GP garden 10/27/07 Together,
Clear & Consistent

Today I used a Gandhi quote in one of my emails: It said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” The email was to someone who complains a lot about the ineffectiveness of protesting against the war in Iraq and other political issues but offers no practical ideas of what to do. I agree with my friend that 60’s type of protesting is ineffective but we need to do something except complain. My friend’s point was that the media do not cover protest, like they did in the 60’s. That is true. The media is now part of the “powers that be” that manipulate our society, so we should not expect press coverage. This brings me to one of the major concerns of the day, how community groups and organizations are so splintered in working for the same causes and at times even compete against each other. I think the Growing Power Garden has something to say about this concern.

In a GP garden the focus is on growing and getting as much production per square food as possible. Waste and worms are two of the most effective items. In a GP garden all factors — sun, rain, worms, waste, compost, seeds — work together with the same goal, To Grow Renewable Affordable Food (GRAF).

In our society we have many groups, organizations and agencies working for the same goals: for peace and justice and the common good. However, unlike the GP garden these groups do not always work together. They work on the same goal but all are unique and separate, sometimes even competing for time and money with each other.

The “higher power” God looks down on the Growing Power movement and smiles. God smiles because the whole GP garden is working together, from the least of the creatures like the worm to the highest of creatures, with the sun and rain, working together to provide new life. The “powers that be” in our society look down on these diverse efforts for justice, peace and common good and smile. However the “powers that be” smile because they know the power of “divide and conquer.” Keeping groups divided keeps the powers that be in power.

How many groups do we have working on justice and peace issues? Each day I get numerous mailings and sometimes calls from agencies and organizations, political, religious and social, asking me for money or support. Often they are working on the same goal like feeding the hungry but they are all separate.

In my essay on Discrimination in Milwaukee I talked about how the powers thay be are using the new tactics of ignoring change or just talking the game and doing nothing while those seeking change are using the same tactics as in the 60’s. When I was a community organizer in the 60’s the powers that be would clearly say “NO” to community requests, and at times even got mad for our making requests. Nowadays they know better and either “ignore” requests for change or, if that does not work, put off a response until they can divide and divert the focus of the group.

This tactic was evident last Friday when a group of us asked Father Wild, president of Marquette University and a theologian, “if the war in Iraq was a just war.” He knew our yes or no question the week before, yet had a spokesperson tell the TV news the morning of our action that the decision was up to our elected officials, and when that sounded poorly, had his spokesperson tell one of our groups in the afternoon that he would get back to us in a few weeks.

In a GP garden when you plant a seed you get results immediately and in the long run. When you make a mistake you know it. When you do things right you know it. The laws of nature do not flip-flop or be wishy-washy. They work together and are clear and consistent.

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