A letter to my fellow hurting humanity
Times are rough
But as the good lord said … what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.
Honestly this world does not care if you kill yourself. If you kill yourself then the country becomes stronger not you, but I want you and we need you to be strong.
The news hurts. We are being opened to things that we thought we were past. The privilege of innocence and ignorance is no longer a viable option. Those that open themselves to the daily feed of news stories are tested with their volume of empathy and compassion for those that are being impacted by marginalizing and oppressive actions of government bodies and individuals that act out in hate.
It’s hard
We all want to know how to deal with tough news. We all want to know how to make a better world. we all want to know how to be a good person. We want to know how to stop this suffering.
In the midst of black bodies being killed by vigilante’s and police, the legacy of child separation being continued, queer and trans people being rejected and isolated, violence being condoned by political leaders, and humanity being objectified by both guns and a supreme court that repeatedly denies sexual assault. There is a truth that is becoming more and more clear as our hearts are breaking; that is, we are more and more interconnected than we have ever imagined. I am reminded by those that have been through and continually live with the constant pressure of oppression that joy can still be had, hope is still possible, and there is a way through. I find encouragement in this and I hope you do the same, but often it is not enough in the face of the constant battle.
Listen to those that suggest for you to care for yourself. Listen to those that tell you to take a break from social media, listen to those that tell you to meditate/ pray/ center yourself, listen to those who say find something you enjoy and be around those that hear you and uplift you, listen to those who suggest to have a space where you can express yourself and be affirmed, listen to those that promote self-care.
I see people that do these things and still struggle though. I see people that practice the self-care and still wonder when the struggle is going to end. I meet people that meditate and give their energy to greater things, but still they get drained by this constant announcement of news that human life does not matter. When Trump happened and the despair was overwhelming I felt I was strong in hope. And when fit hits the shan I can still rise to action. I am not superman and I do not think I am higher than others that get more greatly affected. I have just been down a path with some different insights that I have observed to be helpful while dealing with a hurting humanity.
Critically analyze
Individual circumstances are overwhelming but if they are understood in a greater tradition of oppression and injustice then it takes off the bewildering stress of trying to understand why an individual or current governmental system would act in a particular way. You very will may not be at fault, but the guilt of not doing enough can be paralyzing and dare I say shame enduring. Knowing how the system that perpetuates these harms wants you to feel this way so that action does not get taken. Critically understanding the system and injustice will help you stay empowered through knowing how to not be controlled by the powers that be. Once you see you cannot unsee; once you see you can find freedom.
Think beyond the current circumstance
History is important. I am not talking the boring history you learn in your public education, but the history that is beyond dates and into the circumstances of how history played out. The real history that impacted real people and a real environment, and built a real culture, with real capitalist motives. This is what Howard Zin calls a People’s History. Ronald Takai is a great place to start with his easy to understand book “Of a Different Mirror”. Knowing that things have happened before, and that people have made it through is what allows us to have a deep radical hope or what Juno Dias calls Radical Joy.
Take action
If I could just name one thing that would help people fight the continual dread of the hurtful news, it would be get into action and step into an area where you can be a part of making a difference. This will not fix the problem but it will put your body and soul in motion and the next thing will become visible to you. Again, this will not solve the dread, the dread can actually not be stopped, but it can be mitigated and used as positive momentum. The dread is there to hold you down, but we need to subvert that and find a way past the pressure and weight. People in the oppressive positions are more or less just tired, but those in privileged positions are the ones without the deep radical joy that Dias talks about because the experience is one they have not paid attention to for decades and centuries. So, get active and put yourself into the mix somehow. If you have trouble just ask me and I can provide ideas for all kinds of things from introductory to systemic transformation.
Be with the people
Just showing up is sometimes all that is need. The power of seeing bodies in the room is encouraging enough for the people doing the work. As much as the people organizing say that it is not about numbers, there is a powerful part of just showing up and making your presence known. Sitting with allies at a city council meeting, going to a vigil, showing up at a protest, going to a movie screening, or going to a training by a local community org. t, shirt, nabber, bbutton, or not; your presence is appreciated. Make the connection with the organizer and let them know you appreciate their work. Connections are made by showing up and that is how movements unite in power and this particular change starts with you.
Continue with your work
You have an area of focus, stay doing it. The outside world can often tell you that your work does not matter. The pressures of the hurt world can weigh upon you. The more connections you make and the more experiences you come across that are directly impacted by the injustices the more the hurting humanity can weigh on you. Stay stepping into your work. If you find rules that are restricting your work from making impact and healing our neighborhood, national, and global community then be the one that pushes to break that ceiling. You are the person in that position that see’s something and we need you to do that work. Life is change and change is living, so let’s change, grow, evolve, get active and not be held down.
In the words of Brother Ali
“I’m not going to put my hand on my mouth I am going to stand for what I am about”
We have the power, lets come together and recognize this power and put it to work.
Let’s go!
