Today is the day! This Monday evening at 7pm Lt Gen Russel Honoré will speak at the First Unitarian Universalist Church at 5212 South Claiborne Avenue in New Orleans. In my 72 years of Louisiana life, no prominent leader has spoken as this man has. In general in Louisiana, it has been the mantra, repeated as dogma, with social exclusion and occasional assassination for heresy, that the petrochemical industry has the right to exploit Louisiana territory as it wishes, with no obligations to nurture and restore the land, air, water or people. Lobbyists dominate the legislature through campaign contributions and the legislature obligingly passes laws to benefit the Industry. According to recent decisions by the State legislature, corexit is acceptable in the waters off the Louisiana shore, even though fishermen and residents are sickened by it, and the marshes may be salted by the Gulf intruding through oil-field canals, even though the cypresses die and the earth slips away, exposing Thibodeaux, Houma, Morgan City and even New Orleans to severe floods, if not extinction. Few prominent leaders have spoken about the necessity of regulating the Industry in the name of Louisiana’s well-being, as Lt Gen Honoré has done, and none has managed to speak with such public support. That is no criticism of other leaders, but a comment on the people of Louisiana. When will the splendor of Louisiana explode? Only when the people set fire to their hearts. We honor Lt Gen Honoré – whose name means ‘’honorable one’’ in French – not only to express admiration for his courage in defending Louisiana, but also to express appreciation for igniting fire in the hearts of so many people. For me, the D’Orlando Lecturer must be a person of the Rev. Albert D’Orlando’s dynamic presence, publicly recognized for courage and clarity in speaking truth to power in the name of the people. We are the people. We have an occasion this evening to honor this man, and I go so far as to claim that we become who we honor. There will also be a collection, as is appropriate in a church of course, and all of it will be given to Lt Gen Honoré to help fund the Green Army. You will also have an opportunity to purchase his book, ‘’Leadership in the New Normal’’ and to become a ‘’recruit’’. The military terms are appropriate in our new battle of New Orleans and Louisiana because military organization can just as easily be deployed to defend the community as to destroy an enemy, real or imagined. The Green Army is a first battalion in the fight for Louisiana’s existence as solid territory, as fertile land, as clean water, as pure air, as healthy people. Come to honor the General. Not for information, which you already have. Nor to be seen, which you already are. Nor for the unimpressive cookies and coffee, which you can procure for yourself. Come to honor Russel Honoré. https://youtube/watch?v=8zGFvzMMO9w
Posted on: Mon, 15 Dec 2014 14:26:06 +0000
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