Pokeweed berries

A beautiful plant, we did not plant, has grown in our rain garden. It is now in full bloom. My wife did some research of what it is and discovered it is pokeweed, a toxic plant for mammals in all parts. Although it has some medical benefits, because of its poisonous nature it must be cut down and uprooted. It is an invasive plant and for the common good should be destroyed immediately. I did not want to hear this about this good looking plant but need to accept the facts and destroy it.

This research and my reluctance to hear it reminds me of other research that I did that people did not want to hear. When I wrote the essay on The Militarization of Catholic Jesuit University Education, despite my footnotes there was not much interest by Jesuits and Catholic educators. And just the other day I sent out research on the War Spending Records of Congresspersons Gwen Moore and James Sensenbrenner Jr. I have not added my research references or my opinions yet but have found so far little interest by the peace community in the facts of the records of our local congressperson’s voting record on war spending since January 2009. My guess from these experiences is that, just like I did not want to hear about the pokeweed plant, many persons are not interested in facts of politics. Perception of reality, as in advertising, rather than reality, seems more interesting.

I feel compelled for the common good to destroy the pokeweed plant in our rain garden. After all it is poison we are talking about. I feel compelled for the common good to expose the madness of military spending that is consuming our money and minds and destroying the soul of our nation. The militarization of our society is poisoning all of us. Can we ignore it?

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