(The below is from 2011, but I think always a good message)
My wish for you all is the peace, love and joy of this Season.
This quote from Dr. King seems particularly apt as we head into an election year..
Here is the true meaning and value of compassion and nonviolence, when it helps us to see the enemy’s point of view, to hear his questions, to know his assessment of ourselves. For from his view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.
–Martin Luther King, Jr., “Beyond Vietnam”, 4 April 1967, Riverside Church, New York City
I’ll be back Monday.
Dr. King’s vision and wisdom seem a long way from us these days, with the strange moral flatness that seems to characterize, and perhaps even define, mainstream American culture currently. So, Sharon, it’s all to the good that you offered this thoughtful quotation. Happy Holidays everybody! Ron
Such a white fir would be off-limits for Christmas Tree use, today, if it is over 20″ in diameter. Would that action be eligible for a Categorical Exclusion? *smirk* Maybe a Rider would be a better way to guarantee proper National Christmas Trees?
We’ve had some previous discussions about the total U.S. Forest Service cost and staff time/resources for the Capitol Christmas tree.
Andy Stahl (December 20, 2012)
Cost to cut Christmas tree from national forest: $10 (plus fuel/labor).
Cost to cut Capitol Mall Christmas tree from national forest: $822,156 (incl. fuel/labor)
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Matthew Koehler (December 20, 2012)
Great stats to offer some perspective here. In 2008, when the Capitol X-mas tree came from the Bitterroot National Forest, the cost was estimated at $400,000. There was much talk locally about just how many USFS employees were on the X-mas Tree detail. Here’s a snip from an article back in 2008:
“The Montana effort included 18 months of pre-planning, the selection of one subalpine fir from the Sapphire Mountains….a 50 member core planning team headed up by U.S. Forest Service staff, 40 business sponsors and a 4,280-mile one-way trip/tour to deliver the tree to Washington, D.C.”
Matthew.. this was in the Post this AM
http://www.bloombergview.com/articles/2014-12-23/how-christmas-won-the-war-on-christmas
How Christmas Won the War on Christmas
25 Dec 23, 2014 3:20 PM EST
By Stephen L. Carter
Not long after some grumpy administrative Grinch at the University of Maine warned employees against the placement of “religious-themed” decorations on campus — including candy canes — NASA announced that Christmas lights have become so bright that they are visible from outer space. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration released satellite imagery, both still and video, to show how much U.S. cities glow during the holidays.
and