Sidetracked Charley

The term compassion fatigue was one I first heard more than a decade ago. It is a term normally used to define a condition of caregivers who struggle to function in care giving environments that constantly present heart wrenching, emotional challenges. But it is now seen in those of us trying to affecting positive change in society and seeing little positive movement and coming to the realization that our mission, perceived as so vital, is elusive, if not impossible. This painful reality, coupled with first-hand knowledge of society's flagrant disregard for the safety and well being of the feeble and frail and helpless, takes its toll. Eventually, negative attitudes prevail. And what seems like chronic fatigue and indifference sets in. We shut down, turn out. How many images can you see of oil-coated pelicans dying on a once pristine beach before you just shut some part of your mind off in an effort to save a modicum of your sanity? This shut off point comes earl...

BP has admitted that its latest effort to stem the flow of oil into the no longer pristine waters of the Gulf of Mexico has failed. They claim to have another plan to implement but if we all pull out our best plans first and BP is down to attempt four or five then what is in the future is not good. The sick jokes are now popping up: BP's new oil clean up method - birds and furry animals. And a website is taking bets on which will be the first fish, bird or animal of the gulf to go extinct because of this. I hope not the brown pelican. I love pelicans. I am not sure why this particular event of all the horrid things going on in the world today is so troubling to me. Maybe it is the greed of BP and other oil companies. Or all the short cuts we now know they took to expedite the flow of oil and make this spill more than just possible but probable. Or that our country has no power to oversee these oil shore leases because of concessions made by Bush II. Or that BP has been able to ...