I recently returned from three days at the Coachella Music Festival in Indio. Three days in the desert; music, musing and dancing in a herd of thousands. Body and mind are worn – as I write this, I feel like I’ve been sucking on Chinese toys all weekend. Still, live music for three days and nights straight invites the mind to wander down many a path. Some thoughts...

Thousands from around the state, the country and the world attended the festival. Most youthful, most liberal – but surprisingly few showing their political colors. A few Obama jerseys were spotted, never caught sight of any Hillary shwag - but as always, festival icons Leonard Peltier and Che Guevara were in full effect.  Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters sent a blood spattered dirigible pig floating over the crowd emblazoned with a sword wielding Uncle Sam Death Head, “Don’t Be Led To Slaughter” scrawled alongside. The pig’s underbelly was stamped with a disconcertingly hopeful message: a  ballot check marked next to Obama’s name. Not exactly the sort of endorsement that warms a politician’s heart – but still, a shout out from Roger Waters is a shout out from Roger Waters. Prince said he was so sick of debates – he couldn’t stand it anymore.  Hillary and Obama as the bickering parents in “This is What It Sounds Like When the Doves Cry”…

Gave a jump start to some Mexican kids in their twenties from Calexico – all studying to be lawyers. They shared their beer and we did the Spanglish thing for a while. We drank to Mexico and the U.S., neighbors and friends – they raised their beers, but were hesitant to really believe the friend part.  They wished it was so, but I had to agree that most of our national gestures appear to be those of a perturbed neighbor rather than a friend…

Spoke to a Marine the other day four days away from the end of his enlistment. Back from his second tour in Iraq – he says things are now definitely better in Western Iraq, things are definitely better now than they were in 2004 when rockets fell on him from day one. Though he conceded, there is “real shit going on in Basra.”  In the best soldierly sense – what concerned him most was keeping his buddies alive. The insurgents take to using children to wield AK’s or lob the occasional grenade. This Marine said he hesitated after spotting a near ten year old raise his rifle – he had a hair trigger moment to take the kid out…It was just a kid. He hesitated. The kid fired, hit a platoon member and the platoon opened up on the kid. The wounded soldier survived, the kid was eliminated. The Marine took no pleasure in the story, but seemed still puzzled by the impossible situation he was in – troubled that he almost got a buddy killed. He seemed also uneasy about the fact that the kid will not be showing up on any casualty lists. The Department of Defense does not consider children battle casualties even if they are involved in hostile activity. The kid is gone, his death does not officially exist. No matter your politics, that seems a heavy load for a twenty four year old soon to be ex Marine from Washington who wants to make San Diego his home. This Marine seemed up to the task – a So Cal transplant, a nice kid, a young guy with a future and a veteran…

Please read no further unless you are a Citizen Voices Blogger.

Dear Trina, Candace, Alma, Steven and Chuck.

Let’s mix things up. We’ve met about five times and I read all of your posts. And enjoy reading them – all thoughtful. All different.  We’ve proven than when you send six citizen strangers to blog for PBS; we start being nice and keep being nice (like most PBS type people in general).  For no other motive than mixing things up, I propose we mix things up.  Next week, let us all post original video blogs. On any issue? Or perhaps a specific issue? Or any other ideas? Maybe you don’t have a camera? We can get one for you. Maybe you don’t know how to edit online? It’s easy, someone will show you. Maybe you don’t want to be on camera? Don’t be on camera. Maybe you don’t have time? There will be time for lawyering, teaching, koshering, activisting/producing and momming for many years to come – now is the time to make your directorial debut.  I rest my case and humbly request that you register a vote in the comments section with a negative or affirmative regarding this suggestion. Or to make a much better suggestion.

Earnestly Yours,
Chris

P.S. I will regard the first responding Citizen Voicer as my dearest reader and the last of you to vote as an incurable humbug.