wasiwe na wanaume? Watajiokoa namna gani? Wanachukua wanaume wa watu, wanawanyanganya.” Even if women outnumber men, the fact that not everyone on the planet wants to get married means that people never lack spouses out of a shortage of the opposite sex; there are many spinsters in Nairobi who love being single and don’t care for marriage.

“Wakati wa Census ya 1989 ilikuwa inasema kwamba, ili wanawake watoshane wanaume, wanastahili kuoa wanawake watatu na nusu. Watatu na nusu haiwezekani. Inastahili kila mtu awe na wabibi watano, ili tuweze kutoshana,” continues Salim, “Sasa mimi nasema ikiwa hata ni lazima, ipitishwe kama law, kwamba kila mwanamume awe na wanawake watano.” But can people’s personal lives be governed by Census statistics?

Blaming Western Culture on outlawing of Polygamy

Evans Owiti of Kamukunji argued that polygamy was only outlawed when white people arrived in Kenya: “Mzungu anakuelezea ati hiyo ni bigamy lakini yeye anakuwa na mistress, huyo mtu mwenyewe ana bibi mwingine ni vile tu anamuita na jina lingine, then Kenya tunaambiwa kuwa bibi wengine ni dhambi. Kwanza kuwa na bibi wengi ni njia ya kupunguza HIV kwa njia haraka kabisa.” But how can polygamous marriages lead to reduced HIV infections, when polygamy involves multiple people – if one person strays and contracts the virus, everyone else will get it, including the children born. Worse still, they might not use condoms because they believe they are in a marriage.

Salim Nganga of Shauri Moyo also believes that: “Hii Government na hao watu ambao wanakudanganya kwamba ni lazima uwe na bibi mmoja. Ni nani kwa historia ambaye alikuwa na bibi mmoja? Tumepoteza utamaduni, tukadanganywa na mzungu, tunafuata mzungu kwa mambo ambayo tusiyoyajua. Mimi ni Mwafrika naona haja kuoa bibi wendi. Hata bibi mmoja ni hasara na ni haramu hata kwa Mwenyezi Mungu.”

But monogamy protects the rights of women in multiple ways, and it ensures that people cannot set up families willy nilly, without having the legal obligation to provide for them. A woman in a legally recognised marriage has protection from the law in the event of abandonment or neglect, in terms of child support and alimony, but without a legally recognised marriage she would be at the mercy of the man or his family, and she could be left with no wealth or child support entitlement.

Wealth and Polygamy

The fact that polygamy is illegal does not mean that people have stopped practicing it in Nairobi, and those men who practise it usually marry one wife in church (or in a civil ceremony), then they ‘marry’ the rest by giving dowry and proclaiming theirs a traditional marriage. But that situation often requires substantial wealth on the part of the man, to give dowry, to keep more than one home, and to ‘maintain’ more than one family. Bill of Huruma argued that poverty makes such traditions unworkable: “Mtu anawezaaje kuishi room moja, sijui mguu mbili kwa mguu mbili. Eh? Hata mtu analala, mguu unaonekana huko nje. Sasa, mko na bibi na watoto, hiyo story ya mila hauwezi kugaanda mila kama uko maskini.”

The lack of multiple houses appears to inhibit would-be polygamists. Salim Nganga confesses that he has only one wife: “Mimi namke mmoja. Lakini kwa mke mmoja ananifinya kwasababu pengine hata anaweza kunifanya niwe na stress kila wakati. Saa ingine sasa kama nakuta amekasirika, inanilazimu hata mimi pia nikasirike. Sasa kutoka kazini nikimsalimia, yeye mwenyewe hajibu kwa hasira. Kama ningekuwa na bibi wengi, mimi mwenyewe hatungeweza kujibiana, ningehama hapo kwake pole pole niende hiyo nyumba nyingine. Hasira yake ikiisha, nirudi, hatungekuwa na shida.” However, polygamy cannot be the answer to marital problems because leaving one wife’s house to go to the other’s does not mean that the problem with the first wife will solve itself.

The lack of land is also something that other would-be polygamists feel inhibits them. Maina of Githurai said: “Haswa, mzungu alifanya watu kuabudu pesa. Saa hii hata mimi naweza kupenda kuwa na bibi wengi, but angalia situation ya maisha, hakuna shamba, watu ni masquatters, hawana chakula.” Maina also felt that the lack of resources is a barrier to fulfilment of conjugal duties: “Kama mwanamume hakuli vizuri, na sasa unamwambia aoe bibi wengi, arudi kwa hizo mila, na hakuli vizuri na hiyo sex ni lazima anakula vizuri ili anapata hiyo joto kwa mwili, ataweza aje kuliisha hao bibi wengi? Lakini unaona hao viongozi wetu haswa wana bibi wengi juu wanaweza liisha hao mabibi. Lakini ukiambia mtu kama mimi ambaye nimezaliwa Mathare, wazazi wangu sikukuta wakiwa na hata ploti, hiyo mambo ya bibi wengi, nitailipia aje?”

Polygamists view women as commodities

It seems that polygamous men view women as commodities to be possessed, or looking to be possessed. Evans of Kamukunji believed that in ancient Africa every woman got the ‘chance’ to get married: “Kitambo wanawake ambao hawakuolewa walikuwa wangepata nafasi ya kuolewa kama ni bibi wa pili, tatu au nne.”

It’s true that Kenya is full of single women lamenting the absence of their Mr. Right, and fretting about being single and childless by the age of thirty or forty. What does that say about their desire to be possessed, and how does it challenge streotypes about women ‘needing’ to get married in order to find an ‘owner’? We don’t necessarily hear of Kenyan men frantically searching for a woman to marry, so perhaps women in Nairobi need to ask themselves whether they are perpetuating negative stereotypes about themselves.

Salim bizzarely believes that women can handle infidelity if they know the other woman: “Hata nifaida ukiwa na bibi wengi wanajuana na kila mmoja anajua huyo ni bibi mwenza, hakutakuwa na matatizo.” Women in polygamous situations are arguably in helpless positions – some may have been forced into the marriage by their families upon dowry exchange, they may have been lied to, or financial circumstances may make the woman feel that it’s preferable to poverty. In any case, an existing wife may not have the financial means to leave the situation with her children when a man says that he’s going to get a co-wife, so just because she stays does not mean that she accepts the polygamy.

It was very ironic that one polygamy fundamentalist cannot bear the thought of his woman straying, and he views polygamy as a way of keeping tabs on a woman: “Lakini ukiwa na bibi wa siri, inaweza kuwa hasara,” declared Salim Nganga of Shauri Moyo, “Hata huyo yule walala na yeye kule na anajificha inaweza kuwa hata yeye tunashare na jamaa kama Chalo, ama jamaa mwingine kama Mutiso ama Kolil. Lakini kama angekuwa wako nyumbani, huyu bibi hangeweza kuenda na Chalo, kwa sababu anajulikana ni wangu direct, hakungekuwa na matatizo.”

Maybe Kenyans need to rethink the system of dowry, since it perpetuates the falsehood that women are commodities to be purchased. If a groom’s family wants to give the bride’s family gifts as a symbol of their new union, that’s fine, but the bride’s family must also give the groom’s family gifts. Think about the last dowry negotiation that you attended or heard of, and think about the cold, hard bargaining or extortion that takes place, initiated by the bride’s family, as if they are selling something. By the time the groom and his family have finished taking out loans and selling things to pay for the dowry, they will be seething with resentment or feeling that they now own something new.

So can women marry multiple husbands?

What irony that polygamous men expect their women to be monogamous! Why don’t they call for women to have multiple husbands? In some African tribes that was and still is done. The problem with the polygamy argument is that it is all about the selfish wishes and desires of a roaming man, but if the tables were turned that man cannot handle a taste of his own medicine

source: http://www.nairobians.com/family.html