Author Archives: Leo Denton

Future of the Gulf Community Brainstorming

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Twenty-five coastal residents – fishermen, artists, nurses, teachers, environmentalists, business persons, scientists, community workers, film makers, researchers, … – brainstormed for two hours at the Coastal Response Center in Coden, Alabama on September 30, 2010. Discussions revolved around the safety of seafood, exposure to toxic dispersants, incidence of area cancer, gulf and marsh ecology, coastal recovery from hurricanes and the gulf oil catastrophe, economic needs, public awareness, political leadership, education at all levels, and truth-trust-and-transparency issues relative to big oil and the government.

The group shared disturbing news about people suffering from exposure to dispersants and oil, the unusual numbers of deep water crabs around shores of Dauphin Island, sightings and collection of oil on Alabama shores during the past two weeks, recent use of dispersants, and numerous coastal people’s needs going unmet (similar to what happened after Hurricane Katrina five years ago).

In the political arena, the group will seek to work with elected officials and those running for office to achieve a clear end to the use of dispersants and gain better representation on governor’s task force for commercial fishermen, seafood businesses, the ship building industry, and the Asian community. Additionally efforts toward the independent testing for seafood will be pursued.

The group will also work to inform the public in brief easy-to-understand materials about the dangers of dispersant use and the ongoing effects of the gulf oil catastrophe. Participants discussed the importance of supporting businesses in coastal communities, helping the needy, and providing high quality educational experiences and service opportunities for the youth. Participants also encouraged one another to serve the community practically and positively in whatever opportunities can be found.

If you would like to help in any of these endeavors, please contact me at denton2100@gmail.com or 251-861-4012 or plug in with local groups and local environmental groups. Our next Future of the Gulf – Community Brainstorm will be held on October 28 at 6:30 P.M. at Coden’s Coastal Response Center which belongs to the South Bay Communities Alliance.
Discussions happened in both the full group and small groups

Discussions happened in both the full group and small groups, photographed by Dawn McKinney, September 30, 2010

Each person was given the full attention of the group

Each person was given the full attention of the group, photographed by Sheila Hagler, September 30, 2010.

Ervin and Betty Royal of Coden and South Bay Community Alliance

Ervin and Betty Royal of Coden and South Bay Community Alliance, photographed by Sheila Hagler, September 30, 2010.

Rachel Guillory of Oceana and my wife, Rosie Denton

Rachel Guillory of Oceana and my wife, Rosie Denton, photographed by Sheila Hagler, September 30, 2010.

Fellow Explorers

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The fruit of the sycamore tree

The fruit of the sycamore tree, photographed by Eitan f, a Wikimedia contributor, July 8, 2006.


In his life, as Jesus journeyed from place to place, diverse persons would ask him what it would be like if they followed him. Often Jesus would just say, “Come and see.” The roadmap was that unclear. Trust was paramount.

Trusting in the Spirit, Jesus strongly encourages each of us to positively and energetically use our talents and resources, to let our lights shine, and to pull together in communion. One day while Jesus was spreading this message, the Spirit inspired Zaccheaus to climb a sycamore tree to get a better look at Jesus. Zaccheaus was a hated tax collector, and he was literally out on a limb with that day’s crowd. Probably some of them expected or feared that Jesus would invite Zaccheaus to the synagogue for the upcoming Sabbath. But Jesus, like Zaccheaus, was intent on exploring new horizons, and so he called out, “Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house.” Jesus’ journey to Zaccheaus’ home and Jesus’ communion with Zaccheaus brought scandal, but Zaccheaus had climbed above life’s challenges, trusted in the new perspective, and boldly changed his life.

Thursday evening, September 30, 7:00 P.M., is the Future of the Gulf – Community Brainstorm. It’s at the Coastal Response Center – 7385 Highway 188 in Coden, Alabama.

Gulf Seafood not Known to be Safe

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My son, Leo, and the grouper he caught

My son, Leo, and the grouper he caught, photographed by Joe Denton on September 4, 2010.

I love to fish and love to eat the fish I catch. But I and others have been involved in some correspondence taking place between Captain Chris Bryant of Bayou La Batre and Jim McCallum, a policy analyst with the National Fisheries Service. A key fact coming out of these communications is that the seafood in the gulf oil disaster region is NOT BEING TESTED FOR DISPERSANTS. Not only that, we don’t even have a seafood test for dispersants yet. The government, however, is working on such tests and expects them to be available soon. Meanwhile we’ve been assured that the seafood is safe and hopefully it is. But this is like instructing your children that it’s safe to look only one way before crossing the street. We’re testing for oil in the seafood, how reliable those tests are is another story, but we’re not looking the other way for dispersants. How safe is that?

This week we’ll be having our Future of the Gulf – Community Brainstorm. It’s Thursday evening, September 30, 7:00 P.M. at the Coastal Response Center – 7385 Highway 188 in Coden, Alabama. Our purpose, in light of the ongoing oil disaster, is to share community needs, resources, ideas, and opportunities with other people who care. As everyday people, we will brainstorm and encourage one another to act and move positively together to restore our way of life, health, and coastal fishing communities. Please share the word and come.

Umpteen Horizons provides gulf oil disaster news under the Empower News tab above. On that webpage, oil news can be found under Crises. Please continue to check Empower News as it will continue to improve.

The Time Machine Dream

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Often in the morning, I am blessed by several wonderful ideas that have come from my nighttime mind. These ideas sometimes come from remembered dreams and sometimes from thought processes unremembered. Cultivating a friendship between my nighttime mind and my awake mind seems to spur this on. The nighttime mind brings us many crazy dreams and many useful dreams. Some dreams even flow from our nighttime mind’s deep stirring encounters with God, our All in All. The dream I’m sharing now from 1997 is one such dream.

Jugglin on the Berlin Wall 1989

Jugglin on the Berlin Wall, photographed in November 1989 by Yann Forget.

It was evening. About five or six of us were in a meeting room with a table. Each of us was enthusiastic about the work that we were pursuing. Each of us was deeply involved with building a better future for humanity. We were also realistic about the difficulties involved in fulfilling our dreams.

Our enthusiasm was in part based upon a special opportunity we had that evening. We had a time machine in our building. First, we had to decide who would go. I guess since it was my dream, it was decided that I should go. We discussed the trip and decided that I really did not need to take anything. But as I began to enter the time machine, I realized that it would be really good to have a camera. Quickly someone ran into a nearby room and brought me a high quality camera.

I set the time machine on ready, and immediately I found myself in the future. It did not seem to be a far-off future, something like maybe 7 to 25 years into the future, but that’s just my guess, I really don’t know when it was. In the time machine, I was being transported from one part of the world to another. I was flying about 30 yards above the ground observing a particular day. I went to many places all over the world and everywhere I went there were people of all cultures and backgrounds jubilantly joining together and marching, carrying banners, singing, chanting, swaying together, spinning, and dancing in the streets. The gatherings were spontaneous and free spirited. Something utterly incredible had just been realized or had just happened and the people were celebrating the resultant oneness of humanity and thanking God for this great victory.

All the while I kept taking pictures. Then I was brought back to the present and to the meeting room. Right away I began to tell others what I saw. I was so moved by what I saw that I teared up. Everyone was impressed by my words, but it was not until someone brought in the large developed pictures and placed them on the table that everyone began to really take it in. The others in the room began to speak breathlessly about how these pictures could change the world, because people would see in these pictures a real future that will happen if we work together now. Besides speaking of how others would be affected by the pictures, each spoke of how they were now going to work much harder and in a much more directed and concerted manner to build a better future for humanity. For in these pictures, each of us saw this wonderful future reaching out to us, inviting us to live in the faith that this is not only possible but very realizable.

Two additional themes strike me from this dream. First it points to a great trial and a great victory ahead of us. Second, it points to “vivid pictures” within each of us, gifts, talents, and energy that we can bring forth to build a better humanity.My daughter, Mignon, sent me a link to the positive video on the right. It suggests something of a better world as well. Click it and enjoy it.

 

Our next Future of the Gulf – Community Brainstorm is September 30, 2010 at the Coastal Response Center – 7385 Highway 188 in Coden, Alabama. Our purpose, in light of the ongoing oil disaster, is to share community needs, resources, ideas, and opportunities with other people who care. We will brainstorm and encourage one another to act and move positively together to restore our way of life, health, and community.

 

 Nic Marks and the Happy Planet Index