Over a couple of centuries there was a dispute between two farmers regarding a large, fertile, pristine plot of land located on the other side of a darkened forest and wide raging river. It was eventually purchased and paid for by the prior owner?s blood and those who worked for him. The new owner simply cashed in by the use of more resources and new strategies to purchase properties. Although the prior ownership dissolved; those who worked for the prior owner had no choice but to now work for the new owner; regardless of what he offered. After all, there were young mouths to feed, lives to tend to, and it was this vulnerability the new ownership took advantage. Even more, the new owners promised them their own rows and crops to tend to; if only they would agree to the new terms! Terms that would not last.

The new owners surveyed the land. When the new ownership was finished and of course after consulting with those trusted most, they decided to plant fifty wide, thick rows of corn. The ownership realized how difficult and how much work it would actually require to plow and plant fifty thick, wide, limitless rows of corn. They contemplated that the only way one could possibly plow and seed such a large piece of land, would be if they advertised job opportunities to others on the other side of the community, across the rivers. Soon enough, many came to see this new acreage; and the promises made by the new ownership for those who would work were irresistible. ?After you plant and pick your required bags of corn for the day; feel free to pick as much as you want for yourself and your family!? ?We assure that your opportunities will be endless.?

It was not long before the land was thoroughly planted and over a season of time and care by all those who invested, who believed and who waited for a promising harvest; they continued to believe and work for their dream.

Just as so many had expected, the corn shoots were the thickest anyone had ever seen. The rows were so green, so clean, so wide, and so valuable to so many. The new ownership soon realized that the planted crops would reap greater wealth than they had ever imagined. There was obviously more than enough to go around; more than enough to fulfill the promises the ownership had made to many as well as the needed purpose of selling their crop to the market for distribution and the obtainment of vast profits.

One night in preparation for the harvest the ownership and their small chosen teams secretly began to walk the rows of corn. As they combed their way through the crops that all had planted they realized there were rows in which did not grow as well as others. Some stalks were not as thick, some not as green, some corn not as yellow. Within their divisive analysis they began mapping out the areas in which were deficient. This plan, this map became method. This ethnocentric idea became interceded within the harvesting plan for all who had worked; for all who had paid with their sweat and blood.

It came time, and new ownership soon began directing workers to certain available rows, and areas in which needed harvesting. It was organized, it was calculated, it was inadvertently orchestrated to meet the goals and purpose of those who now owned the land by force. Few who knew the ownership personally were given copies of the map that would be used to allocate workers to designated rows and areas. Of course these workers obtained a head start on harvesting, gained their designated bags for the day before all others and continued to fill more than their equitable share of the overages abundantly produced for all. The ownership and those few had such an advantage with this information; they began making secret piles of harvested crops and selling it for themselves in a gluttony of food that no one family or small population would ever really need. Their basic needs were met and much more; they needed not to continue taking, but something in their selfish hearts rationalized their infectious arrogance.

The others. Yes, there were many others who did not have the valuable information; they were conveniently left out of the loop. In this convenience; they were even blamed as less valuable, less human, less deserving of a chance, an opportunity, a position in which they could find valuable sections, valuable rows of the crop. Through their frustration and struggle, no matter how hard they worked they always came up short. The few were always in the best areas of the rows first, the few always seemed to collect the best looking stalks, the brightest golden corn, and it was not because they were smarter or better; just informed.

For the many were not angry because they had less than the few. Of course, that is what the few assumed because of their arrogance and their lack of motivation to research facts due to their comfortable lifestyle which made them morally and perceptively weak. The truth however, was that the many came up short in the ability to even feed their families, to save some for later, to feel connected and valuable among all workers. In their obstructed situation they had less opportunity. For so long, the many continued to work with just as much or more vigor than the few?with fewer and fewer crops to show for their labor. As the many brought home less and less and the few, more and more; resentment set in. ?How could the many be expected to work as hard or harder, maintain a basic quality of life, and continue picking crops for their new ownership when the vast amounts of workers could not meet their basic needs?? Shelter, food, good health, belonging, etc. and the majority of workers themselves had all been threatened to a weakening end. Weakness not of the many; but of the few and the system they sought to control and manipulate.

Of course, the few continued to rationalize to why they needed such excessive quantities. They blamed it on something called Capitalism, however; this was not Capitalism but exploitation, not honest but deceitful, not equitable competition but inequity. Larger secret piles and continued access and distribution of locational maps of the property for a chosen few exposed their mission; as the many began to learn of their unequal beginnings. However, the few in their arrogant, self valued lives forgot a golden rule to holding power. They had developed a selfish disease with primary symptoms of amnesia. They simply could not remember to direct others to appropriate field areas to collect enough crops to survive.

They could not recollect how to efficiently create a system in which all could meet their basic needs in order to sustain an effective harvest and a completed, equitable season for all based upon the obvious availability of vast amounts of crops. They forgot their promise. Maybe it was because they thought that others looked differently, were not as capable to do the work, acted different or spoke differently?regardless, they forgot that it takes everyone to harvest a season; and if crops were to be effectively grown and harvested in the future, systemic adjustments in worker distributions would have to be made and education regarding row, crop and field locational maps must be made available to all who work. Although the land was loved by all who worked; not all who worked were loved. This basic humane obligation was ignored?the following season would be barren.

Copyright2005 Compassionpwr@juno.com