tendencies. And though it may seem as though the world of eco-cultural communities is a long way off, that alone is not a reason not to engage with others or see the world in this way on a personal, commercial, or a community
level. Engaging others in this way, each individual serves as the bridge between peoples and the hope for a better world. And each serve, through such acts, to build the foundation for the long term when those relationships and that understanding will be critical to success.
How do you start?
Great strides start with small steps. Start by turning to your neighbor, say hello, shake their hand, ask them how they are doing, what they are doing, tell them who you are, what you offer, and how you can help. Then extend that into the community, by using the values associated with human dignity and the promise of eco-cultural communities to forge new partnerships in business and community that will establish the trust required for initiating the new form of government described above.
Trust resides at the very core of this initiative, and trust is what will be required if this initiative is to succeed. People – our neighbors and colleagues, our fellow citizens and those both sympathetic to our cause or not – need to trust us. And to trust us, they need to understand we are not engaging in this enterprise out of mistaken desires to simply shake things up or to grab power for ourselves. That is a fool’s errand, as our lives today will register as but a blip on the timeline of history. What we are instead trying to do is respond to what we believe is a great disservice being done to our fellow Americans, something which might not need be done had our elected representatives truly worked to realize the promises made in the words issued by our Founding Fathers about our unalienable rights. And we do this because it is something that must now be done for future generations, for those who come after us, so they don’t experience what we have.
That is, of course, the irony. We all were raised believing in the promise of America, that she truly was the beacon of hope that brought light into the darkness, so that people, both here in this country and around the world, might see the truth and thereby forge a path that would take them to the promised land of personal fulfillment and universal justice. And we and our immigrant forefathers bought into that belief, engaging in education so to try and better ourselves, working in jobs or starting new businesses so to support our families in hope they might also find their way to a better world. And it was because of that hope they and we also engaged in and acknowledged community in the way we did, whether it was attending sporting events or theatrical productions or award presentations at our children’s schools, evidencing our faith in one another when gathering in community events and town halls, acknowledging our common beliefs while attending religious services no matter the denomination, placing our hands over our hearts or saluting when pledging allegiance to our flag, or standing in honor while the national anthem was sung. Each and all were done because every one of us believed what America was doing was right and proper, just as what we were doing on an individual level in support was right and proper. Such is the reason tears of pride and gratitude so often accompanied such acts, because we continued to believe in what could be possible. And understanding such, neither should shame be felt nor shame proffered when people continue to engage in such practices out of true belief and honest commitments.
But equally, neither should shame be felt nor shame proffered when, realizing factually what has happened to our country, you or I engage in activities that would provide remedy. This is because, as was said before, our Founding Fathers gave us permission to do so. They told us, “that whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and
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