“Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war that we know about peace, more about killing that we know about living.” – Omar Bradley, General of the Army, WW2, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff 1949-1953
The world feels especially dark and scary right now. We are witnessing as an unprovoked war morphs into a genocide that the world seems ill equipped to stop. The prospect of another Europe -based world war does not seem all that far-fetched. No matter how many times the phrase “Never Again” has been said, the images we see from Europe differ from those seen in the 1930s and 1940s only because this time they are in color. It is excruciating to watch. It’s hard to know what to do to make a difference.
I understand APCC’s mission is to tend to the environment of Cape Cod and that these matters of global scale extend well beyond the parameters of what we do, but do they really? While a healthy and functioning environment is essential to our well-being, how can you worry about the larger environmental issues if you are a refugee? If your home, village, and entire society have been laid to waste and you face life under repressive authoritarianism, can you afford the luxury, yes, the luxury, of worrying about climate change, PFAS, pollinator preservation and all the other things we know are important, but which today may seem less critical than just a few weeks ago.
What are we to do then? The best thing I can think of is to not turn away. Instead of looking down and ignoring what is happening, take it on directly. I would encourage all of us to think hard about not just what is happening right now but what has led to us to this point. There is no one obvious answer, but one near the top of my list is our growing collective disengagement from not just civic affairs, but from one another. People seem to be retreating from community engagement and looking more inward. This phenomenon has many causes, some obvious and others not so.
Social media has proven a lifeline for those fleeing for safety in Ukraine as many people (including, I am proud to say ,my daughter) across the world have used social media networks to help displaced people get to safe havens. That kind of connectivity is great. The use of social media as a replacement for real human interaction and community engagement is destructive and corrosive to the fabric of society. Social media networks have alienated us from one another and have suppressed the willingness of people of good will to meet to work out public policy. The result is an ever-increasing focus on self and the dominance of self-interest over building bonds based on a shared understanding of what we can achieve together.
No matter how hard it seems, and maybe even not worthy of the moment, now is the time to reconnect. If you used to be involved locally but are not so much anymore, get reacquainted with your community: local, state, and federal. If you have not been involved, now is a good time to get started. It may seem small, but strong societies that are truly able to look out for the interests of the people are built on the solid foundation of an engaged public. Communities where the people are leading themselves have more ability to see and foster partnerships with other communities, both near and far, to seek solutions to common problems. It is these societies that see more to be gained by collaboration than from conflict. It is only these self-aware societies that provide their citizenry the pathway to self-determination and prosperity, be it the ability to live free of oppression or to protect and preserve our shared environment.
Take action, get involved. If not now, when?
