"Look at what realists have done for us. They have led us to war and climate change, poverty on an unimaginable scale, and wholesale ecological destruction. Half of humanity goes to bed hungry because of all the realistic leaders in the world. I tell people who call me 'unrealistic' to show me what their realism has done. Realism is an outdated, overplayed and wholly exaggerated concept."
— Satish Kumar
There
are those who say that to actually talk about and work together to
address the root causes of so much suffering in our nation and worldwide
is unrealistic, will scare people away, and simply can't be done. Just get Trump out of there! is the motto and the primary focus. The limitations and impact of the fear that we Americans are indoctrinated into is part of the root problem that keeps us stuck in an unending downward spiral —
fear of each other, fear of change, fear of looking deeply behind the
curtain where a more expansive vision becomes possible. We're told instead that most of Americans are "moderates" and that that is a good thing. After all, the thinking goes, too much change would be too scary. And it's just not possible. So let's just stick with moderation and work over time toward achieving these larger goals.
Yet, how well has this process of moderation worked? Truly, where has moderation gotten us? What has been the cost of our not learning how to follow the money and discern the truthfulness of the messages that we are immersed in? So many of us know that FOX is purely propaganda. But do we also know, see, and understand the limitations of CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and all mainstream media resources whose backing is found within the fossil fuel industry, the military industrial complex, Wall Street, and other large financial interests? There is a huge difference in listening to and viewing independent resources who provide true investigative journalism and report on the powerful rather than for the powerful. Democracy Now! (https://www.democracynow.org/) is one resource which has consistently tied national and global storms, fires, hurricanes, etc. with human caused climate disruption, bringing forth the critial voices of scientists, Indigenous Elders, and others who have long known about the climate and ecological crises and the incredible peril we are in. These same voices are rarely or never heard on the corporate mainstream American media. This has also been tragically true of NPR, a resource so many of us turn to "for the news we can trust." Yet, they along with all of our media whose backing is tied to large financial interests, to one degree or another, have betrayed us. How many of us know this? Certainly more and more of the children worldwide know that we adults have betrayed them. This criminal neglect by our media is only now beginning to shift.
In addition, and speaking to "realism" — and if we are brave enough to listen — what do the 1.4 million children who rallied worldwide a month ago pleading for adults to take strong action regarding the climate and ecological crises think about moderation? What do they have to say about being realistic?
Yet, how well has this process of moderation worked? Truly, where has moderation gotten us? What has been the cost of our not learning how to follow the money and discern the truthfulness of the messages that we are immersed in? So many of us know that FOX is purely propaganda. But do we also know, see, and understand the limitations of CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and all mainstream media resources whose backing is found within the fossil fuel industry, the military industrial complex, Wall Street, and other large financial interests? There is a huge difference in listening to and viewing independent resources who provide true investigative journalism and report on the powerful rather than for the powerful. Democracy Now! (https://www.democracynow.org/) is one resource which has consistently tied national and global storms, fires, hurricanes, etc. with human caused climate disruption, bringing forth the critial voices of scientists, Indigenous Elders, and others who have long known about the climate and ecological crises and the incredible peril we are in. These same voices are rarely or never heard on the corporate mainstream American media. This has also been tragically true of NPR, a resource so many of us turn to "for the news we can trust." Yet, they along with all of our media whose backing is tied to large financial interests, to one degree or another, have betrayed us. How many of us know this? Certainly more and more of the children worldwide know that we adults have betrayed them. This criminal neglect by our media is only now beginning to shift.
In addition, and speaking to "realism" — and if we are brave enough to listen — what do the 1.4 million children who rallied worldwide a month ago pleading for adults to take strong action regarding the climate and ecological crises think about moderation? What do they have to say about being realistic?
Certainly 16 year old Greta Thunberg illuminates what her generation is saying —
that we adults have utterly failed to protect them. And in our process
of standing firmly in moderation and being "realists", these children
are calling us out because their very lives are on the line. For anyone
with access to their hearts and the truth of their message, it is a
terrible indictment on all of us who have been complicit in bringing our
planet to this precipice in which we are in the midst of a sixth major extinction. The kids understand
this. They have the courage to look and see and demand, utterly demand,
that we take long, long overdue action NOW!
Here is Greta's recent speech to EU leaders:
Do
we care? Will we listen? Will we act? If we do and if we will, then
being a "moderate" and a "realist" will become terms that we are no longer willing to
tolerate.
In addition to the fierce courage and truth-telling of Greta Thunberg, here is a message from Dahr Jamail:
In addition to the fierce courage and truth-telling of Greta Thunberg, here is a message from Dahr Jamail:
Dahr
Jamail is an acclaimed author and independent investigative journalist
who spent nearly a decade overseas as an unembedded war reporter. When
he returned to America and renewed his passion for mountaineering, Dahr found that the slopes he had once climbed had been irrevocably changed
by climate disruption. In response, he embarked on a journey to the
geographical front lines of this crisis — from Alaska to Australia’s
Great Barrier Reef, via the Amazon rainforest — in order to discover the
consequences to nature and to humans of the loss of ice. He was also
joined by climate scientists and Indigenous Elders on his journeys. Dahr
Jamail now embodies a passionate
reverence and love for the planet’s Wild Places, cherishing Earth in a way he
had never been able to before. May we listen and act. May the courage, caring,
and consciousness of those such as Greta Thunberg and Dahr Jamail inform and
inspire us all.
*****
"This is a dark time filled with
suffering and uncertainty. Like cells in a larger body, it is natural that we feel the
trauma of our world. So don't be afraid of the anguish you feel, or the anger
or fear, because these responses arise from the depth of your caring and the
truth of your interconnectedness with all beings."
— Joanna Macy
In addition to those who say that moderation is positive, or that we just need anyone but Trump, or that it's Bernie's fault that we have Trump, I am aware that there are those who have expressed that Bernie Sanders and his supporters are "too angry." To that I respond with the wisdom of one of my longtime beloved teachers, Joanna Macy. Our passion and grief and great concern for life on Earth is indeed a reflection of knowing what is at stake. And this quote illuminates what we all need to know:
"Everything that we love is at stake.
Everything."
— Nina Turner
My journey has been ongoing ever since. It also took 9-11 to shake me into a deeper level of awakening and propel me into a new deeper level of truth-seeking that has been growing ever more expansive. The initial inquiry was related to needing to find out why we were attacked because I knew in my deepest self that it wasn't because "they hate our freedoms." But I had no idea what the answer was. And thus opened another doorway that has been leading me to a more in-depth understanding and consciousness of myself, our country, and the world. One Grace-filled gift that I've discovered along the way is that feeding curiosity creates more curiosity that ripples out in all different but interrelated directions. And I found myself again and again asking— what is it like to be You? And I spontaneously began to clasp my hands together and bow to other human beings. In looking more and more deeply, I have also come to increasingly be empowered to discern which resources embody a consistent pattern of truth-telling, of integrity, of reporting on rather than for those in power, and also which nourish my heart and soul and inspire me to grow in love and kindness. This has been a gradual and life changing process of healing my injured instincts, strengthening my heart, expanding my circle of caring, deepening in my spiritual practice, and growing in wisdom, consciousness, and love.
What I have also been learning is that to the degree that other humans, other beings, and our Earth Mother are invisible to us — to the degree that we have disconnected from the Sacred thread that is woven through all of life — that is the degree that we are impaired and simply unable to act in ways which are truly helpful, aware, and loving. We cannot care about what we cannot see, understand, and feel in our bodies, minds, hearts, and souls. I know this through my very humbling experience of once being deeply asleep. There is an imperative that we humans now support one another in awakening.
"What do we need to do to heal our world?
We need to hear within ourselves the sounds of the Earth crying."
— Thich Nhất Hạnh
We are all
connected, all in this together. It is only illusion that tells us otherwise.
Today I am able to hear within myself the sounds of the Earth crying. And my
heart aches that the children of the world are needing to rise up because we
adults haven't. I feel an enormous responsibility to stand with the children and to stand with Life on Earth. Because for decades the research has been clear — we will put most or all life on Earth at risk if we do not develop
renewable resources, transition off fossil fuels, radically transform the way we live, and cultivate and nourish a New Story to live by. Yet, we have not acted.
The 1% have maintained control of the narrative and poisoned us with the criminal neglect of communicating denial or silence related to the climate and ecological crises. And too many of us who comprise the 99% have not been questioning what we are told — or not told. I reflect back to the late 1970's when then President Carter put solar panels on the White House because the science was in — global warming is an existential threat to life on Earth. And, again, what has changed since then? Reagan came along and took down the panels in 1981. And now look where we're at today, 40 years after Jimmy Carter's solar panels were put up — we are facing the possible or likely extinction of most life on Earth by 2100. We can't expect to continue to kill off 200 species daily without putting our own species at extreme risk.
It is time that we face this head on. We have failed our children. We have betrayed rather than held in reverence life on Earth. To one degree or another, many of us have disconnected with the Web of Life and from our Sacred Earth Mother with catastrophic consequences. Already there are an estimated 3 degrees Celsius baked in and, without a profound miracle, this cannot be removed. The courageous and wise Greta Thunberg is absolutely spot on when she says that we are faced with an extraordinary ecological crisis and climate crisis. Yet there are still those who say we just need in indict Trump and get another Democratic moderate in the White House. We all need to learn about what a "moderate" and "realist" is — and refuse to be one.
Instead we need to rise up and demand the radical changes that are needed to save ourselves and our planet. The eyes of the children of the world are watching.
The 1% have maintained control of the narrative and poisoned us with the criminal neglect of communicating denial or silence related to the climate and ecological crises. And too many of us who comprise the 99% have not been questioning what we are told — or not told. I reflect back to the late 1970's when then President Carter put solar panels on the White House because the science was in — global warming is an existential threat to life on Earth. And, again, what has changed since then? Reagan came along and took down the panels in 1981. And now look where we're at today, 40 years after Jimmy Carter's solar panels were put up — we are facing the possible or likely extinction of most life on Earth by 2100. We can't expect to continue to kill off 200 species daily without putting our own species at extreme risk.
It is time that we face this head on. We have failed our children. We have betrayed rather than held in reverence life on Earth. To one degree or another, many of us have disconnected with the Web of Life and from our Sacred Earth Mother with catastrophic consequences. Already there are an estimated 3 degrees Celsius baked in and, without a profound miracle, this cannot be removed. The courageous and wise Greta Thunberg is absolutely spot on when she says that we are faced with an extraordinary ecological crisis and climate crisis. Yet there are still those who say we just need in indict Trump and get another Democratic moderate in the White House. We all need to learn about what a "moderate" and "realist" is — and refuse to be one.
Instead we need to rise up and demand the radical changes that are needed to save ourselves and our planet. The eyes of the children of the world are watching.
Bless
us all, no exceptions,
Molly
Please
go here for Part I:
Part III will follow.
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