More Thoughts on Burma

Over the past two days, I've been working in the garden, clearing out leaves, pruning back plants and planting summer flowers. I've had a great deal of quiet time to reflect and to think about Cyclone Nargis, Myanmar, the Burmese people, the military junta, children, death, life, hope, despair, and the future.

One of the joys of travel is the chance to meet people from other lands, other cultures, other ways of thinking. But, as in all things, there is a yang of sadness to that yin of joy. Never have I felt that more than the past few days, as a country where I visited- just 35 days ago- has been devastated.

A Burmese girl who sold me some sketches. She's wearing thanaka, traditional makeup made from tree bark. Is she alive?

I thought I had become too old and too cynical to care anymore about governments and politicians and rulers and power. But I haven't. I'm furious.

Just a teenaged guy celebrating his birthday. Is he alive?

I'm furious at a group of power-mad, bloodthirsty, petty military generals who are stalling relief workers with visa paperwork. I know from firsthand experience the a Myanmese visa can be approved quickly--officials took less than one hour to approve 800 when the Serenity docked. The visa applications were not submitted ahead of time and I never personally appeared before any governmental apparatchik.

Remember the little girl celebrating her birthday? Her mom is in the center...isn't she lovely?

I'm furious that the same military types want international aid, but don't want help distributing it. Guess whose pockets will be lined, whose families and friends will be given water, food, and drugs first.

Isn't she adorable? Her mom was one of our puppeteer performers . She tagged along. I hope she and her mom are okay.

I'm furious that organizations who have people already in place, such as Doctors Without Borders and UNICEF, can not get access to their own supplies because the planes have not been given authorization to land.

This group of young people greeted us at the dock with music and dance. It was so low to the water at high tide, I wonder if it was destroyed.

Who do these men think they are? Their countrymen, the people who share their culture and history, are dying daily...the children- the Burmese future- are DYING-and they are doing NOTHING to help.

US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice said yesterday "It's not a matter of politics. It's a matter of a humanitarian crisis."

I don't normally jump on the "one world" bandwagon. I learned a while ago that I can't change the world-so I try to make a difference where I live. But I "lived" in Burma for three days. So in my own small way, I must try to effect change.

I can speak up. I can donate what I can to help. I can make others aware of the real situation.

I encourage everyone to sit up and take notice. Every little bit can save lives. Skip lunch today and send a donation to UNICEF (where you can earmark your $$$ directly to Myanmar relief) or Doctors Without Borders or the International Red Cross or any other charity you see fit.

If every friend I have sent just $10, imagine the hundreds of lives we could save. Imagine the snowball effect if everyone I know talked to just two people about the political attrocities in Myanmar, and then those two talked to two people.

The Irrawaddy Delta just 4 weeks ago. This doesn't even exist anymore-everything was swept away and it is all under water.

We can make a difference. Like the Nike commercial says "Just Do It".