![]() Date: 2024-08-16 Page is: DBtxt003.php txt00019049 | |||||||||
US Reform Agenda | |||||||||
Burgess COMMENTARY Peter Burgess | |||||||||
Has the Moment for a New America Arrived? ... Has the time for a new America—America 2.0—arrived?
A growing number of people think so. Civil rights leader Al Sharpton announced a second historic March on Washington for August 28, the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. But what if, instead of a demand for unfulfilled justice, this event becomes a victory march? In tandem with the March on Washington, we can rise together in a peaceful protest that surrounds the U.S. Capitol. We can demand an amended Constitution that ensures our government finally and fully realizes its promise to be a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. Yes, we are serious. Yes, we believe it can be done. We know it can heal America. The time for this sweeping, revolutionary change is now. Let me explain. A crumbling democracy calls for a New America We have entered our fourth year of “Making America Great Again,” yet by all measurable criteria, the United States of America is anything but. It’s not great, not united, and is broken beyond repair. Consider what this vision of a “great America” has brought:
In recent weeks, our nation’s highest-ranked military leaders have shattered long-standing norms to speak out against the president and his threat to use military force to quell the voices of dissent pouring into streets nationwide. Former Republican Secretary of State Colin Powell objected with crystal-clear clarity: “We have a Constitution. And we have to follow that Constitution. And the president has drifted away from it.” Since making America great has failed, why shouldn’t we shift our efforts toward making a New America instead? Perhaps a moment like this is what President Thomas Jefferson had in mind in his letter to James Madison when he wrote, “A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.” Think back, just a few months ago, to the 2020 State of the Union address. Climate change was finally an issue (sadly, not the issue) for the coming election in November. Words like coronavirus and pandemic were unfamiliar to most. The Green New Deal seemed ridiculous with its cost. And Black Lives Matter had been relegated to a minor point of recent history. Does this seem like a lifetime ago? A different world? An alternate reality? Remember when Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden told Bernie Sanders, “People are looking for results, not a revolution”? “Now, in virtual town hall meetings, media interviews, his own podcast, and in a rare formal address Tuesday, Biden has pointed toward a transformational era in which government would play a bigger role in curing the country’s public health, economic, and racial woes,” the Washington Post reported. This is a moment crying out for historic, revolutionary change During the pandemic, people often spoke about returning to “normal.” Two months of quarantine, 44.2 million newly unemployed, and weeks of dramatic and determined protests for racial justice have ensured we’ll never go back to that world again, even if we wanted to. Whatever comes next will not be normal. This upheaval sets the stage for a revolution that changes how the American government functions. “Revolutions do not necessarily erupt at the moment when people are most oppressed. Rather, revolutions have more often been the result of ‘rising expectations,’” author Christine Adams recently wrote in the Washington Post. “Periods of progress followed by crushed hopes can be especially dangerous, leading to rage and violence.” I launched Build a Movement 2020 on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 2018 with one purpose: to create a grassroots movement committed to solving our country’s biggest challenges. One we haven’t shied away from is the need for America 2.0, which starts with sweeping constitutional reform that finally realizes the great call for liberty and justice for ALL people. In our 244-year history, the United States has never realized this vision. The protests that have grown over the past weeks demand this. If we can come together around these common bonds and keep the pressure on through August, we can secure sweeping constitutional changes to heal America, restore our climate, and responsibly end COVID-19. Now is our moment for a little rebellion. — Published on June 18, 2020 AMERICA 2.0, CIVIL RIGHTS, DR. PAUL ZEITZ Dr. Paul Zeitz Dr. Paul Zeitz is a physician, epidemiologist, and award-winning advocate for global justice and human rights. He currently serves as the founder of Build a Movement 2020 and is co-chair of the COVID-19 Emergency Response Group, a collation of faith leaders, civic groups, and academics who have mobilized to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is the author of Waging Justice: A Doctor’s Journey to Speak Truth and Be Bold and Waging Optimism: Ushering in a New Era of Justice. The Thrive Global Community welcomes voices from many spheres. We publish pieces written by outside contributors with a wide range of opinions, which don’t necessarily reflect our own. Learn more or join us as a community member! Share your comments below. Please read our commenting guidelines before posting. If you have a concern about a comment, report it here. You might also like... COMMUNITY//July 19, 2019 I Am Living Proof Of The American Dream: “Only in America can a first-generation Asian immigrant become the chief financial officer of the nation’s capital!” with Natwar Gandhi and Chaya Weiner by Yitzi Weiner at Authority Magazine COMMUNITY//November 28, 2018 The American Dream: Stand United for Freedom: Si Se Puede….Yes We Can by Behyar Zoghi MD, PhD, FACP WISDOM//January 19, 2017 How to Thrive in Trump’s America by Alessandra Wall Ph.D Sign up for the Thrive Global newsletter “People look for retreats for themselves, in the country, by the coast, or in the hills . . . There is nowhere that a person can find a more peaceful and trouble-free retreat than in his own mind. . . . So constantly give yourself this retreat, and renew yourself.” - MARCUS AURELIUS Thrive Global © 2020 Samuel Goldberger 01:53 PM To what extent is the social impact tool scalable from small to large organizations? There are tools used by “Sustainability Managers and Directors” in very large companies. How do yours compare? —Spherical Solutions. This question has been answered live James Acer 01:59 PM A question for Catherine if it’s not already covered: Has this tool and approach been successfully used by any not-for-profits? E.g., as a tool for large-donor fundraising? This question has been answered live You 02:19 PM Is there comparability between different initiatives? I get the sense that the underlying analytics is changing from assignment to assignment? Samuel Goldberger 02:21 PM Can you incorporate scenario planning and risk analysis calculations? This question has been answered live From Isaac with SVC to Everyone: 01:37 PM https://www.blkfreedom.org/ https://sixnineteen.com/ Juneteenth Petition that Shanti referenced: https://www.change.org/p/united-states-congress-make-juneteenth-a-national-holiday-in-2020 From Shanti Holloway to Everyone: 01:37 PM JUNETEENTH PETITION: https://www.change.org/p/united-states-congress-make-juneteenth-a-national-holiday-in-2020 From Brad Michaels to Everyone: 01:42 PM Thanks Shanti for sharing those efforts to support. From Isaac with SVC to Everyone: 01:46 PM Jared Cannon’s company, Simply Good Jars >> https://simplygoodjars.com/ (I can personally attest to how delicious they are; they’ve catered our NY investor meetings before) As questions come up, please drop them in the Q&A box and after Catherine’s presentation we’ll get to as many as possible! From William Cunningham to Everyone: 01:53 PM Glad to her there is more work in this area. We started to quantify social impact factors in 2006 at diversityfund.net From William Cunningham to Everyone: 01:59 PM We agree. See creativeinvest.com From Isaac with SVC to Everyone: 01:59 PM We will send the deck and recording later, just FYI to anyone furiously scribbling notes. :) From William Cunningham to Everyone: 02:10 PM True social innovation happens in a way that is independent of monetary returns. https://twisri.blogspot.com/2018/11/william-michael-cunningham-on-impact.html From Joanna Zheng to Everyone: 02:14 PM What kind of things go into the 'new benefits unlocked over 5 years' for the Propel case? |