June 27, 2005

Dear Sis~

How's everything going out there in the High Desert? You guys got all the unseasonable rain, which produced the beautiful and bountiful crops of flowers and grasses, but now you're plagued with terrific wildfires. The weatherman's map showed fires all across the Southern California-Nevada-Arizona-Utah area, especially around Vegas. Just goes to show you that with nature, as with life, there's a price for everything, even the pristine beauty of carpets of colorful desert flowers.

Hey, I just learned that Bernie de Castro has officially announced his run for Governor of Florida. This should prove interesting...the reformed heroin addict/armed robber/ex-convict, turned successful businessman/minister/pillar of his community, now serving the Republican Party nomination. This is not an impulsive act or lame publicity stunt on Bernie's part. He's dead serious about running to win. Bernie's political positions are not easily pigeonholed; he's much more pragmatic than dogmatic, and seeks sensible, reasonable solutions to everyday problems. The biggest thing he has going for him, ironically, is his past record. See, you can't sling mud at Bernie 'cuz he's upfront with his record & who he was. He does not have to bite his tongue about what he believes in, out of fear that someone will dig up some dirt or say something bad about him. He acknowledges his past & uses it to demonstrate the power of change. Since he's not expected to win, he's got nothing to lose, which gives him the freedom to say what he believes and say what he means. (like his stance against the death penalty, which is political suicide in Florida & most southern states). He can move beyond the rhetoric & politically correct mumblings and propose real solutions & real change. Anyway, Bernie has a campaign staff, a website (www.bernieforgov.com) and a lot of volunteers willing to help, and he's committed to seeing the process through. The election is still 16 months off (November '06) but all of the other contenders have already declared, so I guess it's never too early in the political arena.

That's it for now, Sis. I'm super busy on my cert petition, lots of writing and lots of reading. I've got about 30 pages of notes so far & I've still got a stack of US Supreme Court cases to read & analyze.

Love & Peace
Bill

Any man's death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
- John Donne