It's Peace Day. Come register to vote at Greenjeans!

September 21 (Thursday) is the International Day of Peace.

This year, instead of hanging a cascade of paper cranes or peace signs, I opted to do something a little different. At the suggestion of Jane Kaufmann who is herself a deeply devoted peace activist, I'm taking a more political view of peace, asking:

What would Buddha do?

The answer? Buddha would be mindful and Buddha would endeavor to be the change he wants to see.

So Buddha would VOTE!

And if Buddha wasn't registered, Buddha would REGISTER TO VOTE!

So, I'm holding a voter registration drive. It's quick, it's easy, and it's your ticket to claiming your voice as a citizen of this country. I have voter registration forms here at the shop and will even mail them in for you. And if you register at the shop this week we'll give you 10% off your purchases.

You can also download NY State's form by clicking here. Or click here to register in another state. It will literally take you 5 minutes, so do it now!

Back to voting. Don't be ashamed if you're, like 96 years old and still unregistered. It's never too late, and it's always very hip to become an active citizen. And let's not play that tired old but-I-don't-want-to-get-called-in-for-jury-duty line. We're all grown ups, aren't we? Don't we believe in the greater good? Anyway, if you need to get out of jury duty, just say you believe in TORT reform.

Now I'm going to get on my soapbox a bit here. There is a vitally important election coming up on November 7th that can shift the balance of power in Congress. Those who want to maintain the status quo will definitely be at the polls on the 7th--they are great at mobilizing the voter base. Those seeking change aren't so great at getting out the vote. Often these voters feel that their vote doesn't count. That the voting machines and systems are rigged so their vote is useless. But you know what? There's really only one thing that is 100% guaranteed to work the way the status quo wants it to: voter apathy on the part of their opposition.

So if you want change but you don't vote on the 7th, you are playing directly into the hands of those who want to keep things as they are. It's your decision: let them win, or fight for change. If all who want change vote on the 7th, there will be change.

I also wanted to mention that Doctors Without Borders is staging a mock refugee camp exhibition in Prospect Park Sept. 20-24, another good idea for a Peace Day excursion.

Ghandi said you must be the change you want to see.

Be the change! Register to Vote!

Peace.

top photo: site of Bamiyan Buddha after Taliban destroyed it in 2001

bottom photo: Borobudur stone Buddha in Java