4/22/2011
In the early 1900’s Tulsa was the oil capital of the world. The black gold fueled the boom of this country. Industry florished, wealth was created, people travelled freely. Roads and buildings were erected everywhere. It was a good time to be American. Here in Tulsa I see many reminders of those golden days. When I see the rusted factories, I think about how grand they must have looked when they were first built. When I see the oil rigs I think to myself how the people back then could never have envisioned our country becoming dependent on foreign oil.
These days, there is still old money in the city. There are plenty of mansions from the days of the oil boom. What strikes me though are the areas where poverty is more than obvious. I ran through a tunnel today that was long, thin, littered, and surrounded by a scent of human excrement. I passed people sleeping on cement which look like they hadn’t bathed in a while. And they seemed thin and hungry. The big cities never fail to produce this trail mix of people. To this day though, I am baffled at how extreme wealth can coexist with extreme poverty. I wonder to myself just how many of these poor were given a chance. I wonder about their backstories. I wonder how many are literate. I wonder, if it was me out there, would anyone give a damn? It’s hard for me to see these human beings and not worry about our society.
I can’t reiterate my point enough. With education we create options. Each mind is capable of millions of thoughts. It just might be the greatest resource on the planet. These minds could be figuring out the next clean alternative energy source. They could be finding the cure to cancer or AIDS. They could be artists or architects constructing eco friendly buildings. When each of the great societies fell, they had stopped progressing. They stopped making themselves stronger. They became soft. Right now many countries are calling America soft. We have the foundation to make sure our society prospers the question is whether or not we will choose to utilize it. The old ways no longer work. We must change the way we think. We must change the way we eat. We must find a passion for compassion.
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