Are Human Beings Maturing?
The Oil Spill, the Dalai Lama, and Reason for Hope One of our most exhilarating moments during a whale watching trip off Cape Cod was when a northern gannet skimmed the sea just beyond the bow. My children and I hung over the rail, taken by the bird’s power and agility. Its distinctive plumage and bluish beak made it easily recognizable when I saw one in the news recently, plucked from the Gulf Coast oil spill. The marine life that showed itself to us on Cape Cod – whales, terns, plovers and seals – had a magical effect on our suburban hearts. Now, as we see related species such as brown pelicans and sea turtles affected by the spill, the big space those animals created inside us is filling with disbelief. How could we let this happen? Recently the Dalai Lama was in New York. The message of his talks was one of hope. According to him, there are many signs of “humans becoming mature.” If we look at BP, Transocean, and Halliburton blaming one another for the oil spill, and Washington’s d
