"We stand now where two roads diverge. But unlike the roads in Robert Frost's familiar poem, they are not equally fair. The road we have long been traveling is deceptively easy, a smooth superhighway on which we progress with great speed, but at its end lies disaster. The other fork of the road — the one less traveled by — offers our last, our only chance to reach a destination that assures the preservation of the Earth."
— Rachel Carson
We Are All In This Together,
We Are Each Responsible For Doing Our Part
Different
conversations, concerns, and experiences are moving me to write and
share my thoughts today coupled with a respectful request from each and
every one of us that I am hoping you will consider. So many Americans,
and people worldwide, are deeply concerned about the direction of our
country and the policies and actions of our government. And these
concerns are not just coming from those who identify as liberals,
democrats, and progressives. These concerns are also emerging more and
more from those who voted for Donald Trump in the last election.
I
hear many among us who are wondering that with a field of 20 potential
candidates standing up to oppose Mr. Trump, who shall they support? That
is an excellent and deeply important question. And this question also
illuminates the importance that we do our homework, research deeply,
discern which resources we can trust for our information and which we
can't, learn about and clarify candidates patterns and policies, and then vote. AND that's not all.
There is also a tremendous need for each of us to assume responsibility for who it is that will be selected to stand up to oppose the current President of the United States and ultimately win the next election. This election is also about much more than the one person who will be our next president. It is about each of us getting involved and taking action. We truly are all in this together. And we are each responsible for doing our part, which includes much, much more than simply voting. We each have a unique role to play, which brings us to the next vital question — what is it that we (you and me and everyone) can do to bring about the big changes that are so urgently needed? What is my part? What is your part? What are these changes that are so long overdue and deeply needed today? Unless you're among those who are deathly ill, living in a tent and barely surviving, immersed some great trauma or loss, then the part for us (you and me and everyone) is again much greater than voting alone. What will you do? What actions will you take as though the lives of your children or grandchildren and all children everywhere depend upon them? — because they do.
There is also a tremendous need for each of us to assume responsibility for who it is that will be selected to stand up to oppose the current President of the United States and ultimately win the next election. This election is also about much more than the one person who will be our next president. It is about each of us getting involved and taking action. We truly are all in this together. And we are each responsible for doing our part, which includes much, much more than simply voting. We each have a unique role to play, which brings us to the next vital question — what is it that we (you and me and everyone) can do to bring about the big changes that are so urgently needed? What is my part? What is your part? What are these changes that are so long overdue and deeply needed today? Unless you're among those who are deathly ill, living in a tent and barely surviving, immersed some great trauma or loss, then the part for us (you and me and everyone) is again much greater than voting alone. What will you do? What actions will you take as though the lives of your children or grandchildren and all children everywhere depend upon them? — because they do.
In
the bigger picture, it is my sense is that we humans share much more in
common than not regarding the issues, needs, and values we hold dear.
The propaganda of polarization that the powerful continuously spew would
have us adopt belief systems that we are all so different and wanting
different things. I believe that that is among the Big Lies that have
long permeated our culture. This is the divide and conquer strategy of
dehumanization and distraction that is used by those in power with devastating
consequences to us all. And we are suffering an epidemic of such lies
today. The antidote is dispelling those lies with the truth,
consciousness, and wisdom of the larger picture of our
interconnection and the vastness of all that we humans share in
common. Few things are more important in these dangerous times than coming together as we rather than me.
*****
These
are some of the commonalities that I see in us as human beings, and
especially as we take steps to increase our consciousness and our
capacity for courage, caring, connection, and change:
It is my belief that most or all of us would like to get the Dark Money — from Wall Street, the fossil fuel industry, the military industrial complex, the pharmaceutical industry, the prison industrial complex, and other large financial interests — out
of our political system so that people in positions of political power
will represent the people and the planet rather than the powerful. We
want to see our elected officials representing us and not their
corporate donors. After all, it is supposed to be a government of, by,
and for the people. We have yet to realize that vision. Connected with
this is the likelihood that we as a people want to see Citizens United
overturned. Corporations are NOT people! And I’m sure that we all want
to have clean water and air and a habitable planet. I also believe that
in our deepest hearts that none of us are okay with any child anywhere
going hungry, and especially given that there is enough food to
feed all children in our country and all of Earth's peoples everywhere. I’m guessing that we also very
much want to see an end to the poisoning of our Earth and a transition
to renewable energy resources, and especially as we come to understand
our warming climate, the impact of fossil fuels on the viability of a
habitable planet, and how many wars are waged not to spread democracy,
but rather to claim access to and control over fossil fuel resources. I
also believe that we all want to see an end to endless war.
In
addition, I believe that most Americans want to see a complete overhaul
of our economic and taxation systems so that crushing poverty and
suffering will be ended. We understand that it is madness for three
families to own as much wealth as half of our nation and for the largest
corporations to pay zero in taxes. I believe it likely that as a people
we want to see everyone have ready access to employment, and that this
includes being paid a livable wage. I
also believe that we want to see Social Security and Medicare
protected, healthcare for all provided, and affordable childcare and
continued education available for all children.
We are also a caring people who want to see Native Americans and African Americans and all
people of color treated with dignity and respect, and we want to end the
crushing poverty and injustice directed at the Blacks and Indigenous Peoples and others.
Most of us are aware of the racism, oppression, and violence that has plagued our nation since the earliest days of slavery and the genocide of the Indigenous Peoples. We see the atrocities and violence that is rooted in antisemitism, Islamophobia, and on and on. And, if we are not conscious of what has and is happening, once aware we would want to see an end to the profound injustices that have yet to be owned and addressed. I believe that most of us care about the suffering and inhumane and brutal treatment of immigrants and refugees, and that we want to see humane systems in place that protect and respect all life. I’m also believing that in our deepest selves, we humans deeply desire a major shift in how we treat one another, replacing the extreme polarization, disparagement, and dehumanization that has become epidemic in our nation with a sense of community and that we’re all in this together. Many of us recognize the fear, ignorance, and violence that results from the dehumanization of the "other" and yearn for a Caring Revolution that embodies a focus on we rather than me or us versus them.
Most of us are aware of the racism, oppression, and violence that has plagued our nation since the earliest days of slavery and the genocide of the Indigenous Peoples. We see the atrocities and violence that is rooted in antisemitism, Islamophobia, and on and on. And, if we are not conscious of what has and is happening, once aware we would want to see an end to the profound injustices that have yet to be owned and addressed. I believe that most of us care about the suffering and inhumane and brutal treatment of immigrants and refugees, and that we want to see humane systems in place that protect and respect all life. I’m also believing that in our deepest selves, we humans deeply desire a major shift in how we treat one another, replacing the extreme polarization, disparagement, and dehumanization that has become epidemic in our nation with a sense of community and that we’re all in this together. Many of us recognize the fear, ignorance, and violence that results from the dehumanization of the "other" and yearn for a Caring Revolution that embodies a focus on we rather than me or us versus them.
Of course, I am absolutely
certain that most of us desperately want to see Trump defeated in 2020.
We recognize the great harm that is occurring not just to our nation,
but to life on Earth. And we are frightened and outraged. However, it is
my belief that the national obsession and focus on Trump — very much which is exemplified in the corporate mainstream media —
has done so at the cost of ignoring all the other interrelated issues
which also cause deep harm and are in urgent need of being seen and
addressed. This intense and often single focus on Trump alone and his enablers to the exclusion
of what else is happening in our nation and globally is yet one more
piece of what has brought us to this place of national and planetary
crisis. There is an urgent need, I believe, for us all to courageously explore, research, and open up to a more expansive vista from which to see and experience ourselves and our world.
Many of us in our lifetimes have experienced some degree of disconnect from the web of life and our conscious awareness that the suffering or joy of others is also ours. We're taught to focus on soundbites, the Mueller investigation, the latest horror and heartbreak, the slogan "anyone but Trump," and may struggle with having awareness of a much bigger picture than Trump alone. What I have come to learn is that the man who currently sits in the Oval Office did not fall from the sky, but is rather a symptom of the road our nation has been on for a very long time. There are many, many factors that brought us this end game — this man who is the most dangerous president that our nation has ever seen. What is happening in these times that threatens all of us is also much bigger than Mr. Trump and his administration. I believe that it is deeply important that we bravely work to understand, see, and transform the root causes of why we are where we are at today as a nation and as a planetary community. It is actually long overdue that we work together to recognize and treat more than the symptom, but rather the depth of the root causes of what brought us Trump and what has brought us to this place where the lives of our children and grandchildren are at great risk. Without consciousness of this greater web, the cycle of all that has long been the root cause of so much suffering, death, and destruction will continue no matter who sits in the White House.
So the problem with "anyone but Trump" and the mindset of "better than Trump" is that we're both setting an exceptionally low bar and we're missing what is most essential for us individually and collectively to see. We remain disconnected and our vision impaired. And without awareness of the much larger problem that both includes Trump and all that brought us Trump is that we miss the great opportunity before us to see and understand the solution. And then we even become vulnerable to being completely distracted from essential truths and instead blaming Bernie Sanders or his supporters for bringing us Trump. And in this process we miss learning the critical lessons from the last election and beyond. It is my belief that there is a deep need for each of us to grow in curiosity and courage and mindfulness so that we become a more resilient and wise people. With a passion for truth, we become increasingly empowered to see and resist the forces of distraction and denial and instead are more likely to stand up to the dangerous spin of the powerful and to hold them accountable and call them out rather than being complicit in perpetuating the lies of the status quo or the messages that keep us all stuck on the suicidal path we've all been on for decades.
Please also know that I share all this with the deep humility of someone who has been totally blinded by my own indoctrination, ignorance, and illusions. My own process of questioning and discerning, of owning my triggers and responding more skillfully, of awakening to the greater wholeness of who I am is very much ongoing. So, as I can speak to another alcoholic with understanding and compassion because I am a recovering alcoholic myself, I can also speak to ignorance and how we are all vulnerable to being pulled into false and harmful belief systems. This is part of what it is to be human. And our journey is also one of being a soul having a human experience. And we can all support one another along the way. And we can honor the truth by speaking it. If we're alive and breathing, there is always opportunity to continuously grow into the greater wisdom of our souls.
My own ongoing process of awakening leads me each day to greater conscious awareness. This has certainly been true in my understanding of what actually "tanked" the last election. I have found that the answers are many layered and interrelated. Among them is 40 years of neoliberalism that has poisoned our political system, our media, our nation and planet, and disillusioned so many potential voters who chose to stay home rather than vote. (Please go here for my most recent blog post on neoliberalism and watch Part I of the video series: http://mollystrongheart.blogspot.com/2018/12/we-live-in-world-that-has-been.html.)
In his latest excellent documentary, Michael Moore also addressed some of the tragedy behind why so many who voted for Obama became deeply disillusioned with Obama and the power structures and betrayals of our political system and did not vote. (Please go here for the trailer if you've missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRQv9xMQ3E0.) In addition, there’s the electoral college and voter suppression and disenfranchisement. And there were the influences of Russia, misogyny, racism, right wing propaganda, ignorance and brainwashing, DNC propaganda and the corporate Democrats actions to crush Bernie Sanders, the corporate media’s spin and complicity and near blackout in reporting about Senator Sanders, the DNC’s insistence on putting forth a “moderate” who would continue the status quo and whose record on policies was deeply flawed and disturbing, and on and on. There are many layers of what brought us Trump, some of which go back decades.
*****
"Humankind
has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it.
Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound
together. All things connect." — Chief Seattle
Many of us in our lifetimes have experienced some degree of disconnect from the web of life and our conscious awareness that the suffering or joy of others is also ours. We're taught to focus on soundbites, the Mueller investigation, the latest horror and heartbreak, the slogan "anyone but Trump," and may struggle with having awareness of a much bigger picture than Trump alone. What I have come to learn is that the man who currently sits in the Oval Office did not fall from the sky, but is rather a symptom of the road our nation has been on for a very long time. There are many, many factors that brought us this end game — this man who is the most dangerous president that our nation has ever seen. What is happening in these times that threatens all of us is also much bigger than Mr. Trump and his administration. I believe that it is deeply important that we bravely work to understand, see, and transform the root causes of why we are where we are at today as a nation and as a planetary community. It is actually long overdue that we work together to recognize and treat more than the symptom, but rather the depth of the root causes of what brought us Trump and what has brought us to this place where the lives of our children and grandchildren are at great risk. Without consciousness of this greater web, the cycle of all that has long been the root cause of so much suffering, death, and destruction will continue no matter who sits in the White House.
So the problem with "anyone but Trump" and the mindset of "better than Trump" is that we're both setting an exceptionally low bar and we're missing what is most essential for us individually and collectively to see. We remain disconnected and our vision impaired. And without awareness of the much larger problem that both includes Trump and all that brought us Trump is that we miss the great opportunity before us to see and understand the solution. And then we even become vulnerable to being completely distracted from essential truths and instead blaming Bernie Sanders or his supporters for bringing us Trump. And in this process we miss learning the critical lessons from the last election and beyond. It is my belief that there is a deep need for each of us to grow in curiosity and courage and mindfulness so that we become a more resilient and wise people. With a passion for truth, we become increasingly empowered to see and resist the forces of distraction and denial and instead are more likely to stand up to the dangerous spin of the powerful and to hold them accountable and call them out rather than being complicit in perpetuating the lies of the status quo or the messages that keep us all stuck on the suicidal path we've all been on for decades.
Please also know that I share all this with the deep humility of someone who has been totally blinded by my own indoctrination, ignorance, and illusions. My own process of questioning and discerning, of owning my triggers and responding more skillfully, of awakening to the greater wholeness of who I am is very much ongoing. So, as I can speak to another alcoholic with understanding and compassion because I am a recovering alcoholic myself, I can also speak to ignorance and how we are all vulnerable to being pulled into false and harmful belief systems. This is part of what it is to be human. And our journey is also one of being a soul having a human experience. And we can all support one another along the way. And we can honor the truth by speaking it. If we're alive and breathing, there is always opportunity to continuously grow into the greater wisdom of our souls.
*****
My own ongoing process of awakening leads me each day to greater conscious awareness. This has certainly been true in my understanding of what actually "tanked" the last election. I have found that the answers are many layered and interrelated. Among them is 40 years of neoliberalism that has poisoned our political system, our media, our nation and planet, and disillusioned so many potential voters who chose to stay home rather than vote. (Please go here for my most recent blog post on neoliberalism and watch Part I of the video series: http://mollystrongheart.blogspot.com/2018/12/we-live-in-world-that-has-been.html.)
In his latest excellent documentary, Michael Moore also addressed some of the tragedy behind why so many who voted for Obama became deeply disillusioned with Obama and the power structures and betrayals of our political system and did not vote. (Please go here for the trailer if you've missed it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRQv9xMQ3E0.) In addition, there’s the electoral college and voter suppression and disenfranchisement. And there were the influences of Russia, misogyny, racism, right wing propaganda, ignorance and brainwashing, DNC propaganda and the corporate Democrats actions to crush Bernie Sanders, the corporate media’s spin and complicity and near blackout in reporting about Senator Sanders, the DNC’s insistence on putting forth a “moderate” who would continue the status quo and whose record on policies was deeply flawed and disturbing, and on and on. There are many layers of what brought us Trump, some of which go back decades.
So these
and other issues are not separate but rather are all woven together in a
great tapestry which brings to us in vivid color what it is that is working and what it is that is absolutely not working — and
hasn't been working for a very long time. We need to recognize the
large financial power structures that are behind those who want us to believe "anyone
but Trump" and that the low bar of "better than Trump" is acceptable.
These corporate interests tell us to shut up! and not expose the truth about any potential candidate's corporate ties. We are to shut up and definitely not follow the money. We are to be loyal to the Democratic Party — the old guard of corporate democrats — and to not "disparage" anyone who is plans to challenge Trump. (This is code for don't speak the truth or do anything that would threaten the enormous financial interests which have completely taken over the Republican Party and most of the Democratic Party. Although that is changing!) We are to speak for the powerful rather than hold the powerful accountable. This old story completely misses the larger picture that this exact
belief system is part of what puts us at the greatest risk of ushering in
another horrifying four more years of this profoundly dangerous demagogue.
At the same time, we are fed information that we Americans are supposed to care only about issue A, B, or C, which completely misses the truth that our individual and collective hearts, minds, spirits and souls are big enough to contain it all. We can Think Big and work together to address all the interlocking pieces of what is the root of our national and global trauma and peril. We can work together as a national and planetary community to expose and transform all that threatens us — which, again, is so much more than Mr. Trump alone. Each and every one of us can commit to exploring what is our part in the unfolding Great Awakening? What will we do (me and you and all of us)? How will we grow wise, informed, and conscious enough to know which road we are choosing?, and especially given the critical nature of the crossroads we are at? We are indeed standing now where two roads diverge and our choices and the ripples we create with our choices matter. They matter greatly.
In the process of increasingly connecting with the wisdom of our greater Selves and the Web of Life, we come to know that it is not possible to extract one issue and focus on it without focusing on all the others, too. There is a connecting thread that weaves together the trajectory that we have been experiencing over time, linking together all of the above issues and beyond into one big Whole — the Whole of our planetary existence together and whether or not we are caring for ourselves, each other, and our planet. Riane Eisler, author of the internationally renown and life changing book The Chalice and the Blade (https://rianeeisler.com/the-chalice-the-blade-highlights-of-international-impact/) and many other books, brilliantly and masterfully speaks to this when she talks about Dominator Culture and Partnership Culture. (Please go here for an excellent article about breaking out of the domination trance: https://www.kosmosjournal.org/kj_article/breaking-out-of-the-domination-trance-building-foundations-for-a-safe-equitable-caring-world/.) And, of course, Indigenous Peoples worldwide have always known and honored the Web of Life. To our great and tragic peril, we have ignored the wisdom of Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples worldwide for far too long.
It is time to choose the road less traveled. There is no time left to do otherwise if we are to take the actions needed to preserve our Earth.
At the same time, we are fed information that we Americans are supposed to care only about issue A, B, or C, which completely misses the truth that our individual and collective hearts, minds, spirits and souls are big enough to contain it all. We can Think Big and work together to address all the interlocking pieces of what is the root of our national and global trauma and peril. We can work together as a national and planetary community to expose and transform all that threatens us — which, again, is so much more than Mr. Trump alone. Each and every one of us can commit to exploring what is our part in the unfolding Great Awakening? What will we do (me and you and all of us)? How will we grow wise, informed, and conscious enough to know which road we are choosing?, and especially given the critical nature of the crossroads we are at? We are indeed standing now where two roads diverge and our choices and the ripples we create with our choices matter. They matter greatly.
In the process of increasingly connecting with the wisdom of our greater Selves and the Web of Life, we come to know that it is not possible to extract one issue and focus on it without focusing on all the others, too. There is a connecting thread that weaves together the trajectory that we have been experiencing over time, linking together all of the above issues and beyond into one big Whole — the Whole of our planetary existence together and whether or not we are caring for ourselves, each other, and our planet. Riane Eisler, author of the internationally renown and life changing book The Chalice and the Blade (https://rianeeisler.com/the-chalice-the-blade-highlights-of-international-impact/) and many other books, brilliantly and masterfully speaks to this when she talks about Dominator Culture and Partnership Culture. (Please go here for an excellent article about breaking out of the domination trance: https://www.kosmosjournal.org/kj_article/breaking-out-of-the-domination-trance-building-foundations-for-a-safe-equitable-caring-world/.) And, of course, Indigenous Peoples worldwide have always known and honored the Web of Life. To our great and tragic peril, we have ignored the wisdom of Native Americans and Indigenous Peoples worldwide for far too long.
It is time to choose the road less traveled. There is no time left to do otherwise if we are to take the actions needed to preserve our Earth.
Bless us all,
Molly
❤
*****
Please go here for Part II:
https://mollystrongheart.blogspot.com/2019/05/part-ii-reflections-and-request.html
Please go here for Part III:
https://mollystrongheart.blogspot.com/2019/05/part-ii-reflections-and-request.html
Please go here for Part III:
