Rioting in London.
The Market falls more than 600 points in just one day.
The largest demonstrations in Israel in decades because of the disparity between the rich and everyone else — the people want affordable housing and food.
I wish our people would demonstrate for housing, food and jobs.
A theme is coming across loud and clear. You cannot ignore the needs of your citizens forever. You cannot count on Wall Street or Washington DC for fairness or even common decency.
Selfishness, a “me” vs. “we” mentality, will not lift all the boats sitting in the harbor – only the largest of the yachts. Ultimately that will not work. The other boats must rise too.
JFS is here to help all in our community rise and meet the challenges they face. We are going to get very, very busy and we already were.
My dissertation is about how intimacy in commtted relationship over time can trasnform identity from an I to an I that is in a constant dialogue with “we.” In the US we give space for the self that in other cultures is simply a dangerous luxury. It is wonderful that people in the US can strive to chart their own authentic course in life, but in that, we often lose the discovery of authenticity that comes from a sense of belonging to a partnership, a family and a community. As my internship at JFS comes to a close, I am realizing that participation in a community–giving, in whatever form is appropriate to my talents and circumstances, is as much about me being true to myself as it is about doing something “good.” The sense of belonging brings its own selse of authenticity for me. It’s one reason I wish the meaning of “we” were a more robust part of our cultural self-understanding and political dialogue. If it were, would there be any need to debate whther the top 2% of earners can handle Clinton-level tax rates?
This is refreshing, Ken. I once heard someone describe the difference between Canada and the U.S. as follows:
In Canada, it’s about “we”.
In the U.S., it’s about “me”.
I know it’s not just here and at times feels like the injustices that began thousands of years ago all still prevail, but I am hopeful that we can come together and realize that it’s a lonely world without community. Thanks for your leadership and voice in things that matter.