          |
|||
|
Letters To Editor Subject: Oneida Nation Police Invade Homes..
Friends, Dear Editor: America's "way of life" is killing us. Our society itself has become addictive. America's addictive disorder runs deep. Our social, political, economic, and religious institutions (in short, mainstream culture) foster a society of externally directed consumers: addicts of one kind or another. We are trained to depend on something external to make us feel good inside. Think of all the ways we fall prey to addictions: watching four hours of TV a day, "shopping till you drop", abusing drugs, alcohol, food, sex, and political power. Or, we could be addicted to co-dependent relationships, to religion or work. Our society is addictive because "Materialism " and "Consumerism" have become our way of life. Comfort, pleasure, and wealth are considered the highest values of this system. Materialism requires a society of addicted "consumers" to fulfill its purpose: ever expanding production and consumption of things. It thrives on the values that we are taught from cradle to grave: self-centeredness, short-sightedness, and an insatiable desire to consume. Our society has failed because Materialism does not give us a solid foundation. Depending on an external fix to feel good is an illusion. We become incapable of answering life's most important questions, such as our purpose and meaning here. When individuals and society's life purpose becomes seeking external gratification, the fabric of community is torn. The most visible sign is the ever growing gap between rich and poor. Societies have never survived when the greed and wants of the wealthy and powerful are pitted against the basic needs of the many. Time and time again the death certificate of many civilizations reads: died from moral and spiritual decline. Nonetheless, each of us continue to support a way of life that is destroying our own life support system - Mother Earth - and creating a host of personal and social problems. Many of us are in denial, sleepwalking. Like any addict we deny that a fundamental problem exists. In fact, our whole society is in denial. In the midst of America's national crisis, political, religious and business leaders, professionals, and citizens still deny our deep problems. The government's so-called "War on Drugs" is a good example. Instead of addressing root causes like self-centeredness, hopelessness, and poverty, we call for knee-jerk solutions: more police, jails, and even turning in our neighbor. We may even support a police state. Why? We are afraid of change. Where do we go from here? We need an independent grass-roots movement for personal and social transformation . The goal is to rebuild our society from the bottom up, starting right where we live. We can't wait for the "government" to do it for us. like the "War on Poverty" of the 1960's. The government or the police cannot solve our problems. Each of us must make the journey from dependency to awakening, from fragmentation to wholeness. We have to tap the hidden resources and power within us, while sharing with others. That is the only way to confront violence. We need to create a society of awakening to replace our addictive society. Its purpose: full awakening of every human personality. It would support the growth of self-determining and responsible people who can feel power and joy without external crutches; encourage the discovery of each persons' life purpose and work; and encourage the qualities of sharing, compassion, love, and a passion for social and economic justice. To build a learning society, our nation needs a neighborhood based "cultural recovery and regeneration" process. Like an addict who goes through recovery, whole communities are in need of healing and recovery. Recovery means creating a whole new attitude towards life, a personal awakening. Today, persons and neighborhoods must awaken to their own power and create a non-addictive and peaceful culture. People must first come together. We need a community building process to get over our denial: to share our fears, anger, sadness, and concerns. A complete re-evaluation and deep consciousness-raising about ourselves and society is needed. Meaningful action will come through self-understanding. We need an integrated. grass-roots community development strategy: challenging citizens to take personal responsibility and encouraging people's participation in our own development. The process must be organic: starting from family, friends, neighbors, and work associates. A framework for action should be "Basic Human Needs." We must define these through dialogue and discussion in neighborhoods. How can we, as a society, satisfy the Basic Human Needs of all people? We can build on the many positive efforts that are happening today. But, many efforts are fragmented into special interests. Now is the time for a new approach, making connections between issues, creating an integrated neighborhood based support system. The long-term goal is a social and economic network capable of meeting the Basic Human Needs of all people. We must find a new way to live. We can't wait for our "leaders". When people understand an idea whose time has come, they will lead themselves. We will then be sovereign.
Roscoe Hastings |
|||