Don’t Sit This One Out.

Don’t sit this one out. If you’ve decided that the election gave Democrats a mandate, you’re missing the point. If you think you can sit back and let leaders steer the ship, you might be in for a wake-up call.

This election was not so much a blue wave as it was a rainbow tsunami.  It was an outpouring of people across many sectors who rallied not to crown Democrats, but in fact to end the authoritarian inhumanity that was ushered in. If elected Democrats fail to honor the will of the people and continue to allow corporate rule and financial ruin for the majority of this country, there will be another tsunami.

And what does the will of the people look like? 76% are against the building of AI data centers, 60% disapprove of how ICE handles deportation, 71% voted to stop the Iran war. The elections of progressives across the country indicated of a movement towards humanity and away from fear mongering. The platforms of caring and community won decisively as younger organizers rose to uplift the power of the people over the money of the few.

Yet we are already seeing the weakness of Democratic leadership in the House as they failed to turn out the critical votes needed to impeach Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on war crimes.

Which brings me to the push to oust Senator Schumer as majority leader. Bernie Sanders and Senator Slotkin recently addressed the need for vigorous debate on the direction of Democratic leadership.That argument seems to be gaining momentum as people realize that Schumer’s inadequacies cost the elections of people like Angie Nixon and did little to support winners like Michigan Senator-elect Sayed.

It’s pretty clear he has an uphill battle especially if Senator Van Holland steps in with a plan.

But it’s the “blue” support of Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House that baffles. Either people aren’t aware of his record in Congress, or they don’t care. I suppose it’s the latter. Take time to learn.

Please, don’t sit this one out.

You can take a deeper dive into this moment in time with my conversation with Rivera Sun on WDRT’s Changing the Narrative podcast, The Road Ahead. Rivera is an author and activist and has written numerous books and novels including The Dandelion Insurrection and the award-winning Ari Ara Series. She is the editor of Nonviolence News and the Program Coordinator for Campaign Nonviolence.

She serves on the board of Backbone Campaign and the advisory board of World BEYOND War.  You can find her work at riverasun.com

Fire in Our Belly

This is a good day for human beings and the earth to begin again. May this be the moment we remember who we are and find commonality in the most important things in life: to care for one another as we strive for peace.

On the eve of the midterm elections, I found myself in a cabin deep into the cavernous Ozark Mountains without internet. Or so I thought until we read the fine print at the ranger’s station early the next day.

And in the morning light the sweet news of the day told a remarkable thing: We, the people, won. The Earth won. Diversity won. Equity won. Inclusion won.

Tears of joy for all that can be. We have seen the worst of us, now let the best in us prevail. Nothing comes without effort. Tremendous thanks to all of the people who never gave up on “us”; those who refused bitterness or to hide in fear.

To the ones who fell to the most inhuman acts of ICE, may we not forget you. May your sacrifice be the fire in our bellies to carry on.

And to the likes of Hong and Nixon, may you continue with the bold step of reclaiming our humanity by challenging archaic systems with determination and courage. Your fearlessness led the way.

To the new leaders, may you remember daily that you are servants not dictators. That your masters should not be corporate whims and greed, but reverence for the work ahead. Respect the people you serve and do the right thing always. Kudos to the youth throughout the world refusing to accept the inhumanity of the past, those demanding an end to genocides and resource grabs. You are making our dreams become reality.  We love you.

The Larger Story

Pay attention. Life is passing quickly and while there may be speculation, there is no definitive answer on how many times we will pass this way. My father always told me if I were to gamble only to do it on sure bets. And this is what I know and how I place my bets: I’m here now, so it behooves me to make the most of it.

However complicated it may seem, however difficult, life is still a luxury. With its beginning and its end, and the wild ride that occupies the middle, it’s easy to forget we’re part of a larger story. That larger story has always been about transformation and change. It’s carried the threads of cruelty, but has also carried threads of things much greater.

The circle of life is worthy of our attention. It’s become trendy to assign definitions to the Creation and Creator. Religion is loaded with our need to believe. If we’re not careful the willingness to believe instead of to know makes the whole ride a lot more tenuous. Beliefs, like clothing, change. Putting all your eggs in the basket of belief will make a good scramble when your basket is tumbled; beliefs are not a worthy gamble. We are worth more than belief allows. We are more capable than belief affords. Belief stifles creativity. It holds us hostage to the past.

It has become quite popular to disavow the possibility of peace and thereby avoid being accountable to it. We speak of fate as if we have never met intention.

Don’t let anyone talk you into believing you don’t belong here. That’s the biggest lie. Find the threads of conviction and love that dwell inside you and hold on for dear life. Because it is.

Withstanding Inhumanity

Withstanding inhumanity is not enough. We have coasted in some naive belief that the ship would miraculously right itself as we witnessed and continue to witness the slaughter of human beings around the world. Too many have chosen to look the other way as our environments are being systematically destroyed by greed.  Too many look upon the obscene amassing of wealth with more envy than disgust, allowing systems created long ago to flourish regardless of outcome. Our politics are crippled by ignorance and apathy.

And while the No Kings rallies were a muscle flexed, they were a drop in the bucket for what is needed. We are still at the mercy of inhuman practices because we choose to keep the systems afloat. The systems that are harming us will never change from the inside. That is by design. Transformation requires creativity and vision. It demands courage to end centuries of disorder. Might is right and to the conqueror goes the spoils should no longer be our creed.

The good news is: it’s happening. People are not merely resisting; we are emerging with a sense of purpose and a thirst for something better. And we are finding one another.

Algorithms are created to distract us. AI is stripping away what is left of critical thinking. Take a courageous step away from distraction. Take a step into unadulterated self-discovery. The fruit of possibility lies there. 

The concept of seven generations is not quaint. It’s vital. To honor those who came before us and to make ready the Goodness for those who will come after. That is the game we are now playing. We’re engaged in a battle of legacy. Everyone who knows this must rally to it. Shine on my friends. This is our battle to win.

Grow in Wonder

One act of genuine kindness. One intentional smile. One word of praise or well-wishing can turn a nation around. I’m not talking about saccharin sweetness; I’m talking about the possibility of rediscovering our humanity again. You can’t do that wrapped in fear. It means nothing if offered falsely. Human dignity can only be offered from those who are actively engaged in living it. This is where religion and reality part ways. This is where morality based on some hypothetical theory falls short. Dignity is not an intellectual exercise. You can’t make it up. 

From what I can tell people are starving today for a bit of truth. You can’t and won’t get it from the force feeding of sameness that streams through our smart devices. It’s a cultivated art, this discernment of what is valuable and necessary and what is not. It’s a practice, this ability to separate the wheat from the chaff and an even greater practice to do it without judgment. These things take time and attention. It pays to not be distracted.

And we can discover our similarities despite our differences. The ability to grow in wonder of the myriad colors and distinct beauty that each life holds is a gift. That ability comes from the surrender of self-importance. It’s possible, it feels good and it’s infectious.

Life is for those who never stop learning. Living is a practice and not to be taken for granted. Time is the toll keeper that reminds us of our journey’s end. And gratitude and love are the sweetnesses that keep our cup from becoming bitter. 

One act of genuine kindness. One intentional smile. One word of praise or well-wishing can turn a nation around. Try it.

Enjoy this conversation with my friend, Si Maata as we speak about our Humanity, being Indigenous and Queer at this auspicious and difficult time. You can find Si’s creations at Gathering the Stories and streaming at Free Story Radio

It Has Always Been About Love

Is anybody listening? Can you hear it? 

Beneath the din of political rhetoric, beneath the fear it produces and the anger it arouses. Can you hear it?

It winds through the seemingly good news and the obvious perils, the celebrity adoration and the cries of the forgotten.

The sea of humanity in its glory and in its failing cries to be remembered. In the hopes of the innocent and in the despair of the old; there is a cry that must be heard.

Before the justifications of the need for war; before the excuses to kill, there’s a wellspring of goodness that begs to be visited. 

Before the last tree is cut and the rivers run dry, can we hear the earth requesting our care? 

It has always been about love. Love of place and appreciation for what is given. That’s always been and will always be at the core of a human being. When we listen.

The wheel of fame and blame has always been with us, but so has the stillness within that holds us in the darkest times and in our greatest joys. 

We have been taught not to listen. We have been told that others know what is best for us. It’s time to snap out of it.

It’s easy to recount injustices and while we do need to be aware of what is being done in our name, it’s equally important that we take time to touch the sacred – whatever that means to you – and to fill our cup with appreciation for the life that we are given. 

Without that, we’re left to the spin of this world. Without that we are rudderless in the storm. Trust that which is worthy of your trust. It’s there for you.

Keep fighting the good fight and be sure you are nourished by the Good.

When Kumbaya Doesn’t Cut It

When words land empty and ideals are fruitless; when it’s hard to soothe the weariness aroused by a world gripped in ignorance – I go looking for truth tellers.

So, I listened to the President of Ghana address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly.  It’s good to listen to independent media; you find some of the best food for thought there. I heard his speech listening to Joy Reid, and I am grateful for the spark of humanity he championed. 

President John Dramani Mahama  spoke of the immutable declaration of the UN charter that ‘every human being belongs to the human family’. He went on to say: “No race is superior, no nation inferior” and addressed the need for healing. He acknowledged that the woundedness created by the slave trade must be repaired and noted how that inequity remains embedded in today’s power systems.

He challenged the inequality of the UN security council, noting the lack of African voices and asserted the need for that to change in order to restore the UN’s credibility and survival.  And most importantly he challenged the veto power of that council that has been used to hide or validate what we now know as crimes against humanity.

He slammed the archaic notion of “might is right” (which I thoroughly applauded). And he called out the slaughter of 20,000 Palestinian children and asked, when would we act with “decisive moral authority”.

He spoke with the power of humility and a keen knowledge of humanity. He ended the speech as he began, with a wakeup call reminding us of our mutual belonging.  

What faces us is not insurmountable; we have the means to make things right.

President Mahama concluded, “What we lack is the political courage to see one another as a part of a single human family”.  

His words remind me of the possibility of a better tomorrow. Let us act upon them.

Yes. We all belong.

And another powerful discussion for your consideration. We need more than Kumbaya today.

Rediscover Normal

None of what we are witnessing today is normal. While not new, this rise of authoritarian rule; this acceptance of “to the victor goes the spoils” and this “might is right” are far from normal. The legacies of misogyny, racism and capitalism and their hold on this country and countries around the world are also not new and not normal. They are defaults that we have accepted.

This hijacking of human individuality is an old story. Divide and conquer works well on those who have forgotten who they are. Ideologies and beliefs hold a grip on us and choke our will to be human. We’re trading creativity for robotic ease, and sacrificing compassion and empathy to fit into a culture that no longer cares. None of this is normal.

Kindness is normal. Benevolence is normal. Working for the betterment of everyone – with appreciation for those who have come before us and laying a good foundation for those who will come after. That is normal.

Racism, transphobia and hatred towards Queer people are symptoms of those who have forgotten their humanity. The lack of dignity displayed by the dominant culture is vile and unworthy. And definitely not normal. Stop accepting it as such. Find your uniqueness and celebrate it. Flaunt it. Discover the depths of your humanity and savor it. We are built for this, not for senseless suffering.

Decades ago, I knew an old woman who had led a turbulent life. Yet with a glint in her eye, she told me she planted roses wherever she had lived to leave a legacy of beauty there. She triumphed. That is human. That is normal.

Leave your legacy. Touch this world and those around you with love. Plant the seeds of kindness and dignity and even if you do not live to see them sprout, know that they will.

Rose buds Photo: JLPC / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0

Choosing Our Way Forward

The latest buzz of distraction now projects the human race has ten years before superintelligent AI finds a way to destroy us. 

Doomsday scrolling is enticing but it never seems to be enough to help us change course.

I’m always looking for the “tell”. Why now? Who benefits as we are caught in the end of the world spin once again?

Maybe the “tell” is the fact that the very purveyors of AI are now the ones crying the loudest about their concerns. One has to ask, where are their concerns as community after community rallies to protect their environments from data centers fueling AI? One has to consider the timing, as we’re finally achieving some sense of political unity against these data centers and the realities of chatbot dangers that are coming to light. 

This, as Open AI struggles to defend against lawsuits from the Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia mass school shooting. The lawsuits contend that the shooter was provoked by ChatGPT chatbot and that Open AI leadership was aware of the potential horror before it ensued.

Here’s another bizarre happening. People, knowing the potential harms, are still cashing in on AI. I heard an interview with techies who will be podcasting about AI’s glories. When asked by the interviewer, “What keeps you up at night?” One responded: “That we will not be able to instill human values into these machines”. I laughed.

It would make more sense to be kept up at night by the realization that we have forgotten to instill human values into human beings…that we’ve put everything else before what truly matters; that all of these insanities are human-made and can be undone. If I am kept up at night, it is with the vantage of reaching people with the possibility of peace and clarity taking the lead in our lives, not worry from doomsday scrolling. Our way forward will always be a choice, both individually and collectively.

And here’s the beauty…it’s never too late to be human.

“As human beings it is time to take responsibility for the power of our Intelligence and use the power of our intelligence to think coherently This isn’t about whether we can or we can’t This is about whether we will or we won’t.”

-John Trudell, Lines from a Mined Mind: The Words of John Trudell

Moving Forward with Love

My sister often reminds me that I have a few years on her. She sent me a meme that said, “Sometimes I feel old, but then I realize my sister is older”

It makes me smile and I hold my tongue about the wisdom that comes with years. I don’t want to ruin her fun.

Time is such a strange phenomenon.  I’ve never been quite good at remembering dates, but I have a fondness of remembering moments. I’ve never been quite good at accepting years as mile markers of success. But I revel in the joys of being alive. Up until this week I had three sheep who were eighteen years old. Now there are two. They teach me a lot about aging. The orchard still calls them after all these years and they climb the hills with a bit more effort, but delight in the rewards they find beneath the trees. I honor their simplicity and am grateful for their company, however fleeting.

Passages. There are many leaving us these days, the famous and the not so famous. Some I have never met, yet learning about their lives and efforts leave lasting impressions on me. Some I have only known for brief moments, yet their kindnesses, smiles and laughter still ring in my ears and touch my heart. I suppose it is a bit blasphemous to prefer to hold memories close rather than to mourn. But my understanding is this: grief washes over us; there is no wall that can stop the flood of emotion, but we don’t need to be washed away by the sadness. Rather, let us live well, to honor those who have gone before us.

What a glorious tapestry is woven into living.