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WELCOME TO THE GREEN PEN!

It's my personal soapbox, a place for me to express thoughts and feelings, musings and rants, reflections and recollections; to have fun with words -- about things spiritual, environmental, social, political, economic, and, from time to time, personal. And of course about peace. Soapboxes are in public places (as London's legendary Hyde Park) on purpose, and so I invite conversations with you, for it is through civil discourse that we can gain some perspective on the seeming chaos of these changing times and learn together how to shape a positive future for ourselves, our communities, and the generations to come.

Wednesday, July 27, 2016

Michelle and Bernie - Slavery, War, and Political Revolution

In his column today, Bob Koehler rightly lauds Michelle Obama for her forthright and public acknowledgement of the role of slavery in our history. Michelle for president!

He also laments, as do I,  the failure of Bernie to win the nomination and also the failure of even him to address the persistence of never-ending war in our nation's face to the world. I haven't yet heard today's speeches at the convention but, with today's theme of national security, am already prejudging that they will further do their best to sell war (including mounting antipathy to Russia) into our collective psyche.


Regarding Bernie's political revolution, that must and does transcend a single year's season of presidential politics. It must be ongoing and dig into every level not only of government but, more importantly, of society, economy, and culture. The revolution can't come from the top down but must trickle up from people beginning to see the world differently, acting accordingly in their own lives, and co-creating government, social, and economic institutions that are consistent with a worldview based on interdependence, community, mutual respect, compassion, empathy, and love. Of course, social, economic, and environmental justice are part and parcel of that.

3 comments:

  1. Strange
    My generation grew "KNOWING" About slavery, the civil war to "End slavery".
    I also saw friends die to end "Legal but separate"
    What is missing from the discussion was an attempt to understand WHY BILLIONS spent on the Great Sociaty have apparently failed, in fact we apparently are worse off.

    The "Obama's" fail to acknowledge the are in fact the chosen examples of what's possible and right, elected by mostly WHITE People.

    What the Obama's seem to miss is the concept of EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

    PEACE

    ReplyDelete
  2. Strange
    My generation grew "KNOWING" About slavery, the civil war to "End slavery".
    I also saw friends die to end "Legal but separate"
    What is missing from the discussion was an attempt to understand WHY BILLIONS spent on the Great Sociaty have apparently failed, in fact we apparently are worse off.

    The "Obama's" fail to acknowledge the are in fact the chosen examples of what's possible and right, elected by mostly WHITE People.

    What the Obama's seem to miss is the concept of EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

    PEACE

    ReplyDelete