Peace Index for the United States

The Peace Index for the United States came out while i was in California. i had a notice in my in box but with all the confusion i decided to wait until now to write about it. Being passionate about peace i couldn't let this one pass.

Every year the Institute for Economics and Peace puts out a global peace index that is a collection of data that has been compiled over the previous year.

Reflection of the sun as it is going down

This year for the first time they tried something different by focusing on each state in the nation instead of the global community. They will do a global index that will be released the end of May.

Accumulating statistics about the United States took place in five main areas, Education, Health, Politics and Demographics, Crime and Economic conditions. These five main areas were again divided up to cover things like high school graduation, educational funding, percent of females in the labor force, single parent families, voter turnout, infant mortality, teenage pregnancy, life expectancy, access to basic services, poverty, internet access, homicide, violent crimes, jailed population, availability of small arms, numbers of police in a state, and more categories too numerous to mention. The main crime delineations had the heaviest weight.

All in all a pretty concise use of a broad range of categories leading to a score that details the peacefulness of each individual state. For me an interesting outcome was that the data has shown that since 1995 the US has become more peaceful as a result of reductions in violent crime and homicide.

One of those knock out gorgeous, flat, glassy days

Now sit up and take notice, Peace, for all you political junkies out there, is politically neutral in the US. Neither Republican nor Democratic states showed an advantage when it comes to peace.

The report does say that if we as a nation were to reduce our homicides and violent crime to levels seen in Canada we could create 2.7 million extra jobs and reap $272 billion in additional economic activity, certainly not something to ignore.

Peace affects all of us in many positive ways and is directly correlated to economic opportunity, education and health. Below is a ranking of the states, Maine being the most peaceful while Louisiana is the least.  You can visit http://www.visionofhumanity.org/info-center/us-peace-index/ for more information. i don't know about you but if a peaceful environment means more money and more jobs whats not to like?

1. Maine
2. New Hampshire
3. Vermont
4. Minnesota
5. North Dakota
6. Utah
7. Massachusetts
8. Rhode Island
9. Iowa
10. Washington
11. Nebraska
12. Hawaii
13. Oregon
14. South Dakota
15. Connecticut
16. Idaho
17. Montana
18. West Virginia
19. Wisconsin
20. Kentucky
21. Pennsylvania
22. Ohio
23. Wyoming
24. Indiana
25. Virginia
26. New Jersey
27. Kansas
28. Colorado
29. New York
30. Alaska
31. Michigan
32. North Carolina
33. California
34. Mississippi
35. Illinois
36. Delaware
37. Arizona
38. New Mexico
39. Georgia
40. Missouri
41. Maryland
42. South Carolina
43. Oklahoma
44. Arkansas
45. Texas
46. Alabama
47. Florida
48. Nevada
49. Tennessee
50. Louisiana

St. Croix is so beautiful

"Wow, Mom, its really clear out there," yelled my son as he left for work this morning.
i realized when he said it that i had been tucked away in the family room looking at real estate listings for work. i hadn't noticed how beautiful the day was until his call to come out got me up from my seat and on the deck.

It really is a beautiful day today, one of those crystal clear types that jolt you out of your routine to take it all in. It's the kind of day when you wish everyone got to enjoy it just like you did.

Green Cay framed by palms

i live on a beautiful island and everyone who hasn't been here yet should come, but if you can't come enjoy the pics.

Looking down on Carambola

We make good music.
Kurt Schindler has a few St. Paddy's days video's up of his music...he is so good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r20rAE4Hr8E&feature=related
The Reggae Bubblers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd2NAouzbR4&feature=related

We make good rum
http://cruzanrum.com/

You can learn all about us at this website, even has web cams.
http://www.gotostcroix.com/

And some of my most recent pics from around the island taken this past week while entertaining visitors from California.

Cactus and view

So incredibly clear

The Baths

Coral sculptures at Issacs

So here is a little video of my favorite sound at the baths and some more pics.

The Hut at Issacs

Green Cay and Buck Island off in the distance

My mom, the atheist, died peacefully

Loved her in her stylish snake skin coat

If you are wondering why i didn't post last week it was because i had to travel out to California suddenly as my mother was ailing.  She died peacefully at the age of 82 early last Monday morning surrounded by family.

What an incredibly lucky woman she was, she knew she had had enough of life and told all those she loved that she was ready to die. She told the doctor straight to his face that she would not be hospitalized any more and was ready to go. She showed no fear, had no pain and died in her sleep just like she always wanted to.  Her three kids and those grandchildren that lived close by were there to help her pass on.

The family cycled in and out of the bedroom for 26 hours, always leaving one in attendance to let her know she was loved and that it was Okay to leave us. Not once did she moan or cry out and when her sisters called from Europe she opened her eyes to acknowledge their voices.

My mom was an atheist, but it took her a very long time to finally embrace it.  All her life she had questioned her Christian upbringing but could never quite let it go because of an over-riding guilt complex that had been instilled at a very young age.  When she was in her 70’s she finally said enough and then claimed it was the most liberating experience she had ever gone through. The day she told someone she was an atheist she said it was like a chain being released from her throat, the freedom was exhilarating.

i’m writing this because i had a friend that told me my mother’s passing would not go well because she hadn’t been saved, but that she still had time and could rectify it.

She always wore that hat

i want to let that friend know that a good death comes without much pain, a good death comes when it takes place in the home with children and family, a good death comes naturally after a long and well-spent life, when the deceased has made peace with loved ones, when they are at peace with themselves and when they are at peace with their own death.

All the things that could have gone wrong didn’t. The whole universe was definitely in our court. It got me to California in time, it stopped the policeman from holding us up when we were clearly breaking the law by driving too fast, and it helped us navigate numerous other incidents that could have snowballed after she passed. Not a one of us practices religion regularly.

Her punk rock hair do and stylish glasses

So for those out there that believe, i just want to say that there is another way that is just as rewarding for the whole family and comes without all the dogma.  If fear is keeping you religious here is a tale that is free of fear but full of love, understanding and a peaceful passing.

i loved my mom and i'm really going to miss her.