When you hear the term “socially consciousâ€, what image comes to mind? I see someone who is aware of the issues facing their community and is actively trying to correct the problem. The trouble is, I don’t see many people who hold positions, which directly or indirectly influence our community, taking this type of stance. It sounds good to say you’re socially conscious, but why aren’t more of us taking a stand? Does anyone feel a sense of responsibility anymore?
There are those of us who do not hold a position of power or status, who, if you were to ask the average person who we were, they would say, who is that? We do a number of deeds, big and small, which go unacknowledged on a daily basis, and we may have no idea how many people we actually touch by our words, or actions, or sometimes just a friendly, non-judgmental ear.
Then we have those who do occupy a position of power or status. Now, I do realize that we have a large number of people in influential positions who aren’t socially conscious and have no sense of community. With that said, is it rational to hold them to the same standards as one who is conscious, but for a variety of reasons, has decided to sit on the fence and watch others do the hard work?
I say yes: if you are going into a profession which places you in the position of a role model to your community, (regardless of whether you believe you should be considered a role model) then you need to step up and start representing yourself like you’ve got more common sense than the average person. This is a small price to pay for the fame and the notoriety of being “famousâ€, or holding some type of authority position.
So again I ask: WILL THE SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS PEOPLE PLEASE STAND UP???
7 Comments
It is hard to stand when your back is broken.
A social consciousness is a heavy burden. Even a trip to the grocery store is like most presidential elections where one must choose between the lesser of two evils. Whole Foods may claim to have a negligible carbon footprint, yet it denies its worker the right to organize. Wal-Mart is quickly becoming an industry leader in “greening” its bottom line. The money it saved from energy efficient technologies is not funding health care or living wages for its workers, but used to increase stockholder equity.
The “green movement” has been co-opted. Vanity Fair — with all 500 pages of fashion ads promoting merchandise made by raw-fingered South Asian and South American women — shows how the fashionable a “social consciousness” can be so long as it can be kept exclusive, and in the hands of those with the resources to be charitable.
Activism has become a privilege. The average student graduates with an average debt of nearly $20,000.00, which often makes it nearly impossible to support one’s self with a non-completive salary that comes a long with a job at a “socially conscious” non-profit.
One only has to look at how the revolutionaries of the 1960’s became the yuppies Reagan’s 1980’s to see how significantly a social movement can be subverted.
A quick look at history, and of present day situations, will cause a stress fracture on the spine of anyone with a social consciousness. But stand up we must – en masse – to share the burden – distributed the weight – to push to social momentum in the direction of economic democracy and in turn ecological sustainability.
“And rather despair than surrender.” – Nietzsche
http://www.dionysusunemployed.net
I understand people’s reluctance to allow their social conscious to stand up.
The burden of guilt and condemnation that’s been heap on the minds of humanity, has weighed many minds to fear they’ll stand up and be punished, or worse, be labelled a hippocrite.
No one wants to punished for doing the good and right things so, most people cower and move within the corners of their life, as injustice sweeps it’s contagious evil across communities.
The worst part of all is, injustice today, is being done by those whom, yesterday, did nothing to stop it.
Today, because many had repeatedly chosen not to stand up, they’ve become the mind of injustices that they should’ve stopped in the past.
Our future as a species, with such an epidemia of behavior, doesn’t take a quantum physicist to extrapulate.
So, if we don’t start motivating people on all fronts, levels, and continents, to activate the courage in their hearts and minds; the last conscious standing up, will still perish…by suicide.
K.O.L.T. for JC
I personally have no other choice… what I mean is that I am socially conscious and have been for a long time. Yes choices can be trying when there are so many agendas competing out there for my time and dollars. I choose to be an internet activist by sending petitions daily that I feel serve the greater good. I can no longer be complacent about matters that are important regarding children’s health, organic food and farming issues, the environment and social justice. IT IS ALL CONNECTED.
So for me it comes down to: I can only do what I can do. I choose to co-teach organic, plant-based lifestyle and cooking along with my partner Al and I also Native American Courting Flute. Nurturing people through food and music is my voice, my plan for bringing health and wellness to the people. Making healthy food choices affordable, available and safe is of the utmost import in my opinion so people can have the brain power to learn, grow and serve.
As Van Jones offered as feedback to me at a recent talk… be audacious. Put those things that are socially conscious in front of people.
Peace to all at these troubling times. Making connections keeps me sane.
Social consciousness is a huge burden on the soul when you live in an imperfect society with – well to put it bluntly – creeps! We don’t live in a perfect, utopian society where everyone loves everyone else and themselves and wants to make the world a better place to live in. Most people lead lives of quiet desperation – with life changing decisions made spontaneously with inadequate information. Those of us who have hope in our hearts have to spread it pretty thin sometimes to cover those who don’t – that is incredibly difficult and burn out happens more frequently than we’d like to admit. There’s alot of things that happen that are “not fair” and lots of stupid people have power and make lousy decisions that affect all of us. (stupid as in “not or lacking in intelligence” combined with mean-spirited and social ineptness) There are way more reasons to cry than rejoice.
If we assume that those in positions of power and influence aren’t directly opposed to improving our communities (and by extension, the world), then why don’t they take a stand for social justice? Why is the “fight” always left to a handful of already overworked people with little or no real power to effect change? well, one thing is that the people who make it to the “top” usually have to do so by focusing on their rise (“by any means necessary”; “the ends justify the means”). Corporations (and cities) are run effectively by clear and defineable leadership – an overabundance of focus groups and committees will cripple a corporation if there is not one person to make and enforce crucial decisions when the group cannot reach consensus.
Another major factor is isolation. Most people are overwhelmed taking care of themselves and their immediate families – you can’t very well advocate for social justice when you’re exhausted!working 2 jobs to put food on the table and pay the bills (and it’s even worse for those in abusive relationships). Even well-meaning church going people add to the isolation – by the very act of church recruitment, they further isolate their members into church versus community. The reason a new umbrella group is being formed from the Oakland Council of Churches is that the churches which remain in the OCC wanted to focus on growing their church memberships not on “controversial issues” like poverty and immigration policy reform. They choose to bypass this life for the hope of the next.
I personally believe we have to practice in this life for how we are to behave in heaven/paradise and that I am called to do what I can for those who can’t because God has blessed me. Namaste
Dear Dawn and all Conscious People,
I think there should be something that draws these socially conscious people – SCP’s together…
What would it mean to Unite under the banner of Social Consciousness?
Unfortunately -
that is already the case…that is what they call themselves if they recycle a little, or if they eat vegetarian for a day, or if they send money to a charity…etc.
Social Consciousness should be defined -
it should be pared down to its essentials -
like the Constitution -
what can ALL agree on
and ratify -
not merely a majority or ’super-majority’ -
what will it take to cause 100% agreement?
I know it sounds radical -
but we should try to find the ways in which we can work together, rather than vying over the smaller issues.
What are the major issues,
and what are the minor?
How will we solve them?
All the comments are well-stated. Even the small smile is a symbol of ’standing up’.
Well,
I have a website,
you have a blog,
and there’s people standing here,
and there are other websites and blogs…
and they are standing “there” -
and where do we ‘meet’ to make the real difference in the world?
See my website to drop me a line.
Peace be within you.
I must say, that I can not agree with you in 100%, but that’s just my IMHO, which could be wrong.
p.s. You have a very good template for your blog. Where have you got it from?
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