You and I Hold the Key to Civilization’s Success in the 21st Century

It pains me to hear people moan about how frightening and horrible these times are, while they actively dismiss their role in the outcome. When I hear people say, for instance, that our government is out of control, I immediately wonder whom they count on to bring it back to the way they think it ought to be. Perhaps they believe in miracles.

I happen not to believe in miracles; to the contrary, I assert that we hold our fates in our own hands.  United in our common humanity, we and we alone will determine whether the 21st Century will be the end of civilization, or the mere rounding of a scary corner.

We tend to look at folks who tell us things like this as if they are somehow revolutionaries, somewhere out on the lunatic fringe.  Really? What about one of the gifts that U.S. anthropologist Margaret Mead left us: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

What about what Henry Kissinger said recently (which I paraphrase): “We got to the point at which the common American believed that the Vietnam War was wrong. That is what ended the war.  In fact, if that hadn’t happened, we’d still be there.” That’s remarkable, isn’t it? Without the voices of the protesters and the “common Americans” (whoever they are) standing up and saying ”Enough!” – we’d still be spraying Napalm on the Vietnamese and receiving our boys home in body-bags.

That’s right. You hold the key. You determine the government that will lead us off a cliff – or to a world of justice, fairness, and peace.

It happens to be the birthday of 16th Century French author Michel de Montaigne (pictured above), the man who said, “Not being able to govern events, I govern myself.” I submit that governing ourselves means accepting the truth: whether we like it or not, we hold a position of responsibility for the way our world turns out. I can’t count the number of people who have written me over the years expressing their happiness in joining me in accepting that responsibility.  There IS hope here, and it lies in every one of us.