Episode 1 - Introduction
Full Transcript:
Welcome to the Toil Podcast, where I discuss the value, the necessity of toiling in this life. To toil means to “work extremely hard or incessantly”. We will toil here to better understand complex issues and how to act on that knowledge to bring about justice. Knowledge is power and we cannot fight greed if we don’t understand how it succeeds. Sometimes you’ll hear from me, and sometimes I’ll bring on experts in their field.
I will advocate for a lifestyle of toiling. Far too often, we are able to mobilize for very quick sprints in support of justice, then we burn out because frenzied bursts of action are not sustainable. We each individually and collectively need to find ways to make fighting for justice a constant and sustainable part of our lives - until, frankly, our deaths. We need to make a marriage vow to justice.
MLK Jr. said it well: “Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.”
This podcast will focus on both WHY and HOW we should toil to bring about justice.
WHY will include questions like: Why should any of us sacrifice our happiness and comfort to toil for others? Everyone’s life has hardship, why should we make our lives even harder to toil for justice? Folks may think they worked hard to be where they are, why should they sacrifice for others who they think haven’t worked as hard? I believe the key answer to these questions is rooted in how much credit we can actually take for our lot in life. For anyone who lives above the poverty line, good luck had a role to play in that. Forces outside of our control aided us in getting to where we are today and we cannot take credit for that. This does not mean any of us didn’t work hard and that hard work wasn’t necessary to be where we are today, but I challenge each of us to try to identify the likely very many ways in which external factors, entirely beyond our control, have played a role in where we are today. For example, the country, state, or town where you were born, the family that raised you, the food you had access to as your brain was developing, the teachers and mentors you had along the way, your natural-born talents and abilities, how you came to find your career path, and on and on. Can any of us really take full credit for every single decision and outcome in our life? That doesn’t mean we didn’t face challenges, every human has. But what were our struggles compared to others who are not doing as well as us today and what opportunities did any of us have that they did not? Do each of us truly deserve the life we have?
The economic and social systems that we as a society have created are the reason that hard work can only take one so far. So much injustice and greed flourishes leading to a country in which the zip code one is born into defines the arc of their life.
The HOW of this podcast will include a study of what justice looks like across the financial industry, corporate monopoly power, our tax system, our prison system, labor, immigration, education, healthcare, climate change, and more. If you’re listening and already understand the WHY, you know this world is defined by injustice and you want to do more and believe you should do more but you are exhausted, overwhelmed, and demoralized by the massive nature and volume of problems in our country and the world - then the HOW of this podcast is for you.
And I have good news, we do not need to fight the most powerful forces of injustice directly ourselves and separately issue by issue. Instead, we can focus all our efforts on a tool we have that can be - if challenged - more powerful than the forces bent on a world of inequality and injustice. That tool? Our American government. We must force our representatives to actually protect us and create a system that is fair for all. A government that is truly of, by, and for the people. All of the injustice in our society was either intentionally created or allowed to go unchecked by our government - due to the stranglehold that the wealthy and powerful have over our legislators. But we can change this. But it will be hard and it is something we must fight for our entire lives. We can never let up, we cannot vote and take a break. This is what I mean by toil. This needs to be our lifestyle. Self care is not a bubble bath. Self care is doing worthwhile things with our time. Toiling for justice in community with others is worthwhile. It’s self care. Our mental and spiritual well being is harmed when we continue to move through life surrounded by suffering that we do not seek to end.
HOW do we do this? We need to first better understand the issues so that we can vote effectively and hold our representatives accountable to do better; to tackle these injustices on our behalf. It’s their job. It’s literally why our American government was created. AND we need to do this in community with others. Toiling in pursuit of justice needs to be a lifestyle and something that we can sustain for the rest of your lives. This is so much easier - and even fun! - in community with others. You can research issues together, go to city council meetings together, gather for brunch and call your state or federal representatives together, knock doors together, visit DC for fun and lobby your representatives on the side. You could all coalesce around a shared issue or everyone in your group leads on what boils their blood the most and you all support each others’ efforts in tackling an issue. Not only is this more fun, more impactful, and more sustainable, I guarantee it will also strengthen your community bond in a world increasingly defined by loneliness.
Alright, if you’ve made it this far, thank you! While you wait for my next episode, I encourage you to do two things:
First, meditate on how you have benefited from luck in your life, even with hard work, what contributed to getting you to where you are today that others did not benefit from? What external factors were outside of your control, but played a part in the outcomes of your life?
Second, think about a community that you can create or an existing one that you can motivate to toil together for justice - as a sustainable lifestyle. How can you toil for justice with this community in a sustainable way so that you don’t burn out? Do you need to cut other things out of your life in order to do this or could you combine activities? For example a monthly dinner with friends becomes an opportunity to go together to the monthly city council meeting followed by dinner.
This is hard work, tiring work, sacrificial work. It can be exhausting and sometimes demoralizing. It requires toiling. But for anyone not worried about where their next meal is coming from or whether they’ll make rent or be able to pay their medical bill, or buy clothing for their children, I believe it is our moral obligation to commit our life to this pursuit. To this toil.
If you want to ensure you hear when new episodes drop, please subscribe to this podcast and drop your email on my website toil4justice.org.
Until next time, my thoughts are with you as you toil.