Some Thoughts Before I Go:
-by Bill Watkins 4/24/2017
***
God, give me the wisdom
to say something of value.
Amen.
***
Greetings, “Los Angeles,”—a Tongva/Gabrielino land.
We cannot always look forward, or up at the next skyscraper or project.
It is wise to look back, to make sure our past is okay. Mended and tightly made!
***
Wherever native peoples are buried, we must have recognition, designated posts and plaques, remembrance of the first caretakers of God’s land.
We should now and forever, institute SPACE on our panels and councils FOR NATIVE PEOPLE TO JOIN AND PARTICIPATE.
For the Los Angeles City Council, for instance, TWO seats should be made available for First Peoples to fill.
Those seats would not be voted in by the public, but by Native Councils—like the Los Angeles Native American Indian Commission.
The County Board of Supervisors should reserve at least one seat for this purpose…
***
We have inherited other evils besides native neglect, like the sin of slavery committed so many years ago. No matter how much time passes, a sin will fester and cause problems until it is examined and amends are made.
Every “American” should reflect on what is the proper reparation to offer African-descended people, who can claim descendancy to people brought here in chains against their will.
Emotional debts must be paid, just as financial ones—if we are to be a thriving community.
***
With a proper council that includes native people, and with a mind to repair past sins to African Americans and anyone else wronged by government policies:
It would be time to clean up the city and county of Los Angeles, and to budget the enforcement of every law and code on the books.
Right now, it is obvious that many codes are not enforced.
And aiming especially at Education:
NONE OF THE CODE IS CURRENTLY TAUGHT IN SCHOOL.
We need to Teach Law, if we hope that the community will Obey and Respect the Law. (https://travelingpoet.net/first-step-education/)
I have personally taught law and law code to Children ages five and up!! It can be done. It must be done. (https://travelingpoet.net/2014/04/01/law-dragons/)
Here is the little book I have begun for this purpose: Law For Kids
***
We could do so much more. We could be so much more.
We could have clean streets and sidewalks, metros, metro platforms.
And Clean is Safe! Ask my dad, John F. Watkins of forty-plus years in the Steel Business.
We could expand City Personnel to include job offers to homeless and formerly homeless—BEGIN A PEDESTRIAN STREET CLEANING CORPS!!!!
https://travelingpoet.net/clean-l-a/
***
Mayor visits to Dodger games, spouting about sports and Funding PARTIES must be curbed in favor of mass Clean-up efforts, Law education, noise reduction, and a Budget overhaul of both the City and County resources.
Let us move away from controversial, unproven, non-universally accepted Health and Science concepts.
To push non-emergency western “health care” on citizens should be outlawed in the same way that the Church and State are separated.
“Health” is defined by all differently. (https://travelingpoet.net/2017/03/23/what-is-health/)
The same could be said for “religion.”
So, Government: Stay out of it.
Build us roads, infrastructure.
Keep trying at Security, and study real defense/martial arts—keep moving away from lethal weapons.
Killing is Never Defense. (https://travelingpoet.net/2016/03/07/the-old-argument/)
***Adopt a fifty-fifty budget (City of Los Angeles — Budget Proposal)—keep it simple!!! May we stop playing God with Government funds, pray to one, fix some roads and PAY OUR DEBTS!!!
Start and end with prayer. With supplication to the Great Spirit, to “God,” to a Higher Power than us; consult with native peoples, and invoke wisdom.
***
Fireworks and Noise:
Please, God, help us Put the Foot Down on Illegal fireworks.
Help us Re-Think Helicopters and Sirens.
The loud, metal, brutal force of industry kills the healing peace of our land in its natural state.
Help us all to see the poor philosophy of “helping” a household or individual with a robbery by KILLING THE PEACE IN A TEN MILE RADIUS with loud airplanes and sirens.
Our authorities are supposed to Keep the Peace, not destroy it.
Shhh! God is working a masterpiece. (https://travelingpoet.net/2014/01/22/chess/)
Bad things happen. Do not make bad things worse by making a bunch of noise.
I challenge emergency services to take a walk in the woods and reflect on Real Health. No person should consume flammable liquids. Start your safety program there, by Never “drinking” alcoholic beverages.
Most emergencies come from carelessness and diabolical drinks/drugs.
Abstain and join me in more quiet, respectful living!
***
(Another reason to be wary of Dodger Games, Mr. Mayor, and Laker support. Sports are full of gambling (money+emotions), Alcohol rampant.)
Focus on our roads, sidewalks, adopt a more humble face, and one not so easy to sell himself and Los Angeles:
Especially when this place is so dirty.
Trash litters in every direction, from gutters to sidewalks, to our Metro services—often the first look we give tourists.
Yesterday, I could hardly see the pay screen at a Gold Line pay kiosk, through the dirt, grime and graffiti.
We need an adequate PLAN, just like with fireworks, to stamp out that problem.
We need to expand City Personnel, START HIRING EVEN DAY WORKERS!!
“We need bodies,” I have heard the Animal Services Department utter.
Stop looking for perfection, favorites, or someone for a thirty year tenure and GET PEOPLE OUT WORKING TODAY!!!!!!
The Homeless doesn’t have to be a problem.
They are a Work Force, waiting to be tapped!!!!
***
So decide. Decide, like I did, when I gave up DRINKING a flammable, volatile chemical “sold” as DRINK fifteen years ago.
Start caring about yourself and others, as I did, when I took that step toward health. (https://travelingpoet.net/2014/03/14/you-learn-to-care/)
Read and study the Native way, read Kent Nerburn’s great collection, a cheap buy online that will change your life:
***
I am off to Livingston, Montana—Crow Country.
Please keep a prayer and thought for me, and when you do, let Tongva Nation help you in Los Angeles.
Let the Gabrielino Tribe rise to help you protect this land.
Hoist up the L.A. Native American Indian Commission, and may it vote into reserved spots key players in determining wise courses of action.
God is real. Call it by any name you choose. That is not religion, which is organized. Spirituality, your walk with God—is yours. Bring its rewards, wisdom and charity, into your council chambers and bring God, Spirit, and Nature back to this community.
Quiet our sirens and choppers, and hear the parrots, escaped from that South Pasadena store fire so long ago.
Smile.
After we clean up, take in a ballgame, but not until we clean up, and enforce every code on our books.
Dissolve the heliport in favor of a great foot patrol outpost.
A non-lethal, giving one.
—Love and Highest Peace
Forever.
Bill “Naked Horse” Watkins
Honorary Tongva
http://www.travelingpoet.net
Consumer Fireworks Ban — Watkins Proposal for Gomez — CA — 2016
Bill Watkins, Traveling Poet 