Excerpt from A Language Older Than Words

The Declaration of Independence (p. 370)

From chapter "Connection and Cooperation"

The Declaration of Independence states, “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends [Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness], it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it. . . .” It would be more precise to say that it is not the Right of the People, nor even their responsibility, but instead something more like breathing—something that if we fail to do we die. If we as a people fail to rid our community of destructive institutions, those institutions will destroy our community. And if we as a community cannot provide meaningful and nondestructive ways for people to gain food, clothing, and shelter then we must recognize it’s not just destructive institutions but our entire economics—our entire civilization—that’s pushing biological systems past breaking points. Once we’ve recognized the destructiveness of our civilization we’ve no choice, unless we wish to sign our own and our children’s death warrants, but to fight for all we’re worth and in every way we can to change it. There is nothing else to do.