What do we know of Love?

Hate produces Hate. Violence begets Violence.

As so-called leaders’ position and posture on how to leverage or market incidents of violence, let's not be distracted from the harsh truth of what we, as a nation, have stoked along the way.

???? We have traded intellectual curiosity for ignorant catchphrases. We have acquiesced to inciting violence towards those who counter, take an opposing stance, or hold a difference in opinion and perspective, seeking to vilify them. We no longer entertain open discourse on differences or engage in constructive debate on issues. It doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you claim or don’t; far right and the far left. We advocate against opponents in terms of hatred, and we openly express cover for people who inflict harm towards others because of their differences, labeling the bad actors "good people." All the while, depicting people we take issue with as "invaders," "un-American," "unpatriotic," "socialist," and "deserving of harm."

???? Our failure to embrace diverse ways of thinking, doing, speaking, living, worshipping, believing, highlights our inability to be inclusive and to treat people with dignity, respect, and compassion. We would rather exclude people than be inclusive. We choose to double down on inequities rather than be equitable, and we choose to persecute people who are different from us before we are willing to nurture and activate systems changes that afford a sense of belonging for all people. We falsely trumpet that our nation was founded upon principles of religion, while using religion as a tool and mechanism to excuse racist acts. At some point, we must shake the intoxication of this bloodlust we perpetuated. We cannot continue to direct fire towards those we deem our enemies and not expect that same fire to spread in ways beyond our control.

???? Hate is hate, no matter who you are. Encouraging people who commit acts of violence when directed against those with whom we disagree, then feigning innocence when others perceive violence as the only thing we respect and acknowledge, is hypocritical and reckless. The sad thing is, we are not learning from the escalation of violent acts. We will not step back to pause and consider that our methods and how we deal with those who think differently, live differently, love differently, look differently, believe differently, or worship differently may be the root cause.

??? ?No, we refuse to consider whether our words of hatred influence others' actions, even as we advocate, celebrate, nod towards, wink at, and encourage them.

???? No, we cannot conceive of being "wrong." Just as we refuse to acknowledge societal disparities are based in a discriminatory order of race, gender, sexual orientation, class, national origin, religious beliefs, education, age, physical abilities, physical characteristics, the way one loves, and so many more biases and forms of bigotry.

???? No, we cannot even tolerate the thought of exposing our words of encouragement along this blood trail.

???? No, we would rather lock in and load piling on for more violence, more ignorance, more hatred, and more loss of life. We dare not imagine openly acknowledging we are complicit in these tragic outcomes. We believe doing so somehow disgraces the entire nation. Yet, the greatest disgrace lies in denying the truth to preserve the facade of lies. That is the biggest betrayal to our nation and future generations. We cannot break the cycle with more rhetoric that incites harm.

???? Yet, I fear we will continue to learn nothing. We seem hell-bent and determined that this nation can only be geared as a caste system, that there is only one way of leadership: brutal rulership, through dominance, suppression, forced submittance, conformity and ultimately oppression. We are steadfast in our pursuit to strip out any aspirations towards the ideals of freedom, justice, equality, liberty, and the irrevocable truth that all people are created equal.

???? We cannot seem to summon the courage, moral fortitude, belief, compassion, hope, or humanity to open our minds and see where this divisive form of politics, so-called leadership and power plays are leading our nation: implosion. No, we refuse to acknowledge the clear signs. We are seeking our own destruction, weakening ourselves from within so those who lust for ultimate power and control can lord over us all. As fools we shall not soon part from our folly.

???? Now I truly understand what James Baldwin meant in the statement that there are only a small number of people who truly love, holding the world together. I have struggled to understand those words over the years, each time I heard the recording. But now, I really do understand what it means for us.

“Love has never been a popular movement. And no one's ever wanted, really, to be free. The world is held together, really it is held together, by the love and the passion of a very few people. Otherwise, of course, you can despair. Walk down the street of any city, any afternoon, and look around you. What you've got to remember is what you're looking at is also you. Everyone you're looking at is also you. You could be that person. You could be that monster, you could be that cop. And you have to decide, in yourself, not to be.”

– James Baldwin, from the documentary short “Meeting the Man: James Baldwin in Paris.”

Take Care.

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Pillars of Change

Working for a better World. We strive to advance inclusive democracy for all humanity. We achieve this through transformative change, progressive education, a commitment to justice, and fostering authentic belonging. We advocate for radical equitable access to social, political, and economic resources as essential for the meaningful improvement of people's lives and our world.