Can we live as a
civilized society by being ignorant, self-serving and cruel towards others?
Where we are propagandized by media and special interest groups into believing
things that are not true? Where people are only considering their own needs and
not the needs of others? Where it is okay to do or say hurtful things to other
individuals or groups of individuals because they don’t count or matter or are not
acceptable?
Or,
Do we want to live
with awareness, kindness and compassion?
Where we work to understand others’ needs and feelings and the issues
that impact our lives and the lives of our neighbor? Where we relate to others’
as we would like others to relate to us? Where we care about what we say and
what we do precisely because others do count and matter and are a part of our
human family.
The idea that it’s
only about me and not we is a false premise that is short lived at best. Our survival as a species is the result of
our learning to cooperate and work together for the benefit of all. Those who polarize and war against one
another are now extinct.
In today’s world,
‘tribalism’ is being practiced by politicians. As a result, little is being
accomplished and what is said and done bears no relationship to the values that
we hold as a society. In essence, we are
at odds with who we are as Americans.
Such division cannot be allowed for, as Lincoln once said, ‘A house
divided against itself cannot stand.’
Who in our
political world supports and creates division and derision between groups of
people?
Who in our
political world stands for people working together for the good of all? Who
supports working to meet the needs of all people in our political process?
Are we going to
choose to only address our needs and destroy our only hope for survival as a
society? Or, are we going to choose to work as a community of shared needs and,
continue to evolve and grow into the
potential that our Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights
offer to us to become as a society?
