Community

 The Human Race as we know it evolved out of the tree climbing race known collectively as the Primate Family.

Those are Community Orientated groups.

And we continued to be a Community as we evolved. It is hard wired into our DNA, RNA, and whatever other things make us up Genetically.

If you look at Human History you will see that the first real punishment that Humans devised for the people that were harming their community was shunning. And, to the people that it was applied to, it was horrid. To be cut off from ones community while still in that community generally broke most people.

And if shunning did not work then they came up with Banishment. People got completely driven out of their community and never allowed to return. Often the people that this was done to would end up killing themselves.

And then came Religion of the Sky God. And that changed things. We went from a mostly Matriarchal Society with an Earth Mother to a Patriarchal Society with Male Sky Gods.

And in that society a harsher edge began to take shape. And societies became more Hierarchal over all.

We began having Kings who ruled thru Force instead of Priestesses and Chiefs who ruled thru some form of Consensus.

Over time Community got bigger. It went from Family and Clan/Tribe, to town, county, district and nation. Evolution and Growth of the meaning of Community and what it meant to be a Community Member.

And people are members of communities that they are born into, Family, Neighborhood, Religion, School, etc. and also communities that they choose, Higher Education, Community Organizations, Help Organizations, etc.

As you can see, over the course of History, our definition of Community has grown, with a lot of pain, and it has grown.

And today we are in the period of tightening communities and the breakdown of the larger community. And it is scary.

Because today we have the means to destroy ourselves. Thru ignoring the deadly peril that the climate has become, because of our efforts, to War on a massive scale, we have the capability wipe ourselves out.

How did we get to this place? I am glad you asked.

Being a historian myself I have seen this same pattern throughout History. Our idea of Community gets bigger and we thrive for a while. Then some things happen and we stop thriving. The ruling class gets scared and starts, or ramps up, depending on when and where we are talking about, the divide and conquer politics. And societies idea of community gets fractured and things get bad.

It is a cycle that one can see many times throughout history.

So why is it so terribly threatening to the human race this time? Let me show you

It is a confluence of many things that have gotten us here.

For one the built in Racism that is a part of American society that I wrote about in my last blog post.

Add to the the harnessing of Mass Communication as Propaganda and Indoctrination tools. This is true for Print, Broadcast Media like Radio and TV, and most especially Social Media and the internet.

Using those tools for the purpose of shrinking the Definition of Community, and they are very well funded and directed by people with very deep pockets, we get shrinking communities of people who are constantly getting smaller, who are afraid of and hate everyone that does not fit inside their narrow little view of Community.

And then along comes a Demagog who pumps up that Fear and Hate to get into office. Like Benito Mussolini, Adolph Hitler, Vladimir Putin, Victor Orban, Donald Trump, etc, and then destroy any resemblance to a semblance of Democracy that is left.

And today we add the Climate Crisis and Nuclear Weapons to that mix.

And we have Extremist Populations that are Ruled by Petty men who will burn down the World in order to rule over the ashes. And we are in deep shit.

Like we are Right Now.

So how do we Become a Bigger Community now? How do we grow into a Community of Trust and Relationship with each other?

Well, for one, it will take all of us. Every Single One of US.

We must begin with Love. Especially of those who Hate us.

For those of you who Believe, you must be FOR a Loving God who is Forgiving. And reclaim that from the people who only know a Fear Based and Punishing God.

Because using Religion to Unite is as old as Humanity. And, using Religion to divide is as old as Humanity. Choose the side that Unites.

And in the Political Sphere we have to choose Politicians that Unite. It is not about what they are Against. Never what they are against. What are they for. And Push them. Find the ones who are For Inclusiveness and Unity. And support them in every way that you can. And hold them accountable for what they claim to be for.

Find Your Communities. The ones that Stand for Love, Inclusion, Respect, Helping Hands and Hearts. And More. Always be For these things. Because it what you are For that will change the World. Not what you are against.

And we must, each one of us, understand what we are willing to Stand For. That must be the Why of every day. And that will involve walking thru some Fear, Discomfort, and Shedding of Biases that we may not even be aware that we have.

Being For, Being able to articulate What we Stand For. That is the Journey we must all take. And we will never finish it. It is the Journey of Life.

Folks, we have been divided by what we are Against for a long time now. And that will kill us all.

We must Pivot now. We must look away from what we are against and Start Standing for we are For. And it must be with Love.

Either our Community becomes all of Humanity or we are doomed.

We MUST Love Each Other or Die.

Love. It is the Only Rational Act.