Nothing Less Will Do

Native peoples and environmentalists celebrated this week as a judge ruled that the Dakota Access Pipeline should be shut down pending a full impact review. The Atlantic Coast Pipeline has been cancelled and the Keystone XL Pipeline was stalled again in court. In addition, public pressure on a Washington, DC football team is forcing them to remove their racist name. Finally.

“Take your knee from my neck” is the silent and not so silent sentiment among people no longer willing to suffer senseless inhumanity.

While monuments of bronze and granite are being toppled, it is the ideals of colonialism and capitalism that are being unraveled. We are learning the torturous costs of building empire and the dismantling of it is long overdue.

Goliath does not go down without a fight, but the battle will not be won on his terms. The battle is won by conviction and the knowledge that there are better ways to coexist.

We do not have to fear this transformation. We have explored the brutal side of humanity; now let us lead with kindness and respect.

In these uncertain times, the certainty is this: to the people who have fought tirelessly for water and the earth; for those who honor their ancestry with a will to do more than endure; and for the ones who recognize that humanity is far greater than we have ever allowed it to be – this is our time.

Mainstream politics may not reflect it. Some religion may fight to conceal it, but this resurgence will not be stopped.

The strength and the resiliancy of our communities will be reflected by how we care for one another, how we listen to one another and how we honor one another. Nothing less will do.

 

Photo taken at Oceti Sakowin camp. My time in the camp continues to inspire and direct my course. Water is Life.

Compassion Demands It

Circumstances have a way of teaching us who we are. Earlier this week ten chicks were hatched and the mother seemed stellar. But overnight she had pecked one of the chicks and it was nearly dead. I took it in and gave it water, warmed it and watched it revive. Two days went by, the chick strengthened and I thought, “let’s try”. Mom and babes were on a walk-about and I let the chick join in. All seemed fine, so I left for a short time. When I returned, there was the chick, pecked and disheveled in the dirt. I picked it up and this time it was much worse.

I couldn’t wrap my head around why. Sure, she may have sensed something about this chick that I could not see, but regardless of the why, the hen was being true to her nature…and so was I.

Compassion is a brilliant part of being human. It enlivens our heart and keeps us present to life.

Defund the policeversus keep the police just as they are, is the hot debate of the day. And if you follow the logic that says human nature is bad, then you are probably all in for militarized police.

But humanity is not single sided and if there is bad in us, there is also good. We have tried punitive measures. They have not worked. They have been used to harm people and surely they have brought harm to the men and women who wear the badge. What is being asked of us is to consider new approaches that could bring better results for everyone.

It may not be a smooth transition to restorative justice and community policing, but it is the path before us. Wisdom would say we should try. Compassion demands it.

 

Thanks to WDRT 91.9 Driftless Community Radio for continuing to air “Consider This” every Thursday 5:30 pm CD.T

 

Humanity Rising

Apparently evolution is a slow process. A few hundred years ago, some people decided to break free of King George, and declared: all men are created equal. This was a great ideal for a new beginning. But then they were slammed by their own ignorance of how to treat “others”. We may have left the king behind, but we carried the imperial desires of conquest and greed into this new land.

Later, we helped defeat the Nazis, but we ignore the fact that they took a page from the United States’ playbook on how to systematically eradicate people. Our history taught the Nazis. Think on that.

Caught in the lies and the shame of it all, we have allowed ‘ole time religion and crooked politics to morph into the travesty we now call leadership.

But there is this positive note: many of the descendants of the people who were brutalized by the Doctrine of Discovery and of those who were enslaved to build this country, have never given up. We should be grateful for their strength and for their effort. We should stop hiding our shame behind militarized police and stop supporting the corporate kings, who now rule the land.

We should be grateful: for the constant reminders of what it means to love the land; grateful for the resilience of those who choose to triumph with love instead of fear; and grateful for the opportunity to make it right this time.

It is a beautiful land and it needs to be preserved. And yes, we are all created equal and with the unalienable right to Happiness. In spite of all the violence and the struggle for justice, there are those who still remember we are one race.

For that I am grateful.

Dear Graduate

Dear Graduate,

You are alive. You live in a most exciting time. You live at a crossroads in humanity and choices are very clear. You can continue to plug away at the dying systems you see floundering around you or you can reimagine and recreate something new and better for yourself and those who come after you.

To do this you must take stock of your strengths and your passions. You are alive. You hold within you great seeds of possibility that are yours and yours alone. There has never been another you. Cherish that. Honor the seed of your becoming and let it grow. Nourish it with kindness and respect. Allow wonder and remain a student of Life, regardless of what comes.

Give of yourself. Volunteer. Plant a tree. Tend a garden.  There is so much awaiting your loving touch.

And allow your cup to be filled. Accept kindness. It comes from strength not weakness.  Hone your gifts of humility, hope and courage. They will remain your steadfast friends throughout your life.

Do not curse your time, nor accept curses of others. You have potentials that have yet to be tapped waiting for you. Carry on.

And to those who fear for them: your fears are your own to unwind and discard. Do not pass the baton of fear. Systems crumble but from their ashes the phoenix rise. Do not doubt that something better can emerge from this unsettling time. It is never too late to reconcile errors of the past and make way for a better tomorrow. Forgive yourself for doing what you were told instead of discovering what was meant for you. In the time that remains you, find peace.

Do Not Be Deceived

Do not be deceived. Masks, no masks; rioters versus protestors; defund, no reform the police; pandemic or flu; economic crisis for many, capital gains for a few. Confusion is easy in this moment. Intentional confusion brings hopelessness and inaction. And that is what some are working towards, that we will become hopeless and impotent.

But there is a way I have found that cuts through confusion and provides the courage for action, and it simple. Listen to your heart.

I cannot remove the image of a knee on the neck of a man from my mind. That image is enough to keep my heart on track. There is no rationale; there is no excuse, which could make me falter. I may have been taught racism, but I have come to a cherished understanding: we are one people. And there is no amount of fear or hatred that can alter the conviction of my heart to see human dignity restored.

When people defend the systems of racism, which are crushing all of us, I realize they have traded their humanity for some vague notion of law and order. They are human beings who have left dignity behind.

When I listen to my heart, I am uplifted beyond doubt. I am freed from confusion. Anger is transformed.

When I hear people talk of the virus “culling the herd”, I know they have suffered the loss of their heart. They have forgotten the preciousness of each life and that is something our leaders have yet to understand.

We don’t have to debate ignorance. We don’t need to give power to the greedy.  Transformation doesn’t need to take time. It can come in a breath and it is born on the wings of understanding.  Don’t be deceived. We all hold the key.

Listen to your heart.

Respect

If you support the words and actions of this president, this piece is not for you.

If you want people to obey unjust laws, this is not for you.

If you believe that destruction of property holds the same value as systemic injustice towards of people of color, this is not for you.

If you are pushing for a civil war, this is clearly not for you.

If you are hoping the election will save us, it’s not for you either.

If you think change isn’t possible; I encourage you to think again.

This is for the Ones who recognize we are one People, one Race.  It’s for the Ones who won’t allow systems to control our human narrative.

It’s for the Ones who despite the entire struggle, can still make hope take action, and can still choose kindness over fear.

This is for the Ones who are picking up the pieces in shattered neighborhoods and who are feeding and clothing their communities. It’s for the Ones who are growing food and providing shelter, knowing that winter’s on the way. It’s for those who are stepping up to have the hard conversations. And for those who are not standing down in the face of militarized force.

The rhetoric of violence has been dominant too long. It’s time to let the healing begin. Yes, in the midst of absolute chaos, let the healing in.

Find your strengths, find your allies and fight like hell. Not with violence, but with the resolution of those who know it is our time.

Don’t tolerate ignorance. Save your energy and your passion for those you love and for creating something new. The old will wither and die. Let it die.

Stand firm in our common humanity; it is worthy of respect. And so are you.

It Can Be Done

I came upon our ducks in frenzy. I stopped to watch as one bolted from the crowd carrying something in her mouth. It was a full-grown frog and not one that she was willing to share.  I watched as she continued to elude the others while attempting to consume the now dead frog. The other ducks gave up the chase as I watched in disbelief. It was all so unexpected. Never had I thought of a duck killing and eating a full-grown frog.

Nature has surprises. Although by now there shouldn’t be. I couldn’t judge her; she was following deep seeded instincts of survival. I could feel for the frog, but the reality is the frog has its own instincts to follow.

And then I began to consider the instincts that drive us. There are many who equate the ruthlessness they observe in Nature with the ruthlessness of human beings. It is used to justify the worst of our behaviors and it is also used to justify the corporal punishments we dole as retribution. It is used to justify war, genocide and all forms of inequality. We have become adept at declaring and resigning ourselves to humanity at its worst. It is the excuse we allow.

I have come to resent that excuse. I no longer believe we must accept and follow the base instincts of life. But it does mean we must consciously choose which instincts we will follow. We must survey the terrain of our being and choose which seeds must be cared for and which seeds should be left alone.

Choosing understanding over hatred, compassion over anger, and kindness over greed can be done.

It takes practice. It takes determination. It takes courage, but it can be done.

Yes, violence begets violence, but love certainly creates love

 

“Hate begets hate; violence begets violence; toughness begets a greater toughness. We must meet the forces of hate with the power of love. ” Martin Luther King (1958)

 

It’s Good to Cry

 

Sometimes these days I am overwhelmed by a news story, a radio sound bite or a friend’s hardship and the tears begin to rain. Thinking about this need to cry, I am reminded of an old friend who once watched me tear up. In shame I tried to cover it and she said to me, “Don’t hide those tears. They’re precious. Not everyone can cry. I wish I could.”

Or the time my Navajo mentor explained to me that sometimes “hearts have something hard inside” and we have to allow the hard place to become soft again.

So now as I learn of impending famines, countries overwhelmed, the horrific death caused by the virus, or the need of relief for our health care workers, the tears come. I don’t try to hide them. I don’t try to stop them. They are part of my heart softening. They’re part of my prayer. A prayer without words; a prayer that beckons for all that is good and right to prevail.

There is a part of us that wants to cut to the chase. It wants the political posturing to take a back seat. It wants the allure of acquiring capital to not come at the expense of the living. It wants to stop hearing, “when we get back to normal”. And it is grateful when someone acknowledges that we can create the world we know is possible, not simply default to old and decaying ways.

We have before us a great challenge and it is not in discovering a vaccine. It is to allow our humanity to replace our greed. It is to demand more from one another so the Earth can continue to heal and feed her children.

Our tears are the forebears of action that will make it right once more.

 

photo by Noho

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Thanks to WDRT for airing these two minute commentaries every Thursday at 5:30 pm CST.

Care for the Living

A benevolent spring is upon us. Time has come to plant gardens or to connect with those who do. Food pantries, farmers markets and Facebook pages are gearing up to share life-supporting food and information. Videos and live-streamed classes teach us how to cook and process food. There’s no reason for anyone to go hungry.

Rain seems to be ignoring us this year. It’s making it possible to repair damages from previous floods and ready our homes for any rough days ahead. There are lots of good, local hardware stores and handy people to help get jobs done.  And while we are readying our homes let us think of our neighbors. There are unused houses and cabins, which could provide shelter for individuals and families who are and will be facing eviction.

Many may be facing hard times. Yet while this virus has wounded our ability to carry on as we have, it cannot keep us from cutting a path forward that may be better for all.

With the argument to reopen businesses now, we are weighing financial concerns over the value of life. There will be plenty of time to regroup our finances. Now is the time to care for the living – and that includes our health care workers. Now is the time to ensure that each of us has basic needs met. There are many fine organizations working against great odds to help those in need.  Find one to support.

This is not a time to cower. It is not a time to be confused or angry. Everyone’s efforts are needed. Too many are living on the edge. We have allowed this for too long. Time to snap out of it.

Throw out the old playbook. There is a new game afoot. Help one another and enjoy all the good we have been given.

Resetting Priorities

I don’t believe in the devil, but if I did I am sure he would have been the one who planted the seed “divide and conquer”. And we have fallen for it for far too long. You would think with the new reality before us, wisdom might prevail and people would resume living with kindness leading the way. You might think with this pause and forced contemplation we could come up with something far better than fear baiting. You would think with all the good news that the earth is healing in wonderful ways, we would unite and make promises to never let it go back again. You would think.

And in many cases you would be right.

This is our reality: We are getting the chance to reset our priorities. Perhaps this time we will get it right. People and the environment before profit; kindness before capital; humanity over ignorance, these should be our rallying cries.

We are learning the difference between want and need and while it is scaring the crap out of corporate capitalists, many find it liberating. Mutual aid groups are forming helping those in need, picking up the slack of a government in disarray.

The demand to release ICE detainees and elderly prisoners is on the rise along with our growing compassion. And while it may come a bit late for some, may we act to ensure that lives were not lost in vain.

We also have a bit more time to think about inhumane policies like sanctions on countries during this pandemic. Our reach of kindness cannot be limited to our country, we must rise to the reality that we are one people, one planet.

Our sickness came long before this pandemic. Fear and hatred have divided us. Let us reset our priorities. Let kindness win.