Date sent: Fri, 16 Oct 1998 06:10:22 EDT
Send reply to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: STUDIES IN WOMEN AND ENVIRONMENT <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Re: family size,etc.
> In a message dated 98-10-15 21:14:54 EDT, you write:
>
> << Blindly chanting the
> mantra of personal freedom in this matter will simply push ALL OF
> US, responsible and irresponsible alike, lemminglike over the cliff of
> catastrophe and hurl us all to a shared destruction. Joe
> >>
> Hi Joe,
>
> It is not personal freedom we are talking about here - it is universal
> freedom! Life is bigger then you Joe!
>
Is it bigger for you than planetary survival then, Angela?
> There are some freedoms that lie under the title of personal freedom and some
> that run deeper! Pro-creation is one that runs deeper!
>
We are supposed to be able to act (or forbear to act) on a higher
level due to the freedom and choice self-awareness bequeath us.
Sometimes the only choice is to acknowledge a higher (in this case
global) necessity; CONSCIENCE is a function of
CONSCIOUSNESS. We must no longer allow ourselves to be ruled
by our deeper, instinctual, genetically programmed drives; in fact, in
this case planetary survival dictates just the opposite; that we submit
to REASON. We simply can't afford to be pulled by our pubes into
Gaian disaster.
> I agree that always asserting personal freedom can be a detriment to us all -
> neglecting to see how our personal actions because of that personal freedom
> harms others - No man/woman is an island! Of course!
>
> Regarding Control - Control is not synomous with Standards - When an industry
> complies to environmental STANDARDS - it is not under our control - because
> frankly if it were under my control I would shut it down completely and
> rebuild - it is merely complying to imposed standards of actions!
>
And who imposes them? Our representative governments do.
Standards ARE controls; they are limits beyond which these
corporations are not allowed to pollute or extract, under threat of
penalty of law. They violate them, and they (I hope!) face the
consequences, as shall we all if we continue to violate our planet
with our exponential growth. Joe
> Peace!
> Angela
