We Talk, You Listen

We Talk, You Listen, Vine Deloria Jr., Macmillan, 1970

In this book, Deloria asserts that a crisis deeper than violence, economic deprivation, and racism is sweeping America. Philosophical concepts are being totally replaced; ne values are coming in to fill the vacuum. The emphasis on the individual is morphing into an, as yet, unrelated definition of people as members of a specific group.

Rather than deal with the problem directly, most people prefer to blame a "gap" between certain parts of society, like the "generation gap." Deloria considers the 60s movements to be based on the emergence of the group as a group. In his view, the emergence of the group and community development is actually a form of neo-tribalism, and that blacks, hippies, Indians, etc., are really a collection of tribes.

The US Constitution was written by people of Western European descent who accepted the philosophy of John Locke plus Protestant religious doctrines of individual salvation. Deloria doesn't advocate rewriting the Constitution, but does suggest tht there should be a place in the framework of the Constitution for aspirations of the group without reference to individualism. Perhaps it's time to change "we the people" to "we the peoples".

The author also suggests that the present roles of profit and non-profit groups, the two main vehicles of human organization, be merged into something like the Community Development Corporation as proposed by CORE, the Congress of Racial Equality. A CDC recognizes that all elected and appointed officials must be answerable to those they serve, which is why there is a residence requirement that only local people can be hired. Also, a corporation would be allowed to expand beyind its original service area to provide services for a noncontiguous area.

Deloria's idea that some sort of group identity, like a tribe, is needed to help solve America's social problems is really interesting and thought-provoking, and just as plausible today as when this book was first published. This one is well worth reading.