Author: Dena Eakles

Enjoying Life. Plan on keeping it that way.

He’s Counting On You

Welcome Spring. Walk in Beauty and Fight like Hell the injustice and ignorance. Uplift Humanity.

ODE TO THOSE WHO HANDED OVER THE REINS

Do you so want a Savior that any savior will do? He said you’d love him even if he killed a man on Fifth Avenue and you said, “Yes”. He talked of grabbing women and you said, “OK”. He said reporters who challenged him were evil and so are all democrats and you said, “Yep”. 

He said he would clear the swamp and you said “By all means”. He freed 1500 mostly violent offenders of the insurrection and you said, “Well, OK”. With his unelected sidekick, he began destroying the federal government, eliminating jobs that keep you safe – like park rangers, NOAH, air traffic controllers, etc. and you said, “Right on chief, let ’em have it.” He started to deport your friends, neighbors and co-workers and you said, “Hmmm, yes”. He tells you it will be a bumpy financial ride as he jolts the economic world with tariffs – on allies and enemies alike – and you say, “Trusted you so far.” 

He obliterates the history of Black and Queer soldiers that fought alongside many in combat and you say, “It’s a white man’s world, isn’t it?”

He sends green card holders to be imprisoned in foreign lands – without trials – breaking fundamental laws of our country and you say… nothing. He continues Biden’s genocidal campaign in Gaza to heartless applause…and he cozies up to Putin in your silence.

In less than two months he has shown you how right he was from the very beginning.  He’s still counting on you – to ignore everything he warned you about – and to keep you buying his merch. And that includes electing his mouthpieces, however rude, arrogant, hateful and inhuman they may be. He’s counting on you… to be just like him. 

Here the translated words of new flyers dropped in Gaza (see flyer below): To the people of Gaza, after what happened and the end of the temporary ceasefire and before we start Trump’s compulsory plan which we will proceed with whether you liked it or not, this is the last call for anyone who may share information with us in return for financial support…
Reconsider this. The world map will not change if Gaza’s people disappear. No one will notice you. No one will ask about you..

Neither America nor Europe cares about Gaza. Even the Arab states. They are our allies. They provide us with money, oil, and arms. They only send you shrouds. The game will end soon

Let us prove them wrong. Call your Senators and Reps today, everyday. #FreePalestine

Do Not Comply

There’s no way of knowing how this current unrest will end, but I have one certainty: I will never normalize, nor will I comply with the cruelty that underpins the power elite.

The inability of Democratic leadership to stop aiding Netanyahu’s war crimes and genocide; their refusal to acknowledge the working class; and their tepid response to the far- right takeover of the federal government are acceptances of cruelty. The centrist response of the Democratic party reflected the same weak rhetoric. There was no mention of the working class and Reagan was exalted. Why? Is the battle to end racism, sexism, homophobia, poverty, human health and hunger more than Democrats are willing to tackle? Or is it not convenient to their funders to stop militarism?

There are plenty of voices in the Democratic party that could have given a more passionate call to action, but leadership is still waffling while the cruelty carries on.

The only way we can stop the encroachment of the far right into our lives – which includes social security, Medicare, ending our dependency on the military and the government control in our bedrooms – is to support the Democratic ticket. But if Democrats do not acknowledge and act on the wisdom of caring for the least of us, if they do not allow some teeth to their bite and utilize progressive voices, they will again squander the votes so desperately needed to win: the poor, the marginalized, and the working class. 

The devastation of care through cutting funds, not only in the United States, but the countless people suffering world-wide is unconscionable.

Yet here we are. The boy king rocks the world with cruelty with little to no resistance. There’s little doubt we could do better, the question remains, will we?

*******

And how I spent much of my listening time before, during and after the speech at the Congress. Check out the State of the People – a 24 hour marathon of Black leaders – great conversations and a call to action.

The tepid Democratic Response from Michigan Senator Elissa Slotkin

Bernie’s Response

Change Course

There’s no doubt we’re in for a ride as the chaotic upheaval of the government continues. Certainly, there’ll be people in need and hopefully we’ll find a way around failing systems to help. If you’re still falling in line with Republican or Democrat talking points, it may be time to consider the talking point that suffered the most in both parties’ rhetoric: our humanity.

When a government abdicates its responsibility to protect the welfare of its people by choosing instead to build wealth through military industry and resource theft, that government is not worthy of its people’s allegiance. Since October 2023, we have witnessed a government unyielding in its support of genocide. The hand off from Biden to Trump was seamless and now we are expected to complete the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by a single decree of our president / king. 

And just as South Africa and others accused Israel of genocide, there is now a request for the International Criminal Court to investigate Biden, Blinken and Lloyd for their complicity in genocide by “aiding and abetting” Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

European nations are uniting in fierce opposition to Trump’s erroneous statements on Ukraine. And we must reckon with what appears to be another US resource grab in disregard for the sovereignty of Ukrainians – and what it could mean for other nations if Putin’s aggression continues with US approval.

As the United States wealth gap increases and countless marginalized people face the terror of hatred unleashed and run amuck, we shouldn’t ask, “How did we get here?” In a country whose entire history has been one of attempted genocide of Indigenous people, cruelty of enslaved people and the scapegoating of anyone who challenged the normalcy of the “divine right of kings” – the question should be: “How do we emerge from this horror?” 

It’s beyond time for us to acknowledge, challenge and change the storyline of empire that has been our history. Yes, we have been led by high ideals but time and again we have surrendered those ideals. Whether out of fear of the powerful or the desire to climb the ladder, we have squandered beloved community. We have sacrificed our humanity, our individuality and our human family and for what? Changing course is still an option. It will require a commitment toward peace and peace building. It will require a truth telling and courage to face the backlash that will surely, is surely, coming. It will require a restoration of each individual’s humanity and the reinvigoring of community. It is possible and it is happening for some of us. We can remain frozen in the fear of this moment of violence and repression or rekindle and support the ideals of liberty and equity for all. Choose. 

Thinkin’ Bout us

There are fundamental understandings of living that I have come to accept. That we, human beings, are basically Good, and unfortunately, we have the choice not to be. That being alive is a gift to be cherished regardless of the difficulties, and yet, we often forget how precious it truly is. That all beings are my relatives and cultural differences are a beautiful mosaic to be appreciated, not feared and destroyed.

The great experiment in plurality, which was the only hope for our exceptionalism, is being dismantled. Ruthless greed has taken the place of high vision. Fear has removed the dream of brotherhood. False truths have robbed too many of their ability to think and reason. And hopelessness has found a home in too many hearts.

We the People have been here before. Our collective histories, both written and oral, confirm this and teach us “to make a way out of no way”. It is essential now that we rediscover who we are, not who we were told to be. Like the last of the coals that still carry the glow of warmth and light, we must protect those embers. We must feed them and breathe new life into their flames.

Grace Lee Boggs warned us that it was “time to grow our souls”. I think we are now in the battle to save our souls. I am not referring to any religious doctrine or ideology, but instead to the direct and encompassing action to know ourselves, discover our strengths and be fueled by our passions for life.

I’ve been thinkin ’bout us. 

There are ways out of this mess. Know who you are. Respect for others will follow. Co-create in community and with land. Everything we need here. We got this.

“To make a revolution, people must not only struggle against existing institutions. They must make a philosophical/ spiritual leap and become more ‘human’ human beings. In order to change/ transform the world, they must change/ transform themselves.” ~ Grace Lee Boggs

“I think people are really looking for some way whereby we can grow our souls rather than our economy. I think that at some level, people recognize that growing our economy is destroying us. It’s destroying us as human beings, it’s destroying our planet. I think there’s a great human desire for solutions, for profound solutions – and that nothing simple will do it. It really requires some very great searching of our souls.” ~ Grace Lee Boggs

Graceful Defiance

Twenty-three years ago, I took on coexisting with some land, and gratefully I’m still learning. You recognize that where human footprints have trod the earth becomes less pliant. You learn that every season has a new story to tell and every plant, tree and animal that abides with you is eager to teach. 

Areas that were disturbed by human touch quickly give way to so called invasives. And left unchecked some plants will crowd and eventually weaken others. You find that your good intentions imposed on the land are often unnecessary and unfulfilling.

And you hold the trees close to your heart as friends. The old heirloom orchard holds amazing lessons in diversity and I am certain the ciders we make are among the best anywhere. 

One tree captures my heart. Often ignored, it’s adjacent to the road and I am certain has endured horrible toxicity from asphalt and salt. But still it remains. I’m sure they tore through its life veins as they lay telephone lines. But still it remains.

This tower of the ages, this testament to the will of life is a white pine. And I’m guessing it was planted when the original house was built over 170 years ago, when the road was nothing more than a one lane pass, next to a sweet little stream.

The white pine is a symbol of strength, protection, and longevity. It was under a white pine that five nations of the Haudenosaunee forged an alliance through the Great Law of Peace. That Great Law still guides People towards unity and to the consensus decision making essential to the benefit of all. 

In graceful defiance, we are urged to learn what remains possible. In unity and in Peace within ourselves, with one another and the Earth.

To Live in Uncertainty

In our northern climate, February can be difficult. While few of us rely solely on the summer’s bounty for our sustenance, there could be a sense of scarcity as you eat the last of the greens you put up or taste the last bite of your homemade jam. And if you heat your home with wood, you may be reckoning with the reality that your supply may run short. It is a gamble these days to guess how long or how cold the winter may be and how warm the spring. There is always the unknown in life, however much you plan, and the truth is you just don’t know what will be. And to be able to live in uncertainty and still keep your joie de vive is the art of living.

There is another aspect to February that adds a bit of kindness to the mix of tumult, it is the return of the light and the lengthening of the days. On bright days the sunlight kisses our face and reminds us of the coming of spring and the triumph of summer. That light generates hope and rekindles the memories of less burdensome times. Some people count the days until spring.  I am not one of them. I prefer to meet the challenges of each day with a bit of trust that everything I need will be at hand. Or I am comforted in realizing how little I truly need.

We have collectively been thrown a deep-winter punch in the gut. And while some are gloating at the political upheaval, most are reeling. Hold steady. We have strengths yet to cultivate. Like seeds that are dormant, with proper care they will rise. Love put you here and Love holds you. Never doubt that. We will rise.

Still I Rise

50/50 1 Fifty states / Fifty marches on 2/5/25

You Are Not Rudderless

You are not rudderless. You have the capacity to determine the course of your life. You may not be able to influence circumstances that occur, but you can choose how you will respond to them. 

In this moment, we can do well to be touched again “by the better angels of our nature”, as Lincoln once penned.* The order of the day is to resist the cruel and power wielding nature of man and return again to our capacity to be human. We’ve witnessed the upsurge of violence and hatred, but we have yet to extol and promote the power of benevolence and goodwill.

We have succumbed, by default and by choice, to the most egregious calamities both to the earth and to one another. We have, by default or by choice, handed our power to the ignorant and the arrogant and we will now collectively suffer the consequences of our inaction.

And what would it look like to return again to our humanity? Foremost, it would mean that a majority of us would reclaim our rudders, or better to say our moral compass. It would mean we would take time to discover in silence and in the reckoning of our own being, what is most important to us.  

What we may find are common threads that run throughout humanity – our desire to live in peace, to respect and be respected, and to know the capacity of the earth to care for us and to feed us.  Certainly, we would understand and cultivate dignity.

There is no dignity in being rudderless. There is no dignity in allowing suffering. There is no dignity in following inhumanity to its end. Your moral compass knows this. Take it out, dust it off and let’s begin again.

*From Lincoln’s inaugural address, “We are not enemies, but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.”

Presidential Actions after 1 week in office. – Many are being contested in courts and some have already been rescinded due to public outcry. Refuse to be victims.

Let’s Celebrate! Diversity Equity and Inclusion

Don’t hesitate to let your Congress to know how you feel. Find your Congress members here.

AND KEEP LEARNING and SHOWING UP

Dipping Into Honey

I had some honey the other day. It wasn’t what I have grown to expect from honey. It had remarkable flavor. I could taste the flowers and it left me wanting more. As I continue to dip into that honey jar, I realize that what I enjoy is the love that went into making it.

In this blurred time when “civilization” is forced to reckon with tremendous failures, I keep coming back to this: I want to feel love. I want to bathe in the exquisiteness of being alive. And I want to share that joy of living with everyone. 

I want to feel the power of kindness. I want to know the depths of compassion. I want to dive into the freedom that no one can take away from me.  The freedom that comes from knowing who I am. Who I am. Behind the labels, behind the beliefs, behind the years of experience, behind what others think. Who I am. Knowing that has made all the difference.

In that knowing is my strength. In that knowing is my compass. You know, that moral compass that seems to be eluding many these days. In knowing my self, I can take action. Without fear.

I must keep walking, even when I fail. To be conscious even in the darkest of times. And to seek the light of others when I need and to offer light when I can. This I can do. Day to day, moment by moment.

It’s a tall order, I know, but it hasn’t kept me from wanting it. We always have choice – allow our humanity to be diminished or emerge victors of the greatest opportunity offered – to be alive and to stay in love. Dip into the honey, friends.

From Vision to Reality

This is the month we celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, his wisdom and his humanity. We reflect on his vision of a country united in compassion, love, justice and peace. We do this in stark contrast to the vitriol of division that has swept through and consumes our land. 

We do this as ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) seeks to locate itself in our communities in fulfillment of the campaign promise to have swift deportations of our friends, neighbors and co-workers on day one. We do this as the federal government ignores international laws of human rights. By detaining people accused of crime, but not allowing due process through our judicial system, we are not only disregarding international law, but the laws of our own Constitution.

As current anti-immigrant legislation is passing through Congress, we witness our elected officials sign on to mandatory detention for minor offences and empower states’ attorney generals to weaken immigration policies and block visa programs. 

Driven by unjustified fears and old bigotries, too many of us will be ignoring the inhumanity that will be ushered in. 

This, as the media continues to squelch the cost to our economy as we lose this vital workforce. This, as we will thrust human beings into illegal and inhuman conditions while they await their fate.  This, as we forgo our own humanity and diminish the humanity of our friends, neighbors and co-workers. 

There are many working to ensure migrant workers are aware of their rights in this reckless time.  One is WISDOM WISCONSIN. It’s a faith based, predominantly Christian, statewide network of volunteers who are refusing to be complicit.

From their website: Support Immigrant Rights in Wisconsin! No matter where we come from, what our color, how we worship, or what our immigration status is, we are all in Wisconsin, and we all want to provide for our families.

WISDOM brings together people from across racial, geographic and economic lines to demand fair and safe immigration processes for all families, just like we won civil rights in our past. By joining all in together, we can make Wisconsin a place that honors all families, no exceptions.

From ZETEO: Challenging the mischaracterizations and lies.

Know Your Legal Rights When Dealing with ICE Immigration Enforcement: The US Constitution provides rights for everyone, regardless of immigration status. Right against Unreasonable Search and Seizure (4th Amendment) is based on personhood, not on citizenship.

1. Right to Due Process

2. Right to legal counsel

3. Right to be with family

4. Right against unreasonable search and seizure

5. Right to education

“I do not consent to any searches, I will not speak without a lawyer present”

“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

― Martin Luther King Jr., I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., center, leads a group of civil rights workers and Selma black people in prayer on Feb. 1, 1965 in Selma, Alabama after they were arrested on charges of parading without a permit. More than 250 persons were arrested as they marched to the Dallas County courthouse as part of a voter registration drive. (AP Photo/BH)

We Are All Frontline

2025 is coming in like 2024 went out. Earthquake in Tibet, fires around Los Angeles and Acra, are just a few of the calamities we’re facing. We, the human family. We, the ones who can learn from the past and develop strategies of coexistence on this miraculous planet – or we, the ones who succumb to division and greed. Who will we be?

A few years ago, the term “frontline communities” emerged. It referred to those who lived in proximity to dangerous environmental pollutant. Now, the term “sacrifice zone” is used to express a region that is offered up to the powers of corporate greed in the name of sustainability. But what is being sustained? The capitalist model of usury is the only thing I see that we’re sustaining. Clearly not the communities. Clearly not human beings.

We are willingly selling out our children’s future on earth – but wait – I heard today there might have been life on Mars. And the spin continued: previous life on Mars could indicate that a human family could possibly be sustained there. In the future. Your future? Hardly. Your grandchildren’s? Doubtful. But we are placing bets on these hypothetical futures while ignoring our present conditions.

We are rapidly going down the “unlikely to return” scenario, but not enough of us are noticing. 

Oh, Jimmy Carter got it way back in the 70’s when he told us we would need to use less energy. I watched my friends ignore the warning and instead backed the slick talking money man Reagan. I shook my head then. I’m still shaking my head now. 

We are all frontline people. The upheaval of the earth and the insidious and murderous violence perpetrated by human beings have made this so.

Some of us are just waiting our turn for our world to be upended. Some of us are preparing for the worst. But the wisest among us are working to restore the balance we have squandered – with one another and the earth. Who will we be?

May we rise to help one another. May we restore the dignity that is surely within us.