Protests in the streets; Suspicion of arson in Alabama as wildfires rage out of control; Spikes in gun sales. Activists in other countries, and our own considering boycotts of any iconic goods or services associated with those assuming unbridled power.
Calls for civility, as if politeness alone can quell the pent-up frustrations we feel within and around us. I too favor civility over expressions of in-your-face rage, but I suspect we need to go far deeper to heal the wounds in our society if we are to avert a civil war.
We need to listen deeply to those whose views & fears are different than our own, while still not buying into any racism, sexism, classism, or categorical dismissal of the rights of others to live as neighbors.
We need to speak truth to power, but also persuasively move the powers that be toward offering greater equity & care for the marginalized in the human & natural world.
We cannot afford to throw in the towel & pick up the gun.
We need to grasp hands with others wherever we find common ground & heal the wounds that keep us from daily collaborating with one another. It is always easier to pout or shout than to focus on the hard work of forging longer-term solutions.
If we needed one more wake-up call that such hard work matters now more than ever before, 11/9 is trying to shake us & wake us so that we get out of bed & out of dread.
PS: I love each & every one of you who read & respond to these humble offerings with your own thoughts & values. You are the reason I get out of bed in the morning & put one foot before the other!
Brother Coyote, OEF
