Blog – What has happened to us?
Indeed, what has happened to us? Less than 10 years ago the first African-American was elected President of our country and most of us were thrilled about beginning a new era of racial, cultural, and economic equality and peace. Instead, as 2017 stumbles uncertainly toward a conclusion, the ugly head of racism, cultural separation, still increasing economic disparity, and unrest keep increasing. For example, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center there are now 917 hate groups currently operating in the USA, with 9 hate groups in Wisconsin and 10 in Minnesota.
Our current President is disapproved by 2/3 of our population, ¾ disapprove of our Congress, every day 93 people are killed by a gun with twice as many injured by guns each day, and less than 1/3 of our population thinks our country is heading in the right direction. The recently sainted Maya Angelou reminds us where such negativity leads us when she said that “hate, it has caused a lot of problems in the world, but has not solved one yet.”
So how can we begin again to turn things around? How about listening to some folks who always seemed to appeal to our better selves? For example:
“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Ultimately, America's answer to the intolerant man is diversity.”— Robert Kennedy
“It is time for parents to teach young people early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.”— Maya Angelou
“We need to help students and parents cherish and preserve the ethnic and cultural diversity that nourishes and strengthens this community - and this nation.”— Cesar Chavez
“We need to give each other the space to grow, to be ourselves, to exercise our diversity. We need to give each other space so that we may both give and receive such beautiful things as ideas, openness, dignity, joy, healing, and inclusion.”— Max de Pree
“Diversity: the art of thinking independently together.”— Malcolm Forbes
“Diversity in the world is a basic characteristic of human society, and also the key condition for a lively and dynamic world as we see today.”— Jintao Hu
“A lot of different flowers make a bouquet.”— Muslim Origin
“Isn't it amazing that we are all made in God's image, and yet there is so much diversity among his people?”— Desmond Tutu
“Diversity is the one true thing we all have in common. Celebrate it every day.”— Author Unknown
Read, reflect, revise, renew, and re-energize for seeking the common good.