Friends, I know many of you are tired, struggling, trying to navigate this new world as best you can when almost everything has been upended.
However, the world is re-configuring around us and all caring people who have even a tiny bit of bandwidth need to GET IN THE GAME NOW.
American is not immune to the atrocities and authoritarian regimes which have poisoned other countries. Some of the parallels between what is happening in America today and what happened in Germany in the 1930s are disturbingly similar (watch The Rise of the Nazis on PBS to see for yourself).
If you’ve been paying close attention to history (not the sanitized and biased version we got in public schools, and not the fantasy-version that is being made-up and perpetuated as truth with almost no evidence to back it up), you’ll know we have been marching down this road for a while now.
There are plenty of atrocities that have actually happened. It’s important to educate ourselves about our history, in fact it’s an imperative foundation of true change. However, please be discriminating with your sources. I see many people becoming radicalized by accepting dubious information without question, and then falling into confirmation bias.
Watch Trial of the Chicago 7 on Netflix to see just one horrifying version of ordinary citizens being targeted, scapegoated and bullied by the system which is sworn to protect them. 13th, When They See Us and Selma are other must-sees.
Many people have been sharing resources on how to educate yourself on the horrible history of racism, sexism and speciesism in America.
Read about what is happening right now to whistle-blower Rebekah Jones in Florida. Guns are being pointed at her and her small children by government officials because she refuses to lie. This is happening in America today. This could be you and your family.
Here is the most important part: Whatever most upsets you, DO SOMETHING.
Take action. Write a letter to your representatives, ask for a meeting with leaders in your community, start a neighborhood, group, raise money, write something, don’t turn away and pretend all this will solve itself, run for office. There are unlimited ways to be involved but we need your voice.
This time will go down in the history books. We are re-writing the course of America and therefore the world, right now.
What do you want to tell your kids and grand-kids about how you showed up?
It is hard to change behavior. I know. It’s easier to to sit back and believe it’s not that bad. Let someone else handle it. But Superman is not coming. YOU are the superwoman and superman we need.
Please fluff up your cape and get in the game. I am doing all of the things I mentioned above (except running for office) so I am walking this talk.
To be clear, this is not about demonizing one ‘side.’ Demonizing is not an effective strategy. It tends to be an immature approach which allows us to feel morally superior but which accomplishes little and can actually make things worse.
A wiser approach is to consider WHY people feel the way they do and keep that in mind when contemplating solutions. In Buddhism we ask about the ’causes and conditions’ which led to the current circumstances.
This doesn’t mean that we need to tolerate behavior we find abhorrent. This is the tricky part about navigating these times. But if we choose to set boundaries or to speak our truth to another, do so without hate in our heart.
Understanding is important. Finding ways to connect is important. But at the same time, making it crystal clear that certain actions will not be tolerated is also vitally important. I see many people in the spiritual community hiding behind not wanting to judge, or even worse, resorting to name-calling.
Reactive, habitual, mindless judging is usually problematic. Action taken out of a reasoned, wise discernment with the intention of being of service to the greater good is absolutely what the world needs right now.
I would hope there are certain actions that the vast majority of people would condemn; our own government pointing guns in the faces of little children (as in the Rebekah Jones case above) or attacking someone simply because of the color of his/her skin are just 2 examples on which I would think all decent humans could agree.
I know everyone likes to look back in history and think they would be the brave hero saving the slaves or saving the Jews. Well here is your chance to prove what you’re made of.
What are you willing to do? Let us know in the comments.
One thing you can do, which costs you absolutely nothing, is to join my veganuary group. If you’re not on Facebook, you can join the UK group directly by signing up here.
What does this have to do with peace and justice? Each time you take animal products off your plate, you are exercising your compassion muscle and taking a stand for a better world for all beings, and a healthier world for you. You’re considering something greater than yourself.
Come to be inspired and explore.
Yours in hope for a better future,
Erin
