The proposed reopening of the Idaho Maryland Mine

I am opposed to proposed reopening of the Idaho Maryland Mine not only for many good reasons enumerated in the draft environmental impact report, some of which are significant and cannot be mitigated, but because consideration of its reopening is not based on the deep listening necessary to know the truth in the moment. I oppose the reopening of the mine because it does not consider the long past nor the far future but is instead content to look at things in terms of an economically expedient and sociopathic world view. Our dominanation world view does not extend our spiritual and emotional feelings to the earth or teach us to consider earth herself or the flora and fauna who inhabit her as living beings as precious to the spirit of life as we humans are. We have been taught to regard earth as raw material, resource to be fashioned into whatever we desire. She is not seen as sacred and many have lost their sense of connection to her.

But in all times and places there remain some among humans who see all life as sacred. These are always being born to her. These are people, children and grown-ups who are conscious of an intimate interconnection with the whole web of life. Violence and genocide have been unable to rid the earth of these people though the powerful have tried. These continue to be born into every time and place for they are called into being by the presence of Great Spirit’s infinite compassion and untiring patience.

Indigenous people of many places have been harmed by the forces of greed and the cultures of dominance. But it is not only indigenous humans who are harmed but earth, air and water and all the relations. We have all been subjected to fear before we awakened to unconditional love and compassion. But once we are awakened there is no way to return to ignorance and the dispensation of the old gods and idols with their numberless names, excuses and rationalizations.

We stand as we are in the great mystery surrounded by choice, seemingly adrift in a universe greater than our comprehension. Slowly we discern the way weaving like a bright thread in the tapestry of reality. We begin to see what we are unable to imagine or create and yet is right before our senses. From here we can see what makes for healing and wholeness. From here we begin to understand the nature of our relationship to everything we consider to be other than ourselves.

Exploiting earth and her creatures, so that some people become rich while others suffer, is not part of the healing way, the beauty way. What is good for the whole is what we are guided to do by future generations and the spirit of our ancestors. We cannot compromise the well being of the whole community of life. We are called to be faithful to the way regardless of personal consequence. Neither birth nor death separates us from the one whose love and compassion set the whole creation free and whose way we travel. It is the right time for us to take a stand and be willing to be faithful to that which creates us, gave us consciousness and set us free. We feel the call at the core of ourselves and respond to the love and compassion which is with us from the beginning of all that is. There are many forms of right livelihood we can pursue as individuals and as a community which are considerate of the common good. Reopening the mine is not one of them.