The Path to a More Perfect Union
I’ve been in a funk for about a week now. I’m sad, my heart hurts and my spirit is drained. I’ve been exploring what’s at the source of it and what I see is a level of hate and vitriol in our country that is disturbing and upsetting.
It occurred to me that the combination of getting too much news input and not enough typical human contact and interaction is not a good combination for me. So, last night before I went to bed, I removed the news apps from my phone except for the sports or business-related ones. I know that really won’t solve my problem, but at least for a short while, I’ll be limiting some news input.
HOW DID WE GET TO THIS PLACE?
Some of us may want to blame it on our President, and while he has some culpability, so do you and I and every other American in this country. I believe the source of it is a combination of a few things. First, we have lost the ability to be civil to each other. My mother taught me to treat people as I would want to be treated. Some were taught to treat others how they want to be treated. Regardless, I’m pretty certain that what most mothers were trying to teach their children was to respect others and be kind. Where has respect, kindness, and human decency for one another gone?
Next, I see that we have become attached to our points of view to a fault. There is nothing inherently wrong with having points of view, however, when we become so attached to them that we can’t hear or won’t listen to another’s point of view, it’s a problem. I believe that having a point of view that is on the far end of a continuum, regardless of which end, magnifies this fixed way of being and is inherently unhealthy for society. Being attached to a point of view is a fixed way of being and has created a polarized society and country.
In 1633 Galileo was summoned before the Roman Inquisition by the Pope because Galileo believed that the earth revolves around the sun. At that time, this point of view, which was scientifically speculated, was deemed heretical by the Catholic Church. The result? He was committed to house arrest for the rest of his life. Who got that one right?
I believe strongly that capitalism is the best economic system. However, capitalism has morphed into greed. Maximizing Shareholder Value was not the primary intention of a corporation. The belief that shareholders come first was introduced by a handful of free-market academics in the 1970s and then picked up by business leaders and the media. Then it somehow evolved into maximizing quarterly shareholder value. All to the detriment of the corporations and constituents they serve. The result? We have become a greedy society, especially those of us who are stock market investors.
The Google boys (as I affectionately used to refer to them) understood this. When they were taking their company public, they went against the norm and told Wall Street, “We will not be providing quarterly guidance. If you want to invest with us you should do so because you are investing for the long-term in our company.”
If you embraced that, you have been richly rewarded.
As great as our constitution is, I believe had they changed one word it would have made a huge difference for where our society is today. Imagine if the document said “all people are created equal”, not “all men.”
The Me Too and Black Lives Matter movements are simply two marginalized and oppressed groups of people attempting to seize back their dignity and create a society that works for them at the same level as it does for white men. This is not new; the LGBTQ community has been and continues to fight for equal rights under the law.
In 1945 after the Second World War, 51 countries created the United Nations, which was committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards, and human rights. While you may want to argue with me as to its effectiveness, I hope you would not argue that what they were committed to is important.
What if we in the United States committed to creating peace and security, developing friendly relations among all our peoples, promoting social progress, better living standards, and human rights. What if we would have been working on that for the last 75 years?
As I’ve shared previously, I believe it is the leaders’ job to create a culture of reciprocating authority, the foundation of which is trust and respect for each other. What if we broadened that application to all those we interact with, not just on the job? What would be possible for our society? I’m taking on this approach, and I invite you to join me.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Let's you and I be the light that brightens the day of a more perfect union.