[GPSCC-chat] More from Derek

[perrysandy at aol.com]

Derek asked me to post this response. Sandy
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I am grateful to Sandyboth because he circulated my writing, and because he offered an eloquentexplanation to a heartfelt response. I thank Caroline; she writes what many arethinking, not just about my piece but about what is happening in our culture generally.First let me state my intentions: my work arises from my deep despair about thepath we are taking, my deeper belief that we can make it past these troubles,and my deepest love of life, our Earth, and all sentient beings. I am notangry, I regret any pain that my words may cause. But the nature of this trancewe abide by living in America means that usually pain is required before we canawaken to what is being done in our name. I welcome discussion; I will be briefin this reply but crave engagement, relationship, and input so please continuethe dialogue we have begun.

 

My point in the articlewas summed up in the last sentence: what have you done to end your dependenceon oil? Until we stop using oil we continue to drive towards the cliff ofextinction. Keystone XL is not the problem; burning fossil fuels is our problem.Caroline points to some of the questions most important in our time: isdivestment a viable tactic? Is it enough to withdraw our own support of thestock market, in this case, while leaving the system in place for others tomanipulate? Must we care about who is providing the salaries of the leaders ofthe organizations we support as volunteers, like 350.org? Since I can’t do itall myself, is it enough that I focus on one small part of the whole problem,and trust that others will pick up the slack? Or is it also important that I domore than is comfortable, tackle more of the problem than will fit easily intomy schedule? Is it enough to protest tar sands, while saying not a word aboutthe coal that creates so much of our electricity, or the oil that powers ourvehicles? Of course no one is perfect, myself included. How much imperfectionis acceptable in our leaders? Is it different because they are leading us, ormust we hold them to a higher standard? A charismatic leader is always atreasure, but if we give them too much power we always end up with unforeseenconsequences, often worse than the problems we are trying to overcome. Is it OKthat corporations fund the politicians that make the laws that try to regulatethem, while at the same time funding nonprofits that actually oppose them? Canthat strategy of paying both sides work in their favor? We are unable to *shop*our way to sustainability; it also feels like merely making personal lifestylechanges will be insufficient. What is the balance between personal growth andactive resistance? I agree with Caroline: we cannot continue to wring our handsand do nothing. I too, have no clear view of what will work and what won’t,what path will lead us from this morass. But I also know that as long as we continueto buy oil and oil byproducts, we send a message to this economy thatcorporations need to find more oil at any cost and to continue to supply uswith what we demand. It feels that we must walk our talk: if we wantsustainable energy and food then that is all we should be using and eating;anything less is selling out our sacred values. I will acknowledge that it isnearly impossible to accomplish this goal today; the system is so overwhelming,especially for those of us who live in cities. So possibly the most importantquestion is this: where does our responsibility for change begin, and wheredoes it lead? How important is personal integrity? 

May we begin to explorethese questions as we continue our work to wake up our friends and neighbors?Once we have a clearer understanding, then we will see how an organization like350.org can fit into our future. Please join the discussion.

 

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