Can We All Agree on At Least Two Things?
Part ONE of a TWO PART Series
Just when I’m thinking that I have something to hang my hat on, it seems that even that is moving. The foundations we’ve built our lives upon are shifting beneath our feet, but are those really cracks that we’re seeing, or just slug trails?
For an upcoming blog post I would like to address the current state of affairs - where we are with “Us AND Them,” almost a quarter century into this new millennium. The almost unprecedented levels of division are concerning to say the least. My sense is that we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg. But that’s where you all come in. Is it mainly me?
I would very much appreciate you sharing your opinion with this two click poll. If you don’t like polls, think of it as a “pop quiz” in your favorite high school class.
Please feel free to contribute your thoughts as to why, or in what way these changes have occurred..
My view represents only one perspective but it would be tremendously enhanced by yours. As is always the case, only when I catch a different slant on a complicated issue, can I even consider venturing outside my fortified echo chamber.
Personally, I've come to understand racism in the form of intersections, and fully grasp white privilege. Systemic racism, color laws, antiracism, the truth about welfare and immigration, the outright injustice of our prison system - I admit to previous ignorance and prejudice, and I hope I am now living out a deeper and more nuanced world view.
One of the greatest changes, communally, that I've seen is a holistic approach to physical care, particularly in mental health. We are starting to treat the brain as an organ, seeking to heal, rather than treat symptoms. The work in PTSD, as an example, is life-changing.
Spiritually, #metoo and #churchtoo are breaking silence, and shifting the perspective from women as seducers and "men will be boys" to outrage and justice and believing the victim first. We've STILL got a long way to go, but recognizing abuse and assault versus assigning guilt because a jezebel makes a man break the Billy Graham rule is on an upward trend.
Another big change is the increase in vegetarian and plant-based diets which are healthier for people and for the planet. I found this on the Food Revolution Network:
" . . . in 2020, plant-based dairy and meat sales were over $29 billion and were projected to increase to $162 billion by 2030. This means that plant-based meat and dairy alternatives are already making up nearly 8% of the so-called global “protein foods” market. And according to the Bloomberg Intelligence Report, plant-based food sales are expected to increase fivefold by 2030.
Furthermore, nearly half of all major food companies, including Kroger, Nestlé, and Unilever, have put dedicated plant-based teams in place to help them develop new products to compete in the marketplace."
I am cooking a lot more plant-based meals than I used to, so yes, I have changed in this way, too.