by SA Vicinanza

Why are we numb, uninvolved, and desensitized to anything that is happening right now, such as climate change, authoritarianism, and gun violence?

Because we are hooked into the American way, which is my way is the right way. We accept this so deeply into our psyche that we don’t consider alternatives. What are some of the alternatives? Getting shot in a classroom, grocery store, or church. Being shot for flying a rainbow flag. Trying to survive a wildfire that is moving at a mile per minute. That if you want to know, is 60 miles per hour. 

These alternatives are horrible, but they are happening regularly. Let’s look at each one of these issues, climate change, gun violence, and authoritarianism.  We can break down the issue and look at what officials are doing and what we as people are doing.

Climate Change

The temperature of the Earth is rising, mostly because we have capped the atmosphere with a deep layer of carbon dioxide, from emissions of fossil fuels and animal farming. This has a dynamic effect across all levels of the biosphere. From extreme weather events to depletions of glacial layers. The overall deficit in birthrates and increase in viral infections. The oceans are becoming toxic, and soil is depleted across the world.  There are 20 countries producing 80% of all emissions and methane. Those twenty countries met secretly in India, to talk about climate change, and walked out without any agreements, determinations, or commitments to stop climate change. None. That is what your governments are actually doing about climate change. The empty messages of COP27 are now being ignored completely.

What are we doing? 3 out of 10 people in the world deny climate change exists. More like 6 in 10 believe it will get better and they don’t have to do anything. Many want to help but just can’t find the spare time. Almost all but the youngest voices are speaking out. The silence of the good people is deafening.

Gun Violence and Authoritarianism

These two extreme issues go hand in hand. We are no longer safe from our politicians or lone gunmen in our safest places, grocery stores, classrooms, and churches. The idea that America is a safe place, that nothing important in our way of life will change drastically, is anathema. We are all vulnerable, we are unsafe, from our politicians and from our safe places. For over a hundred years those who we were told would help protect us from the hordes of black, brown, and Latin criminal elements are the very people who are attacking us. What is the government doing, staying quiet? The game plan is to not speak about what is happening. They hope the small group of violent people, and those legislatures trying their best to change the laws to protect illegitimate elections, are voted out in the next election. That the violence feeds the authoritarian effort is not lost on anyone.

What are we doing? We send our youngest to protest, March for Life, in cities. The media reports on politicians who we all know are corrupt, all day every day. The local media has gone back to a litany of black criminals, and inferring all crime is committed by minorities, especially black people.

The good people are again silent. Retaliation is hard, and there will be a huge volume of retribution. This magazine is the victim of forced break-ins from hackers in the United States every day. 

The great men and women of the past were hated. There is always resistance. Voices raised in unison are heard. We can no longer accept social change is slow. Climate change is not a social issue, it is a physical reality.

There is precedent for action, in France and Spain, the people removed those who were corrupt, offering them the door, without harm, if they resigned and walked away. It can be done, in non-violent loud voices. The greatest strength is in kindness, and it is kindness to all of us when we call for those who are not performing with the best of intentions to step down.

Fear not retribution, for it is an empty shell of intentions, soon called weakness.