He who should be hanged in the public square
is crowned emperor instead.
People stand and applaud.
-- Rumi
Yes, It has finally come to this: we have no choice but revolution!
The
present grievances inflicted upon the citizenry are no less than those
suffered under King George III: the imposition upon the public of severe
measures with no effective means for correction at our disposal.
The
listing of our grievances is a separate task, but they are many and
they are well understood by those who suffer. And while our governments
are the source of many ill-advised
and unevenly applied laws, statutes and regulations, there are sins of
collusion, inaction and self-aggrandizement in all manner of
institutions, not just the legislative and judicial.
Thus
we are faced with a dilemma. Having been gifted with the greatest of
governing documents, how will our citizenry respond to the need for
revolution without overthrowing the seats of power? For common sense
tells us that the armaments that would surely be brought to bear upon
citizen militias are far advanced from the musketry, blades and torches
of the 1700s.
On the other hand, we are faced with the failure of legal jurisprudence to ameliorate the ills we are suffering. The monetary costs and the time spent in the courts with no surety that even the most just of causes will prevail effectively closes this avenue of appeal as well.
On the other hand, we are faced with the failure of legal jurisprudence to ameliorate the ills we are suffering. The monetary costs and the time spent in the courts with no surety that even the most just of causes will prevail effectively closes this avenue of appeal as well.
If
respect for our founding documents, the folly of armed insurrection and
failure of the courts to economically litigate blocks all traditional
methods to allay the humanly manufactured inequities we suffer, what
recourse do we have then, but to appeal to a higher power? The United
Nations concept is well intentioned but it suffers the limitations of
budget, bureaucracy and agenda that constrain all earthly foundations,
committees and governments. And the US government would surely bristle
at any attempts from that body to regulate internal affairs of state.
So we are left with the need to appeal to a heavenly power. But praying for necessary change would seem an empty exercise to all but the most devout. And our religious institutions are unlikely to abandon their current programs to form an alliance of any consequence. The chance of an extra-terrestrial civilization intervening to save us from ourselves - slim at best.
So we are left with the need to appeal to a heavenly power. But praying for necessary change would seem an empty exercise to all but the most devout. And our religious institutions are unlikely to abandon their current programs to form an alliance of any consequence. The chance of an extra-terrestrial civilization intervening to save us from ourselves - slim at best.
Are we out of options? Are we doomed to keep exacerbating our ills? Must we
throw up our hands, allow continued desecration, increasing usury and
destruction of hope to destroy our children's future? Of course the
answer is "no" - but then where is the way out of this downward spiral -
what method, so far undiscussed, still to be discovered?
We,
in America, have inherited the greatest governing documents ever
created by mere humans. Having received this gift our mission now is to
protect it, and further revolution, destruction of the edifice of
government would be sinfully retrograde. So the challenge is not to
mount armed insurrection, but instead we must analyze the source of our
failures, search for the motivation that fuels the mechanism of greed,
disrespects the poor, saddles our students with debt. Why do we suffer
self-serving duplicity when the intent of the electoral process is to
select qualified servants who will administer for our common good? The
answer lies in the human heart - change the heart and the culture will
follow!
Science, scripture, parables,
common sense, our own experience: all these teach us that the shape of
the future is latent in the present. When we look back with our 20-20
hindsight we are able to see the tendencies, the trends, the inventions
that were unrecognized at the time, yet they were harbingers of the
future. The "love generation" of the 1960s was on to something, but it
was a reflexive reaction to the sins and shortcomings of the elders.
Emotion and idealism guided the protest and the search for alternatives.
And failures of the human heart led to opportunism and excess. From the
promise of the 1967 Summer of Love to the disorganized chaos of
Altamont in 1970, and the myriad excursions and experiments in between,
as a beacon, love alone was found lacking.
Nevertheless,
the answer to the current dismantling of institutions, the lack of
compassion, unconcern for the fate of the least of us, this unholy state
of affairs - the answer still is love. But rather than an abstract
ideal, we need love that lives in the heart. In every sphere we need
love. Restorative love that will redeem the hardened criminal.
Respectful love to motivate the law-giver, the law enforcer. Love that
will teach our children of their inherent worth and great potential. We
need enlightened approaches to the societal challenges of automation,
robotics, instant communication, global poverty and devastating changes
in our weather.
There
is no dispute that we have a male-dominated society. Women's suffrage, a
battle fought a mere 100 years ago. Wage inequality. Misogyny. And now
there's an unveiling of the pervasiveness of sexual bullying from those
who have been shielded by their power. Essentially that power stems from
an ability to control the economic fate of others: reveal the sins of
an unprincipled sexual aggressor, lose your job. And suffer disrespect,
be suspected of deceit, a suggestion that your immorality was the cause
of the situation, a total disregard for your pain - and the perpetrators
show a facile unawareness of the damage caused by their betrayal.
The
current defrocking of sexual opportunists is unprecedented and the
change in our awareness and attitudes should not be abandoned as if this
is a fad or a temporary, brief interlude in the continuing history of
American culture. There is always an opposition to change, gains can
erode, the tone and temper of an epoch can be forgotten. We must not let
that happen. And even more than reinforcing our respect for women, we
must level the field, redefine the relationship between the sexes and
realize the full potential of every human being.
Gentlemen,
it's time to recognize the innate failure of patriarchy to embody the
highest of ideals. There is a place and a function for the penile point
of view, inherently greater body strength, endurance, the urge to probe
and pursue goals and practical, functional ideals. But we are all
impoverished by the lack of a nurturing consciousness, the
destructiveness of heightened competition and a winner take all
mentality as promoted by maleness. We see the insensitivity of the peer
group in fraternity hazing, the tendency of the heterosexual to make a
pariah of men who are gay, or merely thoughtful and sensitive. It's a
bankrupt philosophy that endangers human beings, and threatens the very
existence of the mother of us all, our planet.
So
here, directly in front of us, is the opportunity for the revolution of
spirit we so desperately need. Men need to relax and retreat, let the
ladies take the lead. There have been successful matriarchal societies
throughout history. We should take a lesson from historical triumphs
where women were respected as worthy, wise and knowledgeable. We need
more mercy and understanding, less acquisitiveness.
And
while we're at it let's study and eliminate the vestiges of white
superiority, the subconscious "given" that destroys individuals and
divides humanity. The teaching that we have more similarities than
differences - anathema to those who espouse "white power" and chauvinism
- is now proven by our knowledge of DNA, and exemplified by the
monumental successes of those of all genders and racial extraction.
The
distinction of race is an archaic distraction from the tasks ahead. We
are but one race, the human race, traceable to African origins. Let's
all relax, accept our commonality, treat every human with respect and
get on with improving our existence, protecting the health and welfare
of not only all human beings, but all sentient beings.
And
as we learn of the interconnected nature of all life and the resources
of the planet that supports us, it is predominantly women - those who
give birth and share innate qualities of nurture and respect for life,
those who intuitively understand the need for cooperation and
communication - it is women who are best positioned to display the
qualities needed to end corporate pillage, remove the over-weening need
for profit from health care, stop the ravaging of our environment and
bring some intelligence to our planning and governance.
Ladies, come forth, lead us and teach by your example. We need you to guide us to our much needed revolution of the heart!
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