Going to Africa for even a short two weeks can really help you to put things in more realistic proportions and thus refocus your attentions. In Nairobi, Kenya I saw the extreme contrast between the rich who often live behind walls and the poor who live in shacks with few conveniences. The rich talk about never leaving the luxury of Kenya where they can easily afford servants; while the poor beg at every stop light, forcing us in cars to shut our windows in the heat or chance being robbed. Over population, which use to be a major concern, has moved to the back burner as AIDS is working towards killing off a whole generation. Is this divide between the rich and poor the direction our country is moving?

On Safari, though, I found myself impressed with the emphasis placed on wildlife preservation. Here, at least, the Kenyan and Tanzanian governments have recognized it is economically beneficial to care for the environment, even a necessity given that tourism is their major industry. I was encouraged to hear that poaching is on the decline; a result initially attempted through open warfare but ultimately settled through negotiation. The elephant population is actually on the increase.

We were lucky to have seen as many animals as we did, as this was not supposed to be the most opportune time. The great animal migration that starts in the lower Serengeti in June and heads north to the Mesa Mara formed up early this year. While we were ecstatic to find ourselves in herds of zebra and wildebeest, I wondered how much global warming had to do with it. We talked with our guides about how the buffalo used to roam our plains in a similar manner and I found myself thinking that Africa was perhaps the last place on earth where such migrations still occur.

With this in mind, I was disappointed with a recent mailing I received from Nancy Pelosi seeking funds for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. While it was an excellent letter pointing out many truths with which I agree, there was nothing in it about the environment. Coming back from Africa makes me feel even more strongly that we as Democrats must start refocusing on environmental issues now before even the great migrations in Africa are eliminated.