The Republican speakers reiterated over and over again, "We don't want a village to raise a child, we want a family to raise a child" - attempting to misconstrue this concept to advance their patriarchal (nuclear) "family values" agenda.
I found it really shocking that they thought people would buy into this deliberate and, I believe, cynical misrepresentation of this concept. What an obvious and perverse attempt at denial of the fact that, of course, we are all one family - not only humans, but all species.
What an insult to the intelligence of even those they're courting as their constituency. It's obvious, or should be, to anyone that it takes everyone - all beings - to fully raise and nurture a child - especially if the child is to have any hope of experiencing the quality of life which is the birth-right of all beings.
Is this a denigrating or minimizing of the important role and responsibility of the nuclear family? Of course not. It simply means we're all - all beings - inextricably connected - and needed - to insure sustained survival of all life.
Contrary to the proclamation of the Republican leaders - it does take a village - it takes us all - working together to raise a child.
And it is true of the MEC, too. The MEC is one of the many places we can come together to put forth our best efforts to insure the sustained survival of our children and all beings. It takes us all doing and contributing whatever we can to sustain the MEC as a place that supports and enhances the preservation into perpetuity of our life support system.
Get involved; share your time; contribute what you can! The MEC relies on your financial support and your participation. And, in fact, the MEC does not exist absent your involvement.
Indeed, it does take a village, and we, together with all species, are that village.
Copyright Mendocino Environmental Center 1996
Permission granted to excerpt or use this article if source is cited