Why There Is Hope

Some people believe the world is hopeless as they view themselves and others as the victims of giant corporations that now control the government in the U.S. and to varying extents control governments throughout much of the world.

Many people are aware of the many wars and the brutal destruction of men, women and children and they witness the desecration of the planet in the race to extract its many natural resources. They see their economic security under siege and know all this misfortune is part of corporate greed.

But there is hope.

Well into the 19th century slavery and child labor were common in the industrialized world and in the U. S. the vestiges of slavery lived on until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's. But with time these seemingly insurmountable and intractable issues were resolved, albeit with slavery in the U.S. buried in bloodshed.

Well into the 20th century, in much of the industrialized world women had few legal rights and no vote. In the U.S. after a century of organized effort against seemingly insurmountable and intractable forces, women got the vote in 1920 and in the 1970's they finally got some vestiges of equal rights in the workplace, as they continue to advance their cause today.

In the U.S. as recently as 10 years ago homosexual people were often deprived of their Civil Rights and were openly discriminated against and sometimes brutalized for being gay. Most gays were afraid to come out of the closet. Now we have gay marriages, gays serving openly in the military and gay rights recognized as equal rights throughout society as the discriminatory barriers are rapidly falling.

For when the situation becomes bad enough, people cast aside their apathy and do what they have always had the power to do, confront seemingly insurmountable and intractable issues and solve them. Often it takes a very long time and considerable encouragement and prodding by the oppressed but when the issues become painful enough, and unfair enough they get addressed.

As for the many other major issues confronting mankind, they too will be addressed but will be addressed with time. For there is hope and eventually that hope will prevail.

Dick