Great passions surround issues of the St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon.
Over the past month, I have have been “corrected,” like a middle school child, not only by some friends but by institutions, for my outspoken comments for or against certain politicians or programs affiliated with the Indian River Lagoon. This berating came as a shock to me as I have not “been corrected” since I lived in my parents house and was constantly corrected. I was not good at it then, and I am not good at it now.
When I complained about this recently, my husband Ed just looked at me and laughed saying, “Get used to it, if you want to be involved in politics!”
“I am working for the river, I replied, not politics.”
Ed looked at me like I was in outer space and again laughed that infectious laugh of his.”
“Sure Jacqui…”
Of course Ed is right. Water is politics. And politics can be even more toxic than our St Lucie River/Indian River Lagoon.
This Sunday, August 3, at 10 a.m. , at Phipps Park, (St Lucie Locks and Dam), the River Warriors with the second year leadership of Evan Miller and the help of the Rivers Coalition, the Indian River Keeper, and the Sierra Club, will hold the “March Against the Lake Okeechobee Discharges.”
There will hopefully be hundreds if not thousands of people there. And even though there will be people of many political affiliations, backgrounds, and beliefs, when the “powers that be” see the group together in one place our differences fade and WE ARE ONE. It is this oneness, this togetherness that has brought us from obscurity to state and national recognition for the problems of Lake Okeechobee, the St Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon in just one short year.
I have an old chest in my living room that came over to the United States in the 1700s. Its owners were French Huguenots who were openly persecuted and killed for their religious beliefs. When I see that chest, I think of its journey across the great ocean and it reminds me that people came to our county for many reasons, but the protections of “free speech” and “freedom of assembly,” to many may have been most important.
May we exercise our American Freedoms with dignity on Sunday and with the protections of the First Amendment of our United States Constitution:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
And please remember, in spite of our differences, or what we believe is the best way to support of our rivers, we are most powerful when WE ARE ONE, and we can still be ONE with our many differences.
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History of the First Amendment:(http://illinoisfirstamendmentcenter.com/history.php)
History of the French Huguenots (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huguenot)
Beautifully said!!! Thank you for this blog this morning!
Thank you Katy. Hang in there.
Wonderful Jacqui.. thank you SO much for all you do. For the record, I was one of those that contacted Jacqui and said stuff in the heat of stupidity and frustration that may have wrecked fore-ever my very important friendship with Jacqui. I embarrassed myself, and sincerely regret my comments and piss poor attitude. Jacqui graciously accepted my apologies but my regret, depression and disappointment I let the pressure affect me, and hurt my Dear Friend still burns. Peace.
I do love you Marty
You go girl!! As long as you speak your heart….you have not yet become a true politician. That’s not the way the process began, but it’s what it has become. Thanks for being who you are!
Thank you Nancy! You built my heart back from the darkness.
Oh Jacqui, you have a great sense of humor and an even bigger heart!
Thank you for these inspirational words and your unrelenting strength of purpose. I recognized this in you when we first met last year and you’ve only gotten clearer and stronger with each hurdle and every achievement. I will be with you and everyone else on Sunday in spirit. Give em Hell my friend!
Thank you Ezra. You are always with us in spirit. You have helped us grow. We are thinking of you.
Well said jacqui! I will see you there….
Thanks Robin.
Spot on, Jacqui! As you’ve often said to me, we really aren’t all that different. We all want the same thing, no matter how many times someone paints any one of us with the “evil brush.” See ya Sunday, as ONE!!!
C U Sunday!!!
There are some people (or at least myself) that doesn’t know where Phillips Park is located. Is that in Stuart?
Megan. Thank you for pointing this out. The address is 2175 SW Locks Road, Stuart, FL 34997. To get to Phipps Park take Highway 76 west (past I-95) to Locks Road. Turn right. Go all the way to the end. It will dead end at C-44 canal, St Lucie Locks and Dam. Phipps Park is on the right. Parking anywhere in this area should work and there should be people directing traffic. Hope to see you there.
Of your “physical stature” there is no doubt, but It takes enormous courage and humility to apologize, and even more to say it so openly and honestly as you did this morning.
I had no idea, and was moved to tears to read the words you expressed so beautifully from your heart. My respect for you as a Man, a deeply caring human being continues to grow.
I doubt if any of the others who felt the need to criticize our dear friend have the balls to do the same!
You and Jacqui have my deepest admiration,
as always you write from your heart. don’t change. even if people and correct you. and marty no matter what you say we always know you have the best interest of the river and the lagoon in your heart. I think we all want very badly to get along and for the most part we do. One biggest lesson this year was to learn this : Clean water must go south. The discharges ( or what the hell that was that we got -lake o water without the o) must stop. Everything else is a diversion. This group and our beloved lagoon team at the tc has done a magnificent job keeping the conversation going. And just helping us but helping the everglades and water in Florida as a whole. Everyone wants the same thing. unfortunately there is no room to agree to disagree. We have to agree to agree. Because its not about us. Its about the St Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon and Estuary.
Try this on for size, Jacqui. Don Voss and I had a breakfast meeting this morning, a 3 hour discussion that went quite well. This egoistic bickering between “camps” is embarrassing, and I realized that IT and not slow progress, or years struggling in this fight, was what was burning me out.
Mike thank you so much for your comment and there is no greater truth than your words. I can’t wait to see you soon and hug you!
I am a feisty and tenacious ally. I swore to find a way to reduce the inflow. So, I know my loyality to that cause has made me an intolerable ass. This does not make the message incorrect…it just means I need to summon more love and peace into my being and expression. I WILL try harder. We need each other. God helps those who help themselves. I want to get the band back together… It is time to make music again. I will promise to leave the baggage at home. And rain or shine. I will be there.
Don thanks so much for your comment. We are all one. See you soon.
Something very different happened this time.
Thank you so very much Jacqui for creating this space; for these opportunities and discussions to begin to take place. They are truly “gifts of communication” between us and it’s a much needed start.