Dena Eakles

Recognize One Another and Carry On

In case you are living in a bubble or deliberately choosing to avoid all of the indications of societal decay, please let me remind you, no one is an island. What happens to one, happens to all.

There is no talking our way out. There is no hero coming to save the day. This, what remains of “us”, is begging for accountability. We have used up all of the false hopes allotted. And we are bankrupt when it comes to saviors.

That’s not to say hope does not exist, but it is to ask, where are we placing that precious gift called hope? Hope without accountable action is a false narrative, the lullaby of fools.

Safety nets are being ripped away with far too many of us falling. We are soon to be left with the only choice that has never left us: to help one another. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of mutual aid, it’s as old as “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you”.

Restoring human dignity is our most urgent need. Why is this most urgent? If we do not know our worth as human beings, if we do not see the value of each individual life, including our own, we will have forsaken the most significant weapon in our arsenal.

And in this battle over ignorance, restoring human dignity and seeking the company of those willing to do the same is imperative. There is power in this. There is unity regardless of differences. Where ever you are called to help: in stopping the inhumanity of ICE, in proclaiming Palestinian, Ukrainian and Others their freedom, in ensuring your neighbors have food and shelter – your courage and compassion are needed now. Recognize one another and carry on.

And in the meantime as the historic East Wing of the White House is destroyed making way for a ballroom, the military has conducted what appears to be illegal assassinations of sailors on the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean with no proven evidence of drug smuggling…and as the US military escalates its might over Venezuela.

The Curse of Interesting Times

Lawyers and courts are busy these days. Seems there’s a never-ending supply of the United States government’s illegal activities. From bombing supposed Venezuelan “narco terrorists” in the Caribbean; to ICE raids on US citizens, innocent migrants and non-whites; the amnesia surrounding due process; and the absurd pronouncement of antifa as an organization and not as an organizing principle, we have created quite a predicament.

How’s your sanity these days? Are you hiding until it’s over, whatever that will mean, or are you finding resourceful and creative ways to hang onto your humanity? Because make no mistake we are existing through some interesting times. And you know there is curse that says, “May you live in interesting times”. What would make living and pondering “interesting times” a curse?

Well, if you still debate good and bad, if you still waffle about is it or isn’t it a genocide, then you are suffering the curse of interesting times. And I only know one way out of that curse. Are you a human being or not? Are you capable of empathy or not? Do you recognize the power that you carry as an individual with choice as a weapon, or not?

Are you willing to leave a legacy of indifference that will burden your children’s children? Or do you recognize you have not only a responsibility but also a duty to be the very best human being you can possibly be – even in these “interesting times”.

Can you shed the cloaks of separation? Identities that serve only those who wish to continue the power grab of divide and conquer? Or can you envision the power of unity?

The use of the phrase “us and them” is a tool of the ignorant. To understand and utilize the word “we” is a step into power. Being human, my friends, is our way out.

And keep a good sense of humor…

For those who like to understand the root of words and phrases: May You Live In Interesting Times – is not a Chinese curse as generally supposed – but interesting origins nonetheless.

Woke Isn’t Going Away

Are we paying attention yet? Government should be created to uplift people, not burden them. Social media is flooded by people announcing their letters from Quartz Health Insurance. Quartz is dropping their Medicare supplemental coverage for Vernon and other rural counties.

It seems the federal cuts are making their way to our hometown folks. And the elderly and disadvantaged are taking a beating. The war on woke, that many cheered for, is now turning itself on everyone. Seems the Big Beautiful Bill may be destined to unite us after all.

The soybean market has tanked thanks to that beautiful word “tariff”. Farming insecurity is leading to farmer suicide. Desperation is palpable.

And while ICE continues on its unchecked inhumane rampage, slowly but surely resistance to racist cruelty is growing. The vast majority of us are descendants of immigrants. Immigrants, Slaves and Indigenous people are the foundation of this country. To ignore the obvious is self-destruction, and that is indeed where we are heading unless we stop it.

How long can we live under the cloak of violence and hatred, how long can we ignore what is happening to our youth, to the elderly, to our marginalized friends?

If you have been biting your lip, hiding your tears or whispering your concerns about what is happening to us, it’s now time to find the courage to speak and to act. If you didn’t believe Project 2025 was coming for you, you were mistaken. Sitting this battle out is no longer an option.

My advice is simple: listen to independent journalists. Zeteo and Danielle Moodie are two of my favorites. The language may be harsh, but the clarity of purpose and the urgency of now is there. And show up for the nationwide action on October 18th in local towns and in your front yard. You are needed.

Image from: The Badger Collective

Choose to Defiantly Live

I watched a fly caught in a web. It was very much alive, but as it squirmed the tighter the web grew. It was easy to see its black body against the white ceiling. Then I could see the thin frame of a spider making its way to the captive. The fly became even more frantic spiraling and spinning wildly. Impressed at its willingness not to die, I wondered if I should give aid. And then another spider began to move in. Recognizing its determination to live, I attempted to free the fly, but it was out of reach. As the two approaching spiders neared their prey, the fly broke free and catapulted down. I couldn’t see where it landed, and I am pretty sure it would be difficult to unweave the binding web. But I cheered for the sheer gumption displayed and the determination I witnessed. And then I realized I appreciated this defiant will to live because it is within me, within all of us.

Some of us die in increments, leaving bits of ourselves to decay in full view and forsaking the gift of life to the torments of living. We admire the courage to live in others, but do we ever acknowledge this will, this strength in ourselves? Do we accept this gift of will, or do we squander it?

Some of us die by compromise. Piece by piece we give ourselves away, never knowing the preciousness of the time we are given. Never accepting the power of our uniqueness. Never truly living.

We carry seeds of hope, clarity, courage and humanity necessary to the whole of us. If only we would choose to defiantly live and escape the bondages that hold us.

Accept the power of being alive. There is freedom in that.

photo Dewy spider web: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en

Being Human is a Practice

John Trudell was a Native American poet, activist, and as his biography states, a survivor of government repression and tragedy. Both he and Grace Lee Boggs, the Asian American activist, author and philosopher passed in 2015, but not before they left us with prophetic words and wisdom to help navigate this time.

It’s easy to become disillusioned and numb. It takes courage and conviction in humanity to traverse these times. In this past week, people used social media to call forth the Rapture. I call that taking the easy way out. The quest for the pearly gates at the cost of the destruction of the earth and disregard of human beings is symptomatic. It means you’re unwilling to take responsibility for living. It means you have lost your dignity and the creative force needed to transcend this moment.

We have adopted corrupt systems that are failing us and either we can accept that and fight to change course – or we will go down in flames dreaming of the pearly gates.

John Trudell told us to “Protect your spirit, because you are in the place where spirits get eaten.” He urged us to clear thinking and to discover our humanity. Grace Lee Boggs warned us not to struggle against existing institutions, but to “make a philosophical, spiritual leap to become more “human” human beings. I encourage everyone to become familiar with their works and those of other human beings that chose wisdom over ignorance and humanity over division.

We are up against a tidal wave of lies and beliefs that cut to the core of our humanity. Fighting back demands clarity and a firm grasp of who we are. We are human beings. Not slaves to an economy, not disposable to war, and not shackled to dogmas that do not serve us.

Being human is a daily practice and it is our way out. Find your way to being human.

I know no other way

In Chinese medicine, as with Indigenous healing there are principles that direct the course. One is to go to the root of the illness, not simply treat symptoms. Ideally, we should get to the source before the dis – ease has materialized in the body. That is how observant we should be about health; taking notice of all nuances that lead to disharmony.

Another principle is that disease is never isolated to one individual. The healing often includes family and community. If an individual displays dis-harmony, it’s understood that it is also present in their associations. Community plays a large part in healing and adversely can contribute to illness.

We live in unharmonious times. Hatred and violence are normalized and accepted. Our children live in fear of other. Biases and judgement keep people in isolation, never learning about or from each other. Media, politics and religion contribute to this reckless inhumanity. People are rewarded for their hatred, falsely seen as piety or patriotism.

My Dine mentor taught traditional weaving. It was prayerful and deliberate. We were encouraged to dream and to replicate the dreaming into the weaving. Weaving taught discipline. You learned what mistakes you could live with and the ones you could not. One of the most significant understandings was to always have a way out. Traditional Navajo rugs always have that way out woven into them.

So, what is the way out of this mess we have woven?

The way out I choose is to discover my humanity and recognize it in others. To celebrate humanity in all its splendor and to be grateful for the gift of life. That is my way out. I know no other way.

I have zero tolerance for the denial of my humanity…or the denial of the humanity of others. And I cling to the reality of my breathe as a source of hope, healing and courage.

Your Silence Is Deafening

“Operation Midway Blitz” has begun in Chicago as hundreds of ICE agents arrived over the weekend. Largely unchallenged, the Supreme Court has even over ridden a lower court ruling for Los Angeles, allowing ICE to arrest people based on race, language and jobs. And although the administration touts it is removing criminals from our streets, it’s estimated that 70% of those currently in ICE custody do not have a criminal record, but are overwhelmingly brown.

Trump’s callous references to unleashing war on cities, and his contempt for sanctuary cities ignores the startling truth that the cities being targeted all have dropping crime rates. Their successes have come in part to programs designed to strengthen communities not tear them apart. And many of these programs have been financially cut from federal support thanks to Trump’s Big Beautiful BS.

These aggressive and divisive measures of authoritarian rule are not letting up. They are increasing with federal dollars pouring into the agencies who are now charged with stealing flower vendors from the streets as just happened in Chicago. And by Trump administration’s border czar Tom Homan’s own admission, ICE will apprehend anyone that meets their profile even if they are not the criminals that they seek.

So, the question is, where do we, as individuals, stand in all of this mayhem? Are we still refusing to speak up at church or family gatherings because we don’t want to rock boats? if so, I will say this, every moment of everyday we should be championing humanity. Every moment of everyday we should be a voice of reason and of peace. Regardless of outcomes, we must not shy away from words and actions to those that challenge the dignity of all of us. Because it is true, what happens to one, happens to all.

This piece was written before the murder of a white man that is capturing the news. His murder signals an escalation in violence. His life signaled an escalation in white supremacy. His legacy will be told by both those who revered him and those who reviled him. And in the end it doesn’t matter. What matters and what should matter is where are we, each of us as individuals? Are we aligning with division and hatred, or are we aligning with humanity and peace. Palestinians are still being slaughtered by Israeli insanity – with weaponry supplied by our government. Brown people are living in fear as Black and Indigenous people have, as well as Trans and Queer and all marginalized people. We are escalating the militarized police and stripping away what little dignity was available through due process and the courts.

We have created a world of hate and violence. Our drive for assimilation is destroying us.

If you are still silent, you are very much a part of the problem.

Lies On Steroids

Our collective history is filled with violence. When white settlers arrived on these shores they carried with them vestiges of what had been done to them. They brought persecution, conquering, and a kind of capitalism that requires a lower rung. Class struggle, theft of land, and when all else failed, the ultimate silencing of people who deemed to be different, or were different by design. The attempted cover-ups and twisting of history are not new. They’re simply now on steroids.

We refuse to believe what we know to be true: that we live on stolen land, that enslaved and impoverished people built this country and that the cowardice displayed from Congress to ICE is nothing more than a last-ditch effort to keep the LIE afloat.

When I drive through rural towns and see confederate flags, I want to yell, “Wisconsin was a Union state”. But I’m really thinking: “Your ignorance is showing”. And ignorance is more than not knowing history. The kind of ignorance we deal with today is deeper. We’ve lost a sense of self. We’ve lost human dignity. And unless and until we rediscover it within ourselves, we’ll never see it in the “other”.

We’ve lost our sense of belonging to something greater. In doing so we cling to whatever flag suites us, whatever belief empowers us, or so we think. External power is an empty game, when you are hollow inside. That’s why it never works. People will be martyred and treated inhumanely, but power must succumb to benevolence, if only when we take our last breath. Recognizing our mutual humanity, acknowledging our history and refusing to carry it on are the solutions available to us.

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Listen to my conversation with Fatemeh Jamalpour on her new book For the Sun After Long Nights. For The Sun After Long Nights by two acclaimed Iranian female journalists, depicts the oppression of ethnic minorities and particularly of women since the 2022 Women, Life, Freedom Movement. It was an honor to be given a glimpse into the courage and deep love of their homeland and their sisterhood. Co-authored by Nilo Tabrizy. It will also air on WDRT, Wednesday, Sept 10 at 5 pm CST.

And if you are in the area: On Sunday, Sept 21 from noon to 5pm we will host Reclaiming Peace: A Community Celebration at Echo Valley Farm

No More Excuses

A dear high school friend had the words “No More Excuses” on his Facebook page. One of the last things he said to me before he took leave of the earth was, “Keep writing”. I remember him as I write. I remember him against great odds that anyone will hear or read what I have written, or even care. I write and speak because I must. His encouragement adds a spark; his early departure reminds me that time is always on the move, and so I must be.

As the Palestinian slaughter continues, and we knowingly supply weaponry to Israel; as masked men snatch human beings from their lives; as real bullets replace rubber ones and Trump attempts to militarize our nation, I can only say, No More Excuses.

People were surprised that I dare call out those who remain silent or cause dissent. I was told I was a lessor human being. I appreciate that; and I prefer that. Why? We have designated human beings as lessor throughout our history. And then we displace them, slaughter them, and carry on with our “worthy” lives. If lessor means I care enough to be weary of the silence and discord, then so be it. If talking nice and quoting statistics doesn’t get people to respond, then a heartfelt “shove off” might be the next best thing.

So, to those offended by my response to your silence or trivial argumentation on the most critical issues of our time, I will share what another dear friend told me when I asked what else could I do. She simply said, telling people to shove off is actually a kindness both to them and to yourself. And I realized she was right. No more excuses for inhumanity. No tolerance for ignorance.

And in case you are hiding your head in the sand:

With profound sorrow and heartbreak, we mourn our martyrs — Moath Abu Taha, Mohammed Salama, Mariam Abu Duqqa, Hossam Al-Masri, and Ahmad Abu Aziz، who were martyred inside Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Younis while fulfilling their sacred mission of conveying the truth and documenting the crime.

This is a heavy and painful loss for us all. Each of them carried a story, a stance, and a legacy that will forever remain in our memory.

May God have mercy on their pure souls, make their blood a light that exposes injustice, and their voices an eternal flame in humanity’s conscience.

The word will remain a trust, the truth a will, and the martyrs a beacon illuminating the path for us and for generations to come. – Ahmed Khaled al Najjar

Palestinian journalist Mariam Abu Daqqa was killed on Monday in a deliberate, live-broadcasted Israeli attack on Nasser Hospital in southern Gaza, along with four of her colleagues and 15 others.

In a letter to her son Ghaith, shared on social media by her colleagues, Mariam wrote: “You are my love, my strength, my pride, and my joy. Always carry yourself with dignity, and let your actions honor my memory.” – Ahmed Khaled al Najjar

Take a Universal Stand

In 2009 I wrote a book called The Peace Warrior. I explained that we’re all peace warriors – or at least we have the potential to be. As one friend put it, it was a “call to action”. Another friend told me the two words, peace and warrior, didn’t belong together. I’m still laughing at that. My response continues to be, “it’s not called peace pansy, it’ called peace warrior for a reason.”

Somewhere along the line, peace being equated with passivity became the norm. Or we tied the word “peace” to a belief, or an absence of war. Good luck waiting on that.

No, the kind of peace I was and do refer to is innate and available. And those who embark on a life of peace must have courage. In this outward churning world, it’s easy to forget our true nature. Peace requires a love of self and of humanity above and beyond all the labels we wear or have been put upon us.

It takes recognition of our finite and temporal nature and allows for the intervention and stewardship of that which is Greater by design. Call it what you will. But please do not ask my allegiance to any religion or politic. And allow me to enjoy my heaven now.

If peace is to win out, it will be because we put all that is universal and human first. What is universal? The need for clean water, food, shelter, dignity and connection – a space inside and out to be the unique selves that we are. What is human? We’re on our way to find out.

And the peace warrior must have a good sense of humor. It’s the armor against ignorance. Wake up peace warriors. The game is afoot.

And some words that inform me:

“We have power… Our power isn’t in a political system, or a religious system, or in an economic system, or in a military system; these are authoritarian systems… they have power… but it’s not reality. The power of our intelligence, individually or collectively IS the power; this is the power that any industrial ruling class truly fears: clear coherent human beings.” ~ John Trudell

What is Peace? A seven minute video to make you think from Prem Rawat

Please listen to my conversation with Fatemeh Jamalpour on her new book For the Sun After Long Nights. to witness the beautiful human spirit against all odds – and our need for empathy and taking a universal stand.

Author: Dena Eakles