The death of a boyhood friend

Recently I learned that my high school classmate, Ed Eglowsky died on August 26, 2010. I immediately started telephoning my former classmates and friends who knew ed to discuss his life with them. The question that they kept asking me is why am I so upset with his death. My answer is as follows:

I am upset with any person's death when I personally knew the individual. This is the way I am. Ed ws not perfect. He had a lot of faults. One being he did not keep in touch with people. However we all have faults.

I am also upset because I believe that my former school classmates both in college and elswhere as well as friends throughout my 70 years of life may be influencing this world by the way they vote and voice their opinions. What a concept! I had problems with them then and I probably still will have problems with them now.

I am also upset about the following events happening in this world:

Endless War. Not only the ones that get reported but the "hidden wars" where we got troops on "trainers" stationed in them. The U.S. Army is in 192 countries. I believe that in the future we will have to restore order in these countries. In addition the individual and corporate lust for wealth and power will continue to give us war and occupation like it is in Afganistan and Iraq.

I am upset about efforts to feed our addiction to fossil fuels. If we can ever control our addiction, we will be about to change the world for the better.

I am upset about the endless surges of racism and homophobia. Pleasle in the media keep stirring the pots of the "scapegoat stew."

I am upset because we have become victimized by the food industry and their handmaidens the chemical industry. Everyone must see the movie "Food Inc." Look around you and see how many adults and children suffer from obesity and diabetes.

Finally I am upset that people do not realize that science does not and cannot solve ethical problems. Religion deals with ethics not science. Ethics must be taught to everyone. Again everyone needs to watch "American Greed" on CNBC.

Guess what - all the above mentioned issues are connected!!

Yes, I am upset about Ed's death. When do we get it: "Love your neighbor as yourself."