The Struggle Continues...

Earlier this week, my wife and I returned from our cruise to Alaska. Although we did not see as much of Alaska's beautiful wildlife on this trip as we did two years, almost any wildlife that you see there is amazing.

We did get to see several whales and a couple of otters. Boy, are they characters! However, seeing the whales reminded me of a valuable lesson. Just a couple of decades ago, several species of our beautiful whales were close to extinction. It was such a critical time that even the 4th "Star Trek" motion picture used the theme of the disappearing humpback whales as the key aspect of the main story! Yet, through education and negotiation, most of the nations where these whales swam in their waters, agreed to a whale hunting ban. Back then, there were approximately 5,000-6,000 whales. Today, nearly 20 years later, there is an estimated population of 60,000! So what does this have to do with our efforts?

The whales were spread out all over the world. Yet, through proper education and negotiation, those countries were convinced to make a change. And while many of us support a plethora of wildlife causes, our singular cause here, is to protect the humans and animals at just one, wonderful location, Chimp Eden at the Jane Goodall Institute.

As I remarked in the previous posting, I brought our cause to Facebook and as of this morning, we have 55 members there. Additionally, I have been in touch with Sue Slotar, the Executive Director of the Institute, to see if our story and/or blog, could be included in the "JGI News & Headlines" section of the new web site. And if you haven't visited the new website, you really owe it to yourself to do so! (www.janegoodall.org)

At Facebook, we currently have 55 members who have joined our cause there. And this morning, I charged them with their individual responsibility to recruit just two more members, each. By tonight, that would be approximately 165 members. And if each of them recruit two members...well you see what the algorithm could do.

Now imagine that at my meeting in September, I am able to show the manufacturer that there are thousands of people from around the world, who want to voice their feelings that the people and chimps at Chimp Eden in particular and the Jane Goodall Institute, as a whole. And I can prove those numbers through Facebook and the comments on this blog.

The only problem with this, is that while we're gaining numbers on Facebook (yet nowhere near the numbers we truly need), there are only a couple of comments registered on this blog. Yet I know through the site managing software, that there are plenty more visitors who stop by, yet for whatever reason, fail to leave a comment, even if it's just, "Well said," or "I agree."

I am not asking you to write a complete blog article, just a simple comment will suffice. Of course, if you do come here, you are obligated, just as the Facebook members are, to recruit at least two additional visitors and explain to them, that it is, in turn, each of their responsibility, to recruit two visitors, etc.

If you all do this, imagine the numbers we will reach! Imagine if I am able to demonstrate to the manufacturer that I have hundreds, no thousands or tens-of-thousands of supporters, who read this blog and believe in our mission. It gives me goose bumps just to think of it.

So please, if you stop my here, just leave a comment. Short or long, it doesn't matter. Just say something! Thank you!

Till next time...