State of the Species...

Humans are creatures of habit. We are fearful of change and actively resistant to it. We're animals after all, and we are equally as conservative in our behavior by nature.

With US elections coming up, we will soon be entering into the drama of national and global discussions, debates, and disagreements over familiar topics. The various sides will attempt to distance themselves from one another and play up their differences, even though they will all be pretty much on the same old playing field, bickering over the same old rules, all in the name of continuance.

What I'm wondering is what happened to the visionary thinkers? The enlightened experimentalists? The charismatic leaders who are truly capable of uniting and evolving humanity forward one hundred generations in the time span of one or two? Should these people exist, they don't have to run for office, but they must have a clear voice in society and be able to publicly provide radical road maps for our leaders to embrace. I'm not talking about rushing things either. You can't rush a tomato plant to grow faster. But you can find and implement the best set of circumstances for those tomatoes to flourish and taste delicious.

How interesting it would be if the United Nations (or some other appropriately international body) hosted a State of the Species summit. We could review our time on Earth and address major issues: Were we better off as a nomadic animal? Did the invention of property send us spiraling down a wicked wormhole? Are there moral economies we can agree upon? Is Anna Nicole Smith eligible for sainthood? Don't we owe it to ourselves to figure out how to use our collective humanity to our greatest benefit?

(Photo from the amazing "She Shoots Sheep Shots" series by Gale Zucker)