A Second Solemn Letter to the Env. & Climate Movement

Attention esteemed members of the environmental movement,

            I know you all are tired, you've grown weary of the fight, you've just gotten sick of people's ignorance, and more patience-wreckingly, their pertinacious and perverse wilful determination to never change course and stay on that path they've been misguided and lulled into.

However, I feel it behoves me to pose the question:

Wouldn't it have been more auspicious and effective if we had embraced a path characterized by setting a good, exemplary example of the world we're trying to create and thus generate—engineer—an inner desire in people to adopt and embrace our proffered way of living and thereby giving us a favourable edge over those tryna discredit us, instead of being cruel to them and forgetting the real reason why we're doing what we're doing—which is create a more human world—giving them a fallacious and wrong impression of us being these crude monsters, and thus ultimately putting them off?

Aren't we to be held responsible for our actions? Or does this rule only apply when we want others to self-reflect and self-correct while we bestow ourselves with impunity to do whatever we think we need to do to achieve our goals even if those very methods, techniques and strategies chosen undermine and undercut and ultimately defeat the entire point of our noble endeavour?

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Carl Sagan's sage words still sing in my ears:

"There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot… the only home we've ever known."

Albert Einstein stated on December 14, 1930,

“Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”

And to those who downplay and dismiss the importance or value of being kind to those who maintain differing views than what science is saying: Since when was it "utopianism", to simply choose to be kind to people?

Have we really grown so soft as humans that we can't even handle the truth?

Has society become so hopelessly entrenched in darkness, that it has grown to be afraid of the light?

Has society become so cruel, that being human, just being human above all, is now considered a form of utopianism and chimerical hope?

What have we done?

In 2014, a decade ago, at his speech at MIU, Jim Carrey, the legendary comedian, remarked:

"Many of us choose our path out of fear, disguised as practicality."

He was obviously addressing more than just the target audience and those physically in front of him that day... I see that now.

As Rumi notes "We can easily forgive a child for being afraid of the dark. The real tragedy, is when grown-ups are afraid of the light."

But,..

if you can handle people of such, with nothing but human empathy, generous compassion in your hearts, and a sense of understanding of why these people got to where they are in life;

if you can learn to deal with them with utmost love in your hearts, as if they were children or siblings of your own;

if you can learn to say "you're right. Thank you", despite knowing full well that the other side is misled and illusioned, and know when to do so;

if no foe nor friend can deprive you of the pure lovingkindness that resides within your innocent, child soul;

if you can learn to always, always be human above all, and leave a lasting impact on those around you, even on those you dislike;

You will then have changed the world by your example, and set in motion the gears for the humane world we all strive for. And what's more, you'll have left behind an exemplary, formidable legacy for all humans to follow.

May we have the courage to look in the mirror and work on ourselves,

While never losing sight of what really matters, in our short, ephemeral existence.

May the light of wisdom be our guide and mentor.

May the Peace be with us all. ☮️

Namaste 🙏