Pushing Against The Status Quo

Pushing against the status quo always has its consequences. Some are bigger and more profound than others but you can pretty much count on something happening when you begin and continue that push. It's almost a natural phenomena perhaps founded in physics itself. But it's not just physics. Its sociology. It's political theory. You push, I stay put. You keep pushing, eventually I push back - and so it goes, sometimes leading to winners, losers or all out war.

I've seen a lot of it lately.

The folks putting pressure on state and local government, law enforcement, a private corporation and the courts relative to gas storage in salt caverns in and around Seneca Lake. These folks are pushing the status quo that says everyone's expected to be good, follow what government officials say and certainly obey the law. Their pushing has led to arrests, some seemingly poor and unfair treatment by officials and the town court, and by the old "outsider" and "rebel rouser" charge. I respect their push. I think it bodes well for democracy, debate and education about the environment.

We've seen the push in the film Selma. A director and cast told a story about a historical event with great meaning and significance, They pushed. The push back we saw was a bit unseemly. Loyalists to President Lyndon Johnson turned an important discussion that should have occurred about voting rights and the continuation of injustice fifty years later into a discussion about Johnson's legacy. A disservice to everyone but pushback to be sure.

Locally, a potential merger of two non-profits, something that was viewed as a very positive and visionary step, came to an end abruptly. The sense I got was that one of the potential partners was pushing very hard for change while the other wanted to cling to what was comfortable. Push and push back with little accommodation or thought for long term consequences of these actions. All the result of an attack on the status quo I think.

We also can't forget the people marching in the streets of Ferguson, NYC and across the country. People who are sick of the status quo of black lives being lost in the streets under questionable circumstances. The push back is swift. Questioning bad policing is presented as an attack on all policeman. Backs are turned on a mayor who states an obvious truth - that he has to have a conversation with his black son about being careful if confronted by the police.

So it goes. Sometimes we think conversations or positions are simple and that there are things that need to be said. Sometimes we are very well aware of the fact that we're pushing the status quo and sometimes we think we're just having a simple and logical conversation. But sometimes we're pushing against the status quo and we shouldn't be surprised when it pushes back. Keep on pushing.