The time to reclaim American values is now. There has never been a more important time for us to come together with a return to civility and respect as we focus on what is truly important.
Pareto’s Principal (aka the 80/20 rule) states that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes and it’s seen repeatedly throughout nature. It was discovered by an Italian economist (Wilfredo Pareto) who was studying wealth inequality and was surprised to discover that 80% of property was owned by 20% of the population.
We can do better. And we will do better. And we must do better.
The disparities created by the socio-economic divide in this country have perhaps never been more apparent than they are today amidst a pandemic. Numbers don’t lie. It’s easy to see who faces the greatest hardships and where the brunt of the impact is most deeply felt as our low-income population is being hit especially hard. And they need our help. Who among the 20 will stand-up for the 80?
We could pass laws for moral reasons.
We’ve seen our federal government pass legislation to bail out big businesses (and some of those big corporations even gave the money back upon public shaming). Will they bail out our states to preserve basic social services for those who need it most? Will we see them wage wars on poverty or poor people? Will we prove to care about our neighbors by putting our money where our mouthes are … or will lobbyists shout louder?
We could cure disease and rebuild the world’s greatest economy.
We’ve heard our leaders speak of how we are currently at war, but the opposite isn’t peace — it’s creation and now is the time for us to reach for the stars. This is a time to aspire to and revere intelligence — not to be afraid of those who possess wisdom. We cannot identify ourselves by who we voted for in the last election. And we cannot be afraid of the unknown. I cannot fathom another time when it was more important to be well informed, to speak out, to stand up and to stand united.
We could tell the truth.
First step in solving any problem is recognizing there is one. We are no longer the great country we once were. Since the birth of our country we have shown over and over again that we can better — it’s part of the founding fabric of our nation and our culture.
We’ve learned from history that a house divided cannot stand. Who among us will bring unity?
