A TIME FOR CHANGE. A TIME FOR CARING

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 … Barack Obama elected President … Police Officer Chauvin found guilty of murdering a black man … while these were all important, positive events in America’s continued quest for social and economic fairness.  

Like many other events that occur in our country – good and bad, just and unjust, fair and unfair – they are just events. And for every event that seems to help us move one step forward, we seem to take two steps back in pursuing equity, justice and compassion in our relationships with each other. we are teased into thinking we have started a “sea-change.” As the Gordon Lightfoot song says, “sometimes I think it’s a sin, when I feel like I’m winning when I’m losing again.”

Positive and substantive changes in our societal relationships will not happen as a result of individual events. They will only happen when we start to think of our fellow Americans in terms of “we” instead of “me”, “us” vs. “they.”. It will not happen until people realize that all of us are brothers and sisters traveling together on a great experimental voyage to achieve human rights, individual freedoms, dignity and social equity. 

Our country is called the United States for a reason – encouraging a United People. Unfortunately, we are not. Today’s reality is not by accident. It didn’t just happen. It is a result of a sick culture created by consistent systemic failure in dealing with the darker sides of human nature; i.e. greed, envy, bigotry, hate, anger, etc.  

In order for this to change, our nation requires a critical cultural shift. Cultural change requires systemic change. And systemic change ultimately needs a system to change to. A system that changes the way we feel about each other. A system that, through its actions and tenets, breeds respect, compassion and appreciation for each other and celebrates our differences. A system that says there is value in every human being that can be brought out and enhanced by a resourceful and benevolent society. A system that serves our better angels. A system that truly blesses America.

Change the system and you will change the culture. Change the culture and you change human behavior and our relationships with each other. If we do it right, we will save ourselves. If we do it wrong, then we might as well say goodbye to our beloved country and what should have been our great democracy. 

The book CARING FOR DEMOCRACY: The American Fix, published by The Institute for CARING, explains these dynamics in great detail while proposing a unique and powerful system called The CARING system – to add to and enhance our existing Political, Legal, and Economic systems. It is socially responsive, fiscally  responsible, and spiritually rejuvenating and will help our democracy create an equitable, compassionate and sustainable society without condemning us to unsustainable deficits and debt. 

Please read this book, consider the benefits of The CARING system, and if you believe it has promise, then join The Institute for CARING’s movement and help us to transform polarization, financial dilemmas, and social chaos into a more united, loving, and thriving country.