BAUBLES AND BEADS

I know that I do not always march to the same piper as everyone else. I was often the only one who was 'in step' even on the parade square. This trait generally meant extra attention and drill until I got in line with everyone else. What the heck! We cannot all be the same. Here I am again, out of step -- undoubtedly.

I broached the subject of 'so-called precious metals and stones' on an Internet news-group and got soundly trashed. (I think the offended fellow's name was DeBeers.) I will try it again here to check the local reaction.

The shopping channel drives me crazy. (No! I do not watch it, but I see it occasionally when I do my channel-surfing routine each and every commercial interruption.) Here we are in the 21st Century and still obsessed with our personal adornment and possession of trinkets. Our ancestors used the same selling techniques as TSC and the info-mercial to separate the native Americans from their possessions. "Here I will give you these shiny beads for your hard earned labour." "OK, seems fair - thanks."

Gold, platinum, and silver have been with us since the beginning of time. In the beginning there was little to worry about pollution with a metal that was found in the streams and hammered into shiny trinkets for ornaments or things to worship.

We have however fought wars for it, destroyed civilizations because of it, bartered it, and hoarded it. We leach chemicals into the soil, destroy waterways and fish habitat with mercury, cyanide and other chemicals to obtain and possess it. We cause brain abnormalities and death, in those who use the foods from such waters.

Liquid mercury is used to collect tiny flakes of gold from sluicing or panning. This is then poured off and burned to separate the gold. The vapour is deadly. The discarded and lost liquid is the reason for much of the mercury pollution of the planet's water ways.

There arre estimated to be 500,000 gold workers in the Amazon region of Brazil alone. One third of these poor people have contaminated their bodies with mercury above the acceptable level of the World Health Organizations tolerance levels. In addition to polluting their bodies, the tailings they produce, for each and every common gold ring that is made, amounts to 5 or 6 tons.

Precious stones are first and foremost stones. Albeit they are shiny when polished, they are still stones. We have been brainwashed by tradition, and by a cartel to believe they are necessary to our lives. They are not.

This issue may not be so very important to most people, but I think that it is time we started to reassess some stupid traditions and so called values. But where does one start with a condemnation of a world wide industry and tradition? What town does not have multiple outlets dedicated to the sale of such trinkets? What person does not have a collection of possessions that fit the category such as this? Will a future civilization marvel at the absurdity of such a primal fascination with shiny and sparkling objects?

Do I wear accessories? Yes, I do; however I prefer to wear things that come from less-polluting sources. Neck ties have always annoyed me so I choose to wear bola ties. Most of my collection is assembled by myself. They include a perfectly sculpted Amerindian arrow head, a US silver dollar, a piece of fool's gold, a piece of quartz, a cover from an old pocket watch and an Upper Canada penny. The 3 million years old shark's tooth is my favourite. (Do you know anyone who has a tie older than that?)

What more does a man need? A tattoo? No thanks.

Have a nice day.