Restorative Business:
At the beginning of last year I had absolutely no interest in anything I am writing about in this article – I thought it had nothing at all to do with business, or my personal life really. Today I am the President of the Whatcom County ReEntry Coalition because I have learned that this issue is one of three core issues at the root of dysfunction in business, in our society, in virtually everything we do.
Back then, I was living my life rather in a ‘glass bubble’ looking out at the sea of life around me, rather insulated from the social decay issues that I could see but did not feel.
Today, I realize that the way we deal with ‘justice’ is probably the most significant problem we have locally and in America – in business, in politics, in our families, everywhere. The problems that stem from our attitudes around this have become insidious in our lives…they are a no-seeum that leads to plausible deniability…but that doesn’t mean it disappears.
I believe we, the people of America, are on a collision course with the self-destructive structural patterns we have unwittingly set up to dominate and abuse us – all of us. It is time for a change. Here is an article that I just submitted to the Bellingham Herald Letters to the Editor. I believe that this problem is sucking vitality right out of our community…and until we have the courage to have this conversation transparently, all the other political issues will pale in comparable impact.
The good news is that there are many solutions...all we have to do is know that we need them…and then take appropriate action.
My Letter To The Editor:
A few months ago, when talking to county officials, I realized the size of the mess we’re all in. As a businesswoman and Mom it would be irresponsible for me to spend 70% of my budget continually locking my family in boxes, then levying financial penalties on them when they have no money. Adding restrictions and locking them up again when they fail doesn’t work. It’s illogical and unsustainable.
Yet, this is effectively what we’re doing in our County. Currently 70% of your tax dollars go directly to pay for law and justice. Yet the victims are not healed. Plus, 80% of the people in our jail are essentially non-functional citizens – they are illiterate, homeless, mentally ill or dealing with addictions.
To me its systemic failure: Our tax dollars promote addiction, co-dependency and systemized abuse patterns; the ripple effect has our middle class in economic bondage.
It’s a no-win. (Sidenote: It doesn’t have to be that way.) How to break the cycle? Intentionally change course. Build a better vision and a diversified community business model that works. Innovate. Support job reskilling, restorative justice, cooperation, recovery, functional literacy, sustainability, and economic revitalization.
You are invited to come talk about this with us at the ReEntry Coalition’s public forums:
- Thursday, August 25, and Thursday, Sept 22nd – at 7 PM at St. Luke’s Community Center, 3333 Squalicum Parkway, Bellingham.
Then, YES! Magazine and my company, UnitingCreatives.com are co-sponsoring an event to raise awareness and money for the Whatcom County ReEntry Coalition. The founders vision of building a ReStoreALife Center to inspire social change in a highly functional way I think is laudable. I am doing everything in my power to support it.
I would invite all people from the community who are solution oriented and focussed on life-enhancing actions to please join us:
Community Opportunities Mastermind
and Concert Celebration of Community
(with Shawn Gallaway and Conscious Music!)
October 1, 2011 at the Bellingham High School.
We are inviting endorsements, Exhibitors and Sponsorships as well as philanthropic donations. The Coalition is a 501C3 organization and does alot of prevention and functional literacy training and support work for the community.
