Are We Entering a New Age of Working Together?

By Mark Kaplan / June 14, 2020

It seems to me that in the air in spite of all the political rhetoric there is a bonding occurring among Americans. We have come together in an empathy for BLM in a way that the Corona Virus did not bring us together.

We have clearly been a nation divided 50/50 on political leadership. Why the shift? In politics, we have been relying on the leadership to fight for our needs. All of a sudden, when the institutions are clearly abusing us, we take it to the streets to demand accountability.

How Does This Affect Other Aspects of Our Lives?

We realize that we have the numbers to affect change. Most people in positions of authority are in the minority when counted against the number of people they manage or rule.

I am a surf instructor in a group of surf instructors tightly managed by the City and we are competing with each other. All of a sudden, more because of Covid but in the realization of BLM we are in dialogue about how we can improve our position with the City. We have lots of grievances and we are going to work together to get them heard.

In the NFL, players, coaches and owners are saying they are going to kneel down during the National Anthem. This is an act that got Kapernic banned from football, scorned by the President, and outlawed by the league. Now what is everyone going to do if the collective decides to defy the ban?

NBA players are saying they may not return this season in support of the BLM movement. What is the league going to do about them? Firing them would create a great deal of social outcry. There is the financial and the moral dilemma that now faces professional leagues.

As these crisis befall us, the President’s approval rating is falling. Mostly because he has been unsympathetic to the citizens that are not his base of support. This parallels the support abusive police have enjoyed for keeping a segment of the population terrorized.

We are starting to see in a spiritual way that all lives matter. We are not just Democrats and Republicans, black or white, infected or not infected, but citizens of a country that has lots of resources that could be utilized for matters differently than how they are allocated now.

We are starting to wake up to our collective power.

Where Do We Go From Here?

We can realize we have collective power and with the ability of the internet, a way to find people who empathize with us. In the past we have mostly told people what we are having for lunch, but there is a possibility to come together for bigger change.

We have to decide what is important in the lives of everyone. What can everyone do together to make these changes? What do we value as a people and as a Nation?

Most of us probably have the same priorities. We want safety, medical care, education for our children, economic opportunity, elimination of ceilings for women and people of color, and leaders that leaders that can relate to the masses and not special interests that can afford expensive lobbyists.

Our votes don’t seem to matter, because people who matter have lobbyists. Why do we elect congressman if they are at the beck and call of the money that gets them re-elected? If we want change, we have to get the attention of people who legislate, allocate budgets, make legal decisions, and enforce laws.

Taking to the streets is clearly effective in getting everyone’s attention and it has been effective in bonding a population that realizes some of us are suffering while others are unfairly benefiting. This is a good time to look at more issues and decide who is benefiting at the cost to others.

Why are we not all entitled to a rule of fairness that gives everyone the same opportunities?

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