Me the People vs We the people

Harm vs Respect is the battlefield, frontline, strategy, and weaponry of the conflict that is engulfing the political discourse, human relations, and that is shaping policy and business in the US. We have reached a point where proponents of respect must assert clear limits to harm if we are to live in a just and equitable society. 

The harm is getting worse, according to a recent New York Times article titled “Domestic Terrorism” by David Leonhardt. The article cites a recent YouGov poll that asked “...if it could ever be justified for their political party to use violence to advance its goals.” Roughly 16% answered that it could be “somewhat” justified. Nearly double what it was three years ago. 

While the poll explores conflict and violence in political discourse, it is not a political issue. It's a human nature issue that is being weaponized for political and economic gain. While it is imperative that political leaders speak out against violence, all Americans must also add their voices, but also prepare themselves for facing this conflict directly to influence respectful outcomes. 

This is the purpose of the hashtags I created:

1) To begin establishing an organizing principle for people to act from.

2) To arrest the rising pattern of violence and harm.

3) Reset us on a common ground of Respect from which to wage our conflict, advocate our causes, work out our differences and settle our grievances. 

I am writing this series of blog posts and creating  online courses to clarify the less visible patterns and organize them into a more manageable strategy that reframes the conflicts with a clear new perspective and to offer new strategies that empower you to be a better champion of your particular cause. Whether its as an activist, a parent, a teacher, a leader, etc. 

From this starting point, we can build an evolutionary way forward and transcend the patterns of harm as allies. 

One way to advance is to reframe the factions in the conflict for the future of America.

We need clarity, not blame. Most of the factions are defined by group A blaming Group B and vice versa. None of this is very effective as it devolves into a downward cycle of resentment, blame, and harm. 

The Four Americas

One America—Team Harm

Team Harm believes it has the right to harm others who are different or disagree. Their needs go first, anyone who disagrees gets harmed (FB Trolls—Left and Right). They believe it is their right to have their needs met and will inflict harm to do so. They believe they should be able to profit from harm if necessary. They will do so with impunity (blame, righteousness, justification,) attacking anyone who says otherwise as un-American.

The 2nd America—Team Respect

Team Respect believes that they have a responsibility to look out for all Americans equally. That we should treat each other fairly and with respect. That we must care for and protect the earth and the planet. That the individuals well being is connected to the collective well being. The individual’s health is connected to the health of the planet. Society's health is the persons health, and vice versa. They do no harm with impunity. They are accountable and how they effect others matters to them. They fight from the moral high ground of integrity.

The Third America—Team Ambivalence

This part of America switches between Team Harm and Team Respect. They stand for whatever their subjective experience tells them at the moment. Some of them favor Team Harm but will back Team Respect if Team Harm goes too far. The other half favor Team Respect until their frustration gets the better of them and then they take up harms.

This segment of America is the battlefield whereupon the leaders of Team Harm And Team Respect fight to influence persons to join their cause. This group makes up half of America. They are not particularly inspired by either side and prefer to “stay out of it” or “now is not the time to act,” “lets just let it work itself out.” They will often employ the strategy of avoidance. “I don’t listen to the news.” “Politicians are all liars.” “I’m not voting because              .” They are the battle ground because they tip the scales in favor of other side.

At worst, they are like spectators in a sporting event—they watch the contestants from the comfort of their seat and criticize the efforts and results of the actual players. They live vicariously through the drama played out before them and take little to no responsibility for the results.

Some of these are persons who have yet to discover their voice or their power of their ability to use either. They need encouragement and empowerment. They are often adult survivors, like myself, who are recovering from harm or surviving current harm. They really are members of the Fourth America.

The 4th America—The Innocents

Children, Survivors, and Nature. While Team Harm and Team Respect conflict and Team Ambivalence ducks and dodges, the Innocents are suffering and surviving through the consequences of the conflicts. They inherit the unresolved conflicts, the festering resentments, the stagnation of evolution and progress. Their future is damaged and their light is dimmed by the direct harm and the collateral damage from our collective inability to work toward an a just and equitable America.

We can do better than this

American history is a chronicle of the evil of genocide, slavery, exploitation, ecological destruction, and the promise of the ideals of America—“life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”—“liberty and justice,” “The American Dream”.

As disturbing as things are right now, we have it within us to establish the ideals of America as the reality of America. Our generation can be the one that rights the wrongs of the past, respects indigenous people and honors the treaties, makes reparations for slavery and genocide, amends the exception in the 13th Amendment, frees and heals the children and families in the ICE detention camps, evolves toward renewable sustainable energy solutions, addresses climate change, etc.

What we can do

We can Reset and act from Center, and unify our efforts under a central organizing principle:
   #No Harm
   #All Respect
   #No Exceptions

Take Harm, attacking and avoiding, off the list of acceptable negotiation tactics. Make Respect the gold standard.

Observe, watch for those who lead with respect and serve with accountability. Watch for those who proudly harm with impunity.

Impunity is not strength, or leadership, or power. It’s rigidity, closed-mindedness, indifference, and apathy. Not qualities that you want in a leader of a democracy, but qualities you find in a dictator. Thoughtfulness, respect, accountability are not weakness in a democratic leader, or anyone for that matter.

What You can do

Support the advocates who are willing to get in the ring and put their well-being on the line for Team Respect and The Innocent. The ones who can respectfully bring the fight to team harm. They need your support.

If you’re one of these advocates, we want to serve as a resource to you.

I am Shifu Ed, and I have studied human nature in conflict all my life. I am  sharing my Insight and experience into the heart of the patterns of conflict currently engulfing America to do my part in empowering us beyond them. They are as old as America itself, but they are now inescapably effecting the lives of us all.

When you see the pattern, the chaos dissipates, and you can begin to choose your responses and shape the outcomes. These are not theoretical ideas. They are founded in decades of direct observation and experience, before and after empowerment of martial arts training and the development of the Energy Fitness Training System.

Our schools purpose is to empower people in their personal quests and missions.  and tell me what your mission is and what you are struggling with and we can develop energy strategies to empower you in your mission. 

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For those of you who need energy now

How to stay clear and grounded in moments of severe agitation and conflict so you can stay focused on your mission.