“Until the killing of black men, black mothers’ sons, becomes as important to the rest of the country as the killing of a white mother’s son, we who believe in freedom cannot rest.” ― Ella Baker
This has been a hard week, in a hard year, in a hard half millennium or so.
What are people being forced to bear? Can it be borne? What happens if it’s unbearable?
The same questions can be asked about the Earth. What is the Earth being forced to bear? Can it be borne? What happens if it’s unbearable?
I believe the Earth wants us to live. My evidence is that the Earth gives us everything we need to live. (With the help of the Sun of course.) And death can be a healthy part of living.
But the kind of death that is happening is not a healthy part of life. It is annihilation. It is blasting, shattering and destruction.
The Earth is kind, but the Earth is also just. This means that we are reaping, and will reap, what we have sown.
Those of us who are privileged to be shielded from the worst effects of racism, exploitation and environmental degradation are receiving dangerously muffled signals. That is why centering the lived experience of the “front line” of impacted peoples is so important and necessary.
Let’s be clear: racism, exploitation and environmental degradation are not dictated by the laws of physics. They are chosen by society as a way to conduct our affairs. And seriously — this is no way to live.
Each one of us, on our own, can’t do much to stem the tide of destruction. But together, we can do a lot. Cooperatives allow us to meet our needs and live our values — which we also need.
In this month’s newsletter, for example, we highlight the Compost Cooperative, a business that employs returning citizens, turns food waste into valuable compost, and is now seeking to create affordable housing for its workers.
What if more businesses operated on the principle of service to members, instead of profit to shareholders? What if there were entrepreneurial classes that taught cooperation in schools and prisons? What if we didn’t subsidize polluters?
What if we treated the Earth, and each other, with care and respect?
Then we might just live.