I often get asked why I remain in the USofA if I so vehemently point out the frequent failures of morality and conscience in our leaders and general population. We live in an atmosphere where government figures regularly poison the drinking water, food, and air of the citizens they have been chosen to protect and govern; often times for monetary profit. I have spent a lot of time in developing nations where the culture is a great deal more conducive to family values and good moral character. For the time being at least, I will remain here. When the need arises I may flee my homeland.
All I can say is that there will be thieves and murderers in any concentrated population center. What the developing nations of the Caribbean have going for them is the willingness of most of the people to actively point out who among them is a sinner and so hurts the entire community with their actions. Children are allowed to be disciplined without fear of litigation. It truly takes a village to raise a child. If the parent is an evildoer, lawyers should not be allowed to proclaim they are protecting a right to create criminal behaviour if done in privacy. We have never had a right to harm others. We do have the right to pursue happiness so long as it does NOT harm others.
A spirit of cooperation is necessary to build structures and infrastructure to sustain a community. Slow natural growth of that community can and often does create a synergy that provides much more for the group than just the sum of the individual parts on their own. That growth cannot be unregulated. A system of balance must be maintained to prevent resources from being drained away or wasted merely to promote financial growth of an elite few who crave power and personal wealth above the health and well being of their neighbors who share this one planet we have to sustain us.
All of that said is merely to sustain what we have brought upon this Earth so far. It is for the Seventh Generation of our descendants that we must worry about having enough clean air, food, and water for their survival and life most fullest. The term Permaculture tries to go beyond just sustaining what we have become. It strives to be regenerative to the environment. To repair decades of destruction of soil so nature can be allowed to restore balance instead of man attempting to profit from disrupting the ecological balance for his own greed and prosperity.
Our actions have consequences to others. Sometimes we can be unaware or unwilling to see the effects of our actions on others. Education to prevent ignorance of unseen damages is one part of the solution to the first.
Confrontation in a peaceful and constructive manner should be the duty of every citizen to lessen the latter. I do not believe it is wrong to shame a person that has done injustice to others. I insist that injustice be brought to light and a good faith effort to atone for misdeeds should be attempted.
Let me share with you some of my favorite relevant quotes from reasoning men and women. I believe they are wisdom to live by and ideals to strive for:
“That you do not measure the fruit of your action. You have to measure your obligation of action. You have to find out what’s the right thing to do. That is your duty.” – Vandana Shiva from The Bhagavad Gita or Krishna
What man is a man who does not make the world better?
From the Latin Inscription: Nemo vir est qui mundum non reddat meliorem
“Patriotism should not be your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it.” – paraphrased and reversed from – George Bernard Shaw
“They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety” – Benjamin Franklin
“In the beginning of a change the patriot is a scarce man; Brave, hated, and scorned. When his cause succeeds however, the timid join him; for then it costs nothing to be a patriot.”-Mark Twain
“True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else.” – Clarence Darrow
“When you stand before God, you cannot say “but I was told by others to do thus” or that “virtue was not convenient at the time.” This will not suffice. Remember that.”
“I consider trial by jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution” – Thomas Jefferson
A new world. A better world than has ever been seen. There, you are not what you are born but what you have it in yourself to be. A kingdom of conscience, of peace instead of war, love instead of hate.
By the word of religion, I’ve seen the lunacy of fanatics of every denomination be called the “Will of God”. Holiness is in right action and courage on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves. And goodness – what God desires – [pointing at his head then heart] is here and here. By what you decide to do every day, you will be a good man [smiles] or not.
In summary, it may not be wrong to try to escape a world of sinners. Just the leaving might start them to think about what they have been doing and work to alter their behavior.
It may not be a step to trying to get them to change their ways but I still try to change the world one person at a time and do not want to waste my time where my efforts are ineffective.
Look within your heart to decide the path you wish to follow. We the people of the United States of America borrowed our constitution from the native Americans but had to alter it to allow for possession of land; a concept they could not understand that one could be permitted to keep resources needed by the tribe away from others because it made you more wealthy than others.
Remember though that those same people had wars against other nations to defend their territory or to capture the territory of other nations when local resources were not enough.
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