[Oe List ...] all the earth belongs to all the people

[Jack Gilles]

Dear Susan,

I too think this is a question that needs a thoughtful answer.  I am  
grateful for Paul's response as it is, as it should be, from the heart  
which is the means by which this community dialogues.

I remember JWM reminding us that first and foremost we were born into  
humanity, not family, community or nation.  Therefore, it is the  
humanity of us all that we stand before as equals, and with a mutual  
responsibility.  That said, each of us has a responsibility for how  
that life is lived and cared for.  We bare the responsibility for our  
actions, including those that lead to consequences of illness and poor  
well-being.  But there are issues of wellness that are beyond our  
individual control, be those of birth, accident or social  
circumstances.  For these we need to ask, whom will be responsible for  
the healing and care?  In that question it is clear that our (USA)  
social structures and consciousness is in need of strengthening,  
including our understanding of death.

We all know of the issues of families not willing to care for, nor  
honor the dignity and role of elders in their lives.  We have  
developed vast industries to hide this responsibility, to render the  
elders subservient to youth and deny a legitimate profound role in our  
collective community.  We also know that we have lost community in and  
through which care needs to be acted out.  We have seen so many fine  
examples of community care including many that have financial  
structural designs that seem to work well.  In a "perfect world"  
perhaps this model of caring community with equitable structures would  
be what we need to build.  I would share with what I imagine is your  
concern that once a "right" is designated at such a large level as the  
US economy and society things not only get complicated and often too  
expensive, but it keeps us from facing the more ontological needs of  
building our local communities and our individual responsibilities for  
ourselves and our neighbors.   It hinders the necessary dialogue on  
what care should we collectively render (i.e. unlimited end of life  
treatments at all costs, who gets transplants etc.).   We have a very  
profound dialogue that needs to occur around these issues that isn't  
taking place, at least at a national level.  In other words, the issue  
of "the right of care for all" when implied at the national level, is  
not dealing with the contradictions and therefore, I believe, will not  
lead to the solutions we need to develop.  Without elaboration, we who  
live in the Litibu community of Mexico are presently facing such  
community care issues.

That said, it remains to say which present options being discussed  
will take us towards our goal of all of us caring for all in a way  
that brings us into full mutual love and responsibility.  I am not  
totally clear as to which model does that and what model keeps us  
further away from the real contradictions of our common good.

Grace & Peace,

Jack
On Aug 29, 2009, at 2:46 AM, PSchrijnen at aol.com wrote:

> Why? What a great question, Susan.
>
> I was on top of Table Mountain yesterday. The cable car and  
> facilities on top of the mountain were refurbished about 10 years  
> ago, and Mandela opened it: declaring it SA's gift to the earth. He  
> declared it so. An act of generosity.  Of hope. And most people on  
> top of the mountain were South Africans, most of them black, but  
> there were accents and shades of all colours of the rainbow.
>
> So, thanks Susan, for letting me ponder that question.
>
> By the way, the top of Table Mountain is sacred space. There is an  
> awe in the air. People whisper thoughtfully, aware of the presence  
> of the mystery. I wept at times in the presence of this perspective  
> on the beautiful earth on which I live.
>
> Paul
> <table%20mountain.JPG>
>
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