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Re: Andre's Presentation Was Great!

Dave Ewoldt's picture
Posted by Dave Ewoldt on May 28th, 2008 at 6:16 pm | 1 Replies

On 28 May 2008 at 11:31, Sarah Edwards wrote:

> comfortable giving presentations. Like you say Patricia we have to dothis in a
> way that people don't just turn off and go away angry. I hope I'm not
> repeating

I've been having some long, involved talks with Derrick Jensen lately, in part regarding message framing. Those of you who know Derrick know he's even more blunt than I am about speaking truth to power, and taking an active stance in doing something about it.

I think people do need to get angry. In fact, they need to get to the point where they're mad as hell and not afraid to let it be known in no uncertain terms that they're not going to take it anymore.

As you point out from your own experience, Sarah, it's the minority of people who want to stay in denial. Where we need to concentrate the positive energy is on helping people become aware that there is a realistic, viable alternative to the status quo that they can participate in that actually stands a good chance of improving quality of life. But, we must also be brutally honest about remaining aware that entrenched power centers will attempt to retaliate against those threatening that power.

But as Derrick says, "We have been too kind to those who are destroying the planet.  We have been inexcusably, unforgivably, insanely kind."

Sarah Edwards's picture
Sarah Edwards
May 28th, 2008

Re: Andre's Presentation Was Great!



Dave. you said  it's the minority of people who want to stay in denial.
I agree. It's a matter though of how long it takes. I find many people still want to be in denial now but as things get worse most won't be able to even if they would like to. I hope to get people through the Waking Up Syndrome sooner - as in now - when they can do so much more than they'll be able to when they are in dire desparation.
I agree people need to get MAD. Real mad. But mad at the message,. not mad at the messenger, not mad that someone's "spreading negativity" and "untruths" they believe are designed just to scare them. I got that today from someone I really didn't expect it from. She explained that she doesn't want to hear about these things because she wants to have a "postiive attitude." Personally my experience is treading lightly in such situations works far better than continuing to pour it on. Erosion can work better against resistance sometimse than force. It won't take too long.
 I was thinking just today thought that it is verging on criminal not to be MAD about what's been done, what we're doing and what we might keep doing. But I'm not sure laying that one on my friend right now is going to open her mind to looking at these issues.
I just watched an excellent PBS series - Unnatural Causes. It makes clear from many perspective that loss of hope, accustomed culture, and a sense of control produces levels of stress directly correlated cross-culturally with increased physical and mental illnesses of many kinds, i.e. diabetes and heart disease, but also a lowered immune response  that leads to a broad spectum of disease and advanced aging.
That is what we have in store (and underway)-  a loss of hope, accustomed culture, and sense of control. So I believe that if we want to have a healthy, well, population to undertake the challenges ahead it is a vital that our frankness about the reality we're living in need to be interwoven with some semblence of hope for a future, a positive new kind of healthier cultural mileau, and a new way of experiencing control that springs not from control "over" but from "creating with."
Sarah
______________
 
Sarah Anne Edwards, LCSW, PhD Ecopsychologist
Co-Author, Middle Class Lifeboat, and Advocate for Affordable Health Care
"If you don't change to keep up with your situation, you will be in a bad situation."
                                                                                                                  Bo Bice
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----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, May 28, 2008 6:17 PM
Subject: CoordinatorHUB Re: Andre's Presentation Was Great!

On 28 May 2008 at 11:31, Sarah Edwards wrote:

> comfortable giving presentations. Like you say Patricia we have to dothis in a
> way that people don't just turn off and go away angry. I hope I'm not
> repeating

I've been having some long, involved talks with Derrick Jensen lately, in part regarding message framing. Those of you who know Derrick know he's even more blunt than I am about speaking truth to power, and taking an active stance in doing something about it.

I think people do need to get angry. In fact, they need to get to the point where they're mad as hell and not afraid to let it be known in no uncertain terms that they're not going to take it anymore.

As you point out from your own experience, Sarah, it's the minority of people who want to stay in denial. Where we need to concentrate the positive energy is on helping people become aware that there is a realistic, viable alternative to the status quo that they can participate in that actually stands a good chance of improving quality of life. But, we must also be brutally honest about remaining aware that entrenched power centers will attempt to retaliate against those threatening that power.

But as Derrick says, "We have been too kind to those who are destroying the planet.  We have been inexcusably, unforgivably, insanely kind."



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