Whole Life Times: Contradictions

August 2004 | From the Editor

Contradictions

The results are out from the 9/11 commission and we’re not surprised to see all fingers pointing towards the intelligence community. But what is perplexing is that nobody seems to be asking a logical next question. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, that the intelligence was indeed faulty. Do our elected (and appointed) officials not have the acuity to ask discerning questions? Are we going to accept our leaders’ excuse that they were misled? Do we not have checks and balances in the information-collection process when people’s lives are at stake? Or is this a case of “the dog ate my research”? We sure have become experts at ferreting out damning information about politicians’ personal lives; can’t we apply those skills in a positive way?

Oops, some people think I’m not supposed to say that. According to a June national poll of 1,000 people conducted for the Chicago Tribune on First Amendment issues, two in 10 Americans say we should not be allowed to print criticism of the war. Further, more than half of us, according to this poll, are in favor of some kind of government controls on free speech. Most offensive, apparently, is sexual content or anything unpatriotic. Assuming that WLT readers skew that percentage substantially, we start to see a majority of Americans not in favor of accurate news.

I find it really amusing that so many of us are opposed to sexuality in the media, that Janet Jackson’s breast was a cataclysmic event, and yet we couldn’t seem to get enough of the sordid details of former Pres. Clinton’s dalliance. Doesn’t that seem just a wee mite hypocritical?

Our country is full of contradictions. The June median price of a home in L.A. County was more than half a million dollars. Yet a recent UCLA study found that nearly one in three adults in L.A. County—close to 800,000 people—goes hungry or is at risk of going hungry on any given day. In addition to that, 160,000 children go hungry on a regular basis. How do you think it might affect every single choice you make throughout the day if you were experiencing—or in danger of experiencing—gnawing hunger pains?

We can fix it, but we need to start now. And it’s going to take money. We need to feed those who are hungry today, and educate those at risk of being hungry tomorrow so that they can feed themselves. And while we’re at it, let’s fund family planning so that we can slow down the population growth.

I’m sure your eyes are rolling back in your head by now… even my eyes are rolling. But we have to have a dream in order to have a dream come true.

And right now, we definitely need dreams. Yesterday I had a bizarre run-in with the Patriot Act. I called Bank of America to verify that someone had enough money in his account to cover a check. Simple thing—as a business owner, I’d done it dozens of times. No more! The bank will not let you know if there are sufficient funds to cover a check, because of the Patriot Act. I’m trying to figure out how this would be a threat to our national security. Whether it’s the Patriot Act or the bank’s interpretation is almost immaterial.

So how would you like to co-create our collective future? Sometimes just getting very specific about your vision starts the energy moving to manifest that vision. Then when you make small, daily decisions, (which, for most of us, are not coming from pain in the belly), you’ll be taking steps in that direction. For example, if you care about your health, care about the environment and care that people have a good life and earn a living wage, you might start to make organic food a priority at least occasionally, even if it costs a few cents more. You’ll do things like remembering to bring your own bags to the grocery store (although I’ve had to run back to my car more times than I care to admit!). You’ll make an effort not to flip off the person who cuts in front of you on the freeway. And you’ll absolutely, positively register to vote and then do it.

From my heart,
Abigail Lewis

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