Improving the human condition

At the university there was an old professor who stood out in the lecture halls. A booming, rippling voice that could wake up even the sleepiest of us sitting in those god-forsaken wooden chairs when universities were so devoid of all the technologies and convictions of today. I remember it like it was yesterday. Professor Franklin, we had all called him. White shirt, bow tie, brown jacket with patches on the elbows and always those gray pants. Unmistakable were those trademarks. They all recognized Professor Franklin.

But, on one particular day in late fall, the theme of his lecture was “Humanity, Humility, Kindness, and Compassion in an Otherwise Compassionless World.” Vietnam was taking its toll on young people who couldn’t keep their student deferrals. Everywhere, discontent among radical ideas permeated almost every college campus. I still remember sitting, yes, in those hideous stiff wooden chairs, listening with feverish intensity to every word of Professor Franklin. What he said still resonates today. He said that everyone, regardless of their status in life, rich or poor, black or white, Catholic, Protestant or Muslim, everyone at some point in their lives has something as important, relevant or profound to say or write. But, it’s up to the rest of us to listen, hear or see; because they could say or write something so profound and so important that perhaps the course of humanity would become more humane, more compassionate and more benevolent towards their fellow men. Everyone has a story to tell.

And so, Professor Franklin went on to relate that humanity throughout history has overcome the extremes of the human condition. Deadly plagues, wars, and other man-made atrocities have managed to survive and even extend the human experience. The ingenuity of some over the centuries has made it possible for societies to achieve a certain amount of wealth. Yet millions of people around the world remain on hold waiting for the moment when they, too, can enjoy an enhancement of their own human experience.

The will to survive is within each and every one of us. Against all odds, the human race has managed to persevere and, to some degree, has made it possible for many to truly thrive. The dominant factor as to why millions have not yet elevated their own human experience has been and is predicted by others.

In the animal kingdom, nature has dictated that the strong survive and the weak die, the sick die while the healthy survive. Today humanity through its ingenuity has made it possible to heal the sick and provide the means for better health and the ability to enhance the human experience. The sad reality is that too many are denied the means and availability to elevate their own humanity.

Now, we have to ask whether societies are capable of deploying the necessary resources to enhance the human experience to the point where humanity is free from misery and free from fear. Can humanity allow everyone to have a heightened human experience to create balance in our world today? As sobering as these questions are, they must be addressed not only to save our planet, but also to save ourselves.

We have to realize that the world is experiencing dramatic changes in our climate, the social fabric of societies around the world, and the lamentable lack of response from governments to implement the reforms and policy directives that would help create a more balanced world. .

Some 50 years later, the world I once knew is no more. It is as if the world has completely forgotten, failed to recognize and ignored the wisdom of what Professor Franklin read about it many years ago. When he spoke of humanity, humility, compassion, and benevolence in an otherwise compassionate world, he or I failed to realize that today’s alarming increase in the number of cases in which man has shown his lack of humanity, his lack of compassion and his extreme lack of benevolence towards man and nature has impoverished practically all nations so much that their future stability is in grave danger.

Throughout history, man has seized freshwater resources as a means to subjugate others for power and control. Today, with drought conditions reaching epidemic proportions around the world, man, thanks to the technological advances already achieved, has the ability to alleviate the suffering of millions of people who currently lack sufficient fresh water available. Freshwater resources are the most important factor in enhancing the human experience around the world.

After years of denial of what man has already done to humanity and our environment, humanity is rapidly reaching a critical juncture in our history. Global warming has already caused catastrophic conditions around the world. And it’s only getting worse. The results we are witnessing today are devastating. Without fresh water, available food sources dwindle, contributing to the growing insecurity of nations, the rise of infectious diseases, and the volatility of populations.

In the United States today, with so many areas facing severe freshwater shortages, it is imperative that Congress act together. Unfortunately, the filibuster that has dominated the political landscape for years has only exasperated the growing severity of the many crises we face as a nation. Fresh water scarcity continues to increase, food prices continue to rise, and affordable housing is very little available today. All of this and more have caused the human experience of millions to deteriorate to the point that many are hopelessly trapped with little or no hope of ever experiencing an improvement in their condition. It is a pity that Professor Franklin’s words have been forgotten.

In this 21st century, the human experience should have risen to where societies were beneficiaries of all the scientific, medical, and technological wonders that have been accomplished. The inaction of our Congress and governments around the world to address and implement the necessary reforms and policy directives that would greatly improve human conditions around the world is abhorrent. We are experiencing where there is a great need today, there remains a great avoidance in mustering any real help to ease the burdens of so many.

The trials and crises we face not only as a global community but as individuals remain unanswered. The power structures in which governments rule have been and continue to be the ones that could eliminate many of the existing crises that plague the world today. However, what we are seeing by the will of governments is an overwhelming increase in the collapse of societies.

The cause of direct action to thwart the devastating consequences of failing to intervene in preventative measures is critical to enhancing the human experience for all humanity. Implementing the necessary reforms and policy directives that our technological advances have made possible is vital to the future of all humanity.