CRITICAL CHANGES
A friend responded to my previous post, “Change At Warp Speed” by asking me what changes I thought were most critical. My first inclination was to respond with a question, something like, that depends, “What concerns you the most?” I figured that was avoidance on my part and since that person was asking me for what changes I would like most to see, I’ll give you my list and you can chew on those for awhile. Here are changes I would like to see, in no particular order of priority as that could also change given what I believe is the utmost concern at the moment.
!. Improved race relations in every segment of our society. Since I’ve been involved to a greater or lesser degree with civil rights since the 60’s this remains high on my list. This would include changing attitudes and beliefs so that we unify rather than divide different races, religions, ethnic groups and in four other social identifiers, gender identity, nationality, socio-economic status, and ability.
- Better economic opportunities for people at or below the poverty line, higher paying jobs so people can live with greater dignity and security. Same issues as above that have to do with affordable housing, better educational opportunities, and better jobs.
- Health care that reaches everyone one way or another along with more research and better treatment for heart disease, cancer, stroke, Alzheimers and diabetes.
- Improved infrastructure for highways, bridges, tunnels, railroads and waterways that would result in better transit regionally and nationwide.
- Protecting the environment from pollution & destruction while creating more green space, parks and natural preserves.
- Ending violence found at the wrong end of a gun, from suicide, deaths from opioids, along with more and better treatment of mental health issues.
- New ways to honor this: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.” All men, (meaning all people) not just some.
- A governing body that is truly “of the people, by the people and for the people… such that this democracy shall not perish from this earth.”
This is not intended to be a political statement although it probably is since it seems that, as a country, we have fallen backwards the past several years in many of these areas. There have been some improvements in some areas, but not nearly enough to have a significant impact on the lives of millions of people.
Here are the final questions: What are we doing to:
1 – Build community?
2 – Change the paradigm?
3 – Overcome the obstacles to change?
4- Enhance our own personal and professional growth?
5 – Help someone in need?
6 – Discard what we don’t need and invent something new for that space?
7 – Celebrate those achievements?