Change is worldwide
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Editor,
I am presently in Barcelona, Spain. Other than visiting family, I am interested in getting educated on opinions over here about social, political and economic issues. Last week I sent a letter to the editor which was intended to be a prelude to covering a subject of great interest, the “Occupy Movement.” It begs a much broader look than just what we see in the U.S.
Often friends will say to me, “Bob, why do you write so many letters about world problems? Why not write about local problems? There are plenty of them.”
To this I say: it’s the source of the problem I’m getting at, not the form of the problem. Global or local, the sources are all the same. They are all born of fear, anger, frustration, greed, and desire for control. We can learn from this.
The last line of my letter referred to the Occupy Movement: “We, as a nation, as a world, might just be in for bigger and more profound changes than we realize.”
Let’s look at some very recent evidence because, like it or not, this is going to affect us all. Things are changing. People’s collective frustrations heretofore publicly unexpressed are now being publicly expressed in dramatic fashion.
Here are just a few very recent headlines:
“Occupy Boston ordered to clear out!”
“Thousands demonstrating in Russia the biggest in 20 years. Amid anger over disputed elections there are massive demonstrations in Moscow and other cities.”
“The Democratic Republic of Congo experiencing violence due to disputed elections which threatens to plunge the volatile Central African nation into chaos.”
“Three women recognized for their struggle for women’s rights against the backdrop of the Arab spring and democratic progress in Africa received the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, Norway, for non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.”
“Origins of Spanish protests traced to social networks and real Democracy now. Between 6.5 and 8 million Spaniards have participated in 58 Spanish cities.”
Space does not allow more here, but suffice to say in this season of “peace on earth and goodwill toward all,” no power born of greed, anger, and fear can forever control and subvert the innate power of the human spirit for freedom, equality, honesty, and compassion.
Bob McClellan
Polson
