Photo credit: Mickey Z.

Mickey Z. -- World News Trust

April 20, 2014

"The earth is not dying. It is being killed, and the people killing it have names and addresses."

- Utah Phillips

We need a loud global alarm clock and we need it now. In fact, we could use a bunch of 'em -- tick-tick-ticking in every city and town on the planet to remind us humans that time is of the essence.

Our eco-system is finite and there is a point of no return. With this in mind, we could all kick things up a notch or three in terms of urgency, solidarity, and methods. Maybe such an escalation could begin with a showing of High Noon?

I watched this classic 1952 film for the thousandth time recently and found myself focused on the moment when Amy (Grace Kelly), the pacifist wife of Marshal Kane (Gary Cooper), shoots and kills a man to save her husband's life. Earlier in the film, Amy had declared:

"My father and my brother were killed by guns. They were on the right side but that didn't help them any when the shooting started. My brother was 19. I watched him die. That's when I became a Quaker. I don't care who's right or who's wrong. There's got to be some better way for people to live."

However, she not only ends up shooting a man, she also fights off the main villain, which allows Marshal Kane to finish him.

Before you run and tell Gandhi on me, I'm not suggesting that you shoot anyone. However, I am urging you to recognize that those clock hands are inching towards noon and it's high time to surprise yourself (as Grace Kelly's character did) with your ability to take things to a new level.

3 Ways to Start Beating the Clock

1. Recognize the Urgency/Emergency

As highlighted above, when the stakes are high, we often react almost automatically. If you see a child wandering toward a busy boulevard, no one has to tell you what to do. If you see an entire eco-system in crisis, listen to your heart and respond.

2. Create Solidarity

A social system designed to keep us alone and staring at TV, computer, and cell phone screens all day is not conducive to collective action. Break the cycle and cultivate face-to-face community.

3. Discover New Tools and Tactics

As dynamics evolve, so must tactics. What’s in your toolbox?

#shifthappens

Note: To continue conversations like this, come see Mickey Z. in person at Hunter College on April 24.

Order Occupy this Book: Mickey Z. on Activism here.

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Mickey Z. is the author of 11 books, most recently the novel Darker Shade of Green. Until the laws are changed or the power runs out, he can be found on a couple of obscure websites called Facebook and Twitter. Anyone wishing to support his activist efforts can do so by making a donation here

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