Diesha Cole
Domestic terror threats? Economic crises? Angst amongst neighbors? A failed state? Flailing leaders? If we have still yet to recognize any of these series of unfortunate events in America as catalysts for change, then I am utterly horrified to see the ultimate wake-up call that Mother Nature is cooking up for both our benefit and demise.
I, myself, have had enough and I am eager to bring this ecological warfare to an end. Ecology and war? What the hell is this girly talking about. While civil war is traditionally recognized as a battle within and amongst the citizenry of a nation, there is a much large reckoning at our door. There may be time, but there’s no patience to argue that the state of not only our nation, but the world and all of its’ inhabitants are at the edge of a downward spiral.
The Civil War before us is one amongst and between our entire ecological system. I’ll hold my breath for anyone willing to deny the weather anomalies, the production stops, the cost spikes, the ineffective governance, and the long-recognized misappropriation of resources.
Coming to this realization urged me to found and organize The Human Rights Effort (“THRE”), a grassroots movement dedicated to social evolution.
Social Evolution is the answer to every problem. It is the constant and consistent review and revamp of social structures and institutions, so as to ensure that they’re operating to enable humanity’s highest potential. Short and sweet: “as the people evolve, so too must their institutions keep pace.”
Social evolution in the United States today, looks like a Modern-Day Constitutional Convention and THRE is bringing this solution directly to the American people.
At first as a child, you try new things, you dare, you discover and unveil—you change. And then as a child, you’re told things like: “that’s not how it’s done;” “things work like this”—you’re stifled. From birth, we’re inundated with stories of how it must be, how it should be, and most assuredly how it will be. All stories used to herd us into assembly lines of professionalism, family life, and model citizenship.
Is it any wonder, after being silenced for centuries that the People are roaring with dissatisfaction and confusion? For generations we have been stuck in a loop of the same old, same old. Yes, stuck. Surely, if the measure of time is change and nothing has changed, then there has been no recognizable/significant passage of time.
How do we break free? How do we bring an end to this stagnation? I believe that in not necessarily understanding the root of all this misfortune in the world, many are energized by the idea of civil war. Fighting amongst neighbors for a misguided cause. Raising arms against very distant cousins because they’re blood relation has become unrecognizable. Championing the pursuits of false idols and political leaders.
Yes, war has been brewing and it is at our doorsteps, but it’s not what we expect or admit. Nature instead of reaping the absolute havoc it toys with from record-breaking season to season; sends the truly unfortunate and occasional anomaly. The people, instead of retiring all of their comforts and denying the legitimacy of these spoiled elitist and rotten politicians, gripe at their neighbors, demonize the rebel patriots, and even take the lives of others in the midst of their own anguish and confusion. War can be defined many ways. I’ll leave two of its definitions here: “a state of competition, conflict, or hostility between different people or groups; a sustained effort to deal with or end a particular unpleasant or undesirable situation or condition.”
War is not just the bloody battlefield. War is the distress of the People of America and the unwavering ‘old-order of law and business.’ War is the greedy and short-sighted haves and the unreasonably wanting have-nots in a plentiful world. I would go so far as to say that war is inevitable and consistent. I would go so far to say that it is the duty of all people in their lifetime to observe the battles of their hour and consider harmonious solutions to quell the overly tipped scale.
Social evolution is about striking balance. We recognize that balance is a constant activity that must be sought after. And because we have waited 300 years to strike balance in our nation, we feel overwhelmed by the tipped scales.
Emphasis on overly-tipped, because all things are required to make up this world. The one informs the other. Utopia is a grand concept that was filtered through the human mind to excite the psyche of the desperate. All the concepts underpinning THRE mirror nature. In nature, the predator has its prey. In nature, the tree lines its branches with spikes to protect from its relative. The waves slowly chip at the girth of a cliff’s wall. Creation begets destruction. What we cannot forget is: BALANCE.
Jay Z said it best “it’s not always a fight, sometimes it’s a conversation.” Conflicts are constantly plaguing our lives, personal, political, and globally. The best we can do while we’re here is seek compromise, negotiate, and set boundaries. Like dating someone new or starting a new job, those boundaries and compromises look different from one person to the next. Now imagine the distinctions from one generation of people to the next? And the Founders agree: "[N]o society can make a perpetual constitution, or even a perpetual law. The earth belongs always to the living generation. [T]he constitution and the laws of their predecessors extinguished then in their natural course with those who gave them being. [I]f it be enforced longer, it is an act of force, and not of right.”
The U.S. Constitution was written in the 18th Century by white-male, slave owning profiteers. At the time and amongst each other, they crafted a genius system that has stood the test of time. Three centuries later (but with no real passage of time) and a completely new community of people, we make the argument that the large majority of every single issue we face can be quelled, properly considered, and reimagined if we stopped for a second and made a pretty significant change. A change that will obviously rock the nation from its cradle of capitalism and conformity.
We propose a re-constitution, an update, an evolution of times! A constitutional convention recalibrates our scales. It will redefine our foundational premises, reinforce the People’s proximity to its governance, and refresh the nation’s camaraderie.
REDEFINE. Societies are built out from the context of their foundations. Inherently, there are no prescribed rights and wrongs. When nations are built or as communities come together, it is their duty to prescribe what the rights and wrongs of their community will be. The U.S. Constitution was written in a social context starkly contrast to our modern-day life. Written with a feather pen, by white-men who rode in on their horses and carriages, the U.S. Constitution is an antiquated and historical landmark.
For our nation to truly reflect the needs and interests of today’s People, we must establish new foundations from our unique social context. Filled with diversity, automobiles, Door Dash, and AI, there is much to be said about the major advancements we’ve made in every arena except our social structure.
REINFORCE. One of the tenets of governing must be the recognition that the government is simply a tool of and for the use of the People. Civic engagement is a vital organ in the operation of a nation. The government must not only check itself, but also it must be checked by those it serves. Being so disconnected from the origins of the U.S., having become so far removed from the operations of the branches, the People no longer resonate with the entity in and of itself. This is why slogans like “Drain the Swamp” and divisions between Corporate Democrats and Liberal Democrats have become talking points.
The People recognize that the government is now working for the benefit of those that began to line its pockets while the People enjoyed enough comfort to keep them complacent.
In order to enjoy the day to day of society, we must abandon the comforts once afforded to us and not only reimagine what it means to live in a fair community with access to opportunities, but also collaborate on these visions with our neighbors.
Through discussion, collaboration, and compassion, we birth a new nation which we hold stake in and respect for.
REFRESH. From trauma-bonds to hazing rituals, its well known that going through something with another gives rise to some fellowship. Imagine working together to describe the parameters of the nation you inhabit.
The Convention provides an opportunity for People from ALL walks of life to have a seat at the table. To share their voice and their opinion and work together to craft solutions for a better future. Currently, we believe we live amongst people that are different from us. Divisive language has been craftily used for generations to divide and conquer. Whether it be race, class, identity, or the like elitist and politicians have been able to quell the masses by turning them against each other. The Convention resets the rat race against those that truly fuel the plight of the people.
There is no slight move that can rattle the cages we hold ourselves within, it must be major, impactful, and damning. There is no remedying mass incarceration without considering the misfortune of our healthcare system. There is no justifiable conversation about the economy that does not include misvaluation and the misappropriation of resources. Every facet of our nation is reeling on a thin line of for better or for worse. The path for the better begins at the doorstep of every American and ends at the confirmation of a completely evolved social framework.
Social evolution is the missing piece to every political conversation. Which is why this convention cannot be the last one. Social evolution is constantly and consistently looking at how we could do better, what we’re already doing better, and how we make space for the living to be triumphant in the single lifetime their afforded.
When you know the truth, you do not fret, you do not fight, wait for the perfect moment. You prepare, you tell the story, you share the vision, and you develop a quiet army of warriors dedicated to working to always strike the balance—never over tipping the scale.
The Human Rights Effort knows the truth. We see the world as it is, we’re using the tools available to us, and we’re quietly growing our army of warriors. Join us! Peruse our website to sign the petition, complete our action items, and stay up-to-date. The time is coming. The Civil War is here.