Dear Friend, Yesterday I was in Chicago speaking at the Parliament of the World's Religions, a gathering of thousands of people from differing religious faiths. The theme of the conference this year was A Call to Conscience.
The problem is not that we aren’t equipped as human beings with an innate sense of right and wrong. I believe we are. But in the world today, the larger systems in which we live and operate do not always honor it. When children grow up breathing toxins that are known to cause disease, when people die from climate catastrophes created in part by our own malfeasance, when thousands of people are relegated to living in their cars though they are working full time, when mental health issues and suicide and violence are rampant among our young - surely our hearts cry out that something is fundamentally wrong. No person of conscience is satisfied with the thought that all we have to do is continue with the way things are.
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Yet there are powerful forces intent on making sure there will be no fundamental change. Running for president, I see how the purveyors of power operate in America today. Mainstream media protect their corporate sponsors and the political figures upon whom they depend for access. That is why you have not seen me on a CNN Town Hall, or on Meet the Press. It is why you do not see reflected in polls the extraordinary enthusiasm I get from audiences, including the standing ovations I received at the Parliament yesterday. People are codependently acquiescing to the idea that Biden must be the democratic candidate in 2024 for no other reason than that the DNC says so.
The way to win in 2024, however, is not by arguing that things are basically fine and “we just need to finish the job.” People want change on a deeper, more fundamental level. |
When corporate profit becomes our bottom line, when everything becomes financialized, when even people are seen as mere commodities and all mystery falls away, a society is on a track to disaster. A loss of meaning leads to a loss of mental health, justice is replaced by oppressive systems, and love gives way to fear. That is where we are in America, and that is what must change. A little tweaking here and a little tweaking there will not alter the course we are on.
In order to repair our country, we need to change our hearts and we need to change our systems. We need to remove the levers of power from corporate interests and return them to the people.
In order to override the sclerotic machine that stands in the way of a more just and equitable world, we need a huge amount of money. The campaign has enough to keep going but we need a lot more. Whether your donation is two dollars or up to $6600, it will create the wind beneath my wings that will propel our campaign to a higher altitude.
We are responding to a national emergency of hopelessness and despair. Please give generously. |
Know that we’re very grateful for your support. |
P.S. Here are some highlights from the Parliament of the World’s Religions… |
