Why don't we recognize how much power we have?
By "we" I mean the hundreds of thousands of people in this country who know
that the old ways of interacting with the world are not working any more.
The people who have ideas, commitment and knowledge to change things and are
disgusted with the lack of accountability in this administration and sick at
heart at the way killing is routinely proclaimed as a solution to the world's
problems.
Our leaders refuse to lead. The most inspiring thing we hear these days is
"be very afraid." But we've always waited to be led, every four years
choosing someone we expect to define our vision, give substance to our hopes,
and protect us from our fears. "If only we could find a real leader," we're
saying now, "we could become a force in this country." We can't wait for
that, and we don't need to.
A critical shift happened during the Clinton administration. A collective
will gathered against the power of Congress and the mainstream
press--against, in effect, all the things that we'd always let make our
decisions for us. And without taking to the streets or riots or any use of
force, that collective will made the decision for the country. Something
happened that hasn't yet caught up with our collective consciousness: we
stopped waiting to be led.
Last month I attended a book signing and discussion with environmental
activist/author Derrick Jensen sponsored by the Gaea Foundation in
Washington, D.C. The discussion facilitator asked us to consider a quote
from one of Jensen's books to the effect that he has learned to embrace times
of dissonance and confusion, because that is when the seeds of change take
root. The talk quickly became about "what is happening in this country."
There was a striking degree of agreement on things that haven't been voiced
in the mainstream media or Congress. Everyone simply knew, for example, that
we're being manipulated by this administration. One person said it, and
another picked it up: "And do you get the feeling they're always five steps
ahead?" (You know it too, don't you? But how many of the politicians and
pundits have told you so?) Our power comes back to us when we claim what we
know. Seeds of change are taking root in the wind, really just in the wind,
born of individual spirits who aren't needing the old grounds of media
sanction or governmental or religious leaders to guide them, are in fact
having to stand in opposition to them.
The talent, passion and knowledge of true leadership are evident everywhere
in the grassroots movements. Just in the group of 20 or so at the Gaea
meeting, there were: a white-haired woman who'd spent her life protecting
Colorado mountain trails; a 20-year-old man in a business suit who quietly
detailed the suffering of Iraqi children as a result of sanctions; an
environmentalist with vast experience fighting the government's neglect and
abuse of the earth; a Smithsonian researcher who devises creative solutions
to conflict; and a young wise woman who pointed out that if we'd gone fully
into our grieving after September 11 rather than going to war, a powerful
transformation could have occurred. The evening opened my mind to how many
such people are among us, and how gifted, how strong, how--powerful.
One of the last to speak at the meeting was a shy young woman who offered
hesitantly that she wasn't quite sure what she was trying to say, but (and
her voice rose, her head lifted) we're all saying that people are asleep, so
it seems that those of us who are awake must speak, must act! We have an
obligation! As she found her words and her courage, the power of it
multiplied through the group. We despair at the futility of our single
raindrop, but forget about the power of rain.
We already are our own leaders. That will become clearer as we set our
agenda and define our goals. We can no longer afford not to be organized,
not to be a force to be reckoned with. It will help if we identify a common
thread among our causes. A demand for accountability--non-negotiable--would
work for me. Accountability to the earth; accountability to the people of
this country; accountability to the rest of the world.
A pendulum hangs still quivering, waiting for a breath to start it. Breathe.
Linda O'Brien is a freelance writer living in Bethesda, Maryland and welcome comments at
dktlind@aol.com
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