Southwest Sierra #112 – The Hope Essays: #1

(Revisiting the writings of my youth) ~ With the encouragement of several readers, I’ll be sharing these essays that were originally written in Alleghany in 1994-1995, before the age of the internet and social media. They were written at a pace of approximately one per month. My thought is to share them at about the same pace.

This week’s essay was written in August of 1994 (31 years ago this month). I have kept the edits to a minimum with mostly corrections, a few minor additions/deletions, and the use of [square brackets] for current comments.

A Perspective on Revolution

If you read the Declaration of Independence and the preamble to the Constitution of the United States, it is apparent that the men who laid the foundation for our Nation were looking to the “Divine Laws of Nature and Nature’s God” for guidance and inspiration. These men were human, just like you or me, and we can do the same.

I can understand why many people feel overwhelmed by the problems of society and feel powerless to change anything. Once you become aware that the mainstream media is controlled by the same powers that wish to keep us in our place [either by coincidence or design], perhaps you can take a more objective look at how the masses have been and are being manipulated. The news is focused on the negative events of the day spun to foster division. The remaining airtime is devoted to violent series, depressing soap operas and scandalous talk shows interspersed with commercials attempting to stimulate our vanity and greed. Even nature documentaries on Public Television end on a depressing note. Most magazines and newspapers are no different. [The Golden Standard for good journalism was once to be as non-biased as possible. Now we have “liberal” news outlets and “conservative” news outlets which in a way, is more transparent but italso galvanizes stark division with its dehumanizing (hatred) of people with differing perspectives. It also makes it easier for people to shut out and ignore perspectives that they don’t like.]

Is it any wonder that people feel overwhelmed and powerless? We assume that the world’s problems exist outside of our sphere of influence. As long as we feel this way, we are part of the problem. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I do know how to begin. It begins with a personal choice to become part of the solution. Once you have made this choice, you must nourish it with things that make you feel strong. Things to help you feel strong might include: a religion or faith, music, or taking time to see the beauty and wonder of nature. For the seeds of hope to grow in your heart, you need to be kind to yourself. If we can learn not to stand in judgement of ourselves and others, we allow love and kindness to flourish.

Humans must be pushed to change. An example of this is our knowledge of diets that prevent disease. So many of us have habits that we know we should change, but usually it’s not until we are faced with a serious illness that we really begin to make changes. On a global level, we are facing the possibility of extinction and so we are realizing that we need to make some major changes.

Here in America justice has been trampled and it’s obvious to just about everyone that the system isn’t working. Many people feel that we are being pushed into a revolution. To those so eager to grab their guns I have to ask: “Who are you going to shoot?” Nuclear weapons and advanced technology have made war obsolete or absolute. If we move from a place of fear, we are part of the problem. If we move from a place of courage, we are part of the solution. We cannot fight the entire corrupt system, but corruption contains within itself the seeds of its own destruction*.

We are good at identifying the problem as something outside of ourselves. It’s always “them” and “us”. Well, we let things get this bad and we’re the only ones who can fix it. If you let yourself be overwhelmed though, you will not be strong enough to cope. It begins with baby steps. Take it easy and slow, and if you fall down and get hurt, get back up and try again. The wheel of time is forcing a revolution of the system that needs to happen. We can make it a peaceful revolution if we choose. The power vested in “them” comes directly from “us”. We need to reclaim our birth rights on a personal level. The puzzle that makes up “we the people” is not complete without the piece that you are. E. plurbius unum: out of many, one.

“The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sun beam in the whole volume of human nature, by the hand of the divinity itself, and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.”Alexander Hamilton

*Footnote: [“Corruption contains within itself, the seeds of its own destruction” is something that I used in a later essay, but it seemed perfect to insert it here. I did not use quotation marks in 1995, and I am not able to find an exact source, only similar quotes from a few different sources.]