As President Obama reminds us, our body politic is infected with a serious contagion. Symptoms of the pandemic include:

• Constriction of nerve pathways in the frontal lobe
• Frothing at the mouth
• Narcissism
• Verbal diarrhea
• Excruciating, non-localized distress
• Weak, halting production of liquidity
• Hallucinatory investing
• Loss of self-esteem
• Damaged relationships
  
• Aggressive behavior toward others
• War
• Potential for economic and social collapse

The infectious agent has been traced to a virulent form of apathy, one that has acquired the potential for hereditary transmission among hosts. It is life-threatening, chronic and fatal to democracies and their citizens. If not eradicated, the prognosis is a 60% chance for anarchy, aggressive competition for increasingly scarce resources, spreading regional conflicts and, eventually, global catastrophe.

But wait. Hope abides as long as we have breath in our bodies. The proof is in this video, which admittedly starts a little slow and lame, but finishes stronger than you can imagine:



The cure is in us. It is us.

We are the antibodies of humanity. Long dormant, we are called into service at this critical moment. We have much work to do:

• Visiting the sick, the incarcerated and the aged
• Connecting the poor with affordable housing
• Creating Neighborhood Watch programs
• Helping at food pantries
• Planting victory gardens in the backyard or in municipal spaces
• Disposing of reusable goods through Goodwill Industries or similar charities
• Mentoring a youth
• Coaching after-school sports
• Volunteering at a hospital, clinic or day-care facility

The list goes on, but only with your help. Your assignment here is to add to my list and reinforce it with links to the appropriate organizations.

Are you up to the price of citizenship? Are you willing to be an antibody for change? Are you ready to respond to the "fierce urgency of now" with more than words? Are you ready to literally make history?

Calling all antibodies. ...