Category: Uncategorized

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.

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

Restore Human Dignity

For decades, we allowed the narrative regarding Israel to dominate our thinking and our choices. In doing so, we allowed the humanity of Palestinians to be diminished. We have turned our eyes as Israel developed a system of control that included water rationing, check points, blocked access, settler theft of Palestinian land, homes and sovereignty, bogus arrests and mistreatment of children and so much more. Israel is and has been an apartheid state.

For the past ten months we continued our path of complicity during the inhuman and illegal crimes against humanity that Israel has waged on the Palestinian people since the horrific attack by Hamas.

The more I learn, the more painful the reality. Biden has given more military aid to Israel than any president before him. Supporting Israel’s right to defend itself does not extend to mass slaughter of civilians. As the nations of the world have increasingly moved towards censoring and boycotting Israel because of its crimes against humanity, the United States alone has declared unwavering support for the roque nation. In doing so, we condone genocide. In doing so we prolong the human misery and relinquish any path towards peace.

I am not going to quote numbers of dead, missing, or injured (but you can read it here). I have done that weekly since October. It does not seem to move our hearts, nor do we act to end the madness.

Last week far too many Congress members applauded the war criminal Netanyahu in a joint session of Congress. It seems our citizens are more concerned with bashing the Olympic opener then ending our relationship with the butcher Netanyahu.  This self proclaimed “Christian nation” is awash in hypocrisy.

VP Harris has distanced herself from Biden’s lock step with Israel. It is up to us to make sure that distance widens. The U.S. military aid to Israel must end quickly as Netanyahu seems determined to drive the Mideast into a regional war. 

Keep applying pressure on Biden and Harris to recognize a free Palestine and to restore human dignity and independence – for all of us.

https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/not-another-bomb-sign-on-letter/
NOT ANOTHER BOMB sign on letter.

The Will of Life

I found a pile of feathers and straw in the barn. It was a barn swallow nest that had fallen from the rafter. When I moved the fluffy haven three fledgling birds were struggling underneath. Instincts kicked in to save them and I found a basket to hold them in hopes that their mother would hear their cries.  A closer look on the ground showed another seemingly lifeless sibling. I decided to hold it; in case it was not dead and in hopes that the warmth from my hand would ignite its will to live. Within moments it was squirming and I delighted in the will of Life to live. 

This on the morning I learned of the massacre of nineteen children and two adults at the hand of an eighteen year old. And I wondered what experiences had ripped compassion out of that eighteen year old heart? What twisted mindset had found a home in this unfortunate that had him ignore the will of Life?

Gratitude kicked in for all that has been given and for the choices I have made. I have learned to choose compassion over inhumanity, and I have allowed myself to hold kindness over hopelessness. It appears that many are struggling in an abyss of darkness, letting the will of Life pass them by. We have all participated in this growth of despair. It is a choice to belong to the voices that champion our goodness over our evil. And to still believe there is a way out.

We are born with a will to live, to thrive and to flourish. Circumstances will come and go, but the key remains. The will to love life is ours to protect, to learn from and to share. 

We cannot let fear destroy it.

  • The photo is not a barn swallow, but another fledgling that found its will to live.

No More Excuses

The new covid relief bill is in the making and millions of dollars are being slated to go to the Pentagon in one form or another. The Republican measure includes billions for F-35 fighters, Apache helicopters, and even more to appease military lobbyists.

The manufacturing corporations who will benefit are in states where Republican Senators may need to “bring home the bacon” in order to win re-election in the fall. And while my friends on social media explain to me that this is how it’s always done, I’m stymied by how ignorant many on Capitol Hill remain on the plight of the majority of Untied States citizens. And more importantly I am shocked that far too many of us are not speaking up to remind them.

In August, the federal eviction moratorium is set to expire. There is no moratorium relief offered in this newly proposed bill. By October, it is estimated that some nineteen to twenty three million – renter households could be in jeopardy of eviction – and yet the Republican HEAL act, as it is known, is flagrantly ignoring this potential upheaval of human lives.

There are those on the Hill who are still fighting the good fight. Senator Sanders is among them, but unless and until the majority of citizens join in the cries for economic and racial justice, greed will continue to lead the pack. It’s time for more people to come to the aid of the few who have never given up on what this country can truly be.

An election in November will not save us if the trajectory of division and greed prevail. A united voice of the citizenry that demands compassion and kindness over militaristic power must emerge.

For that to happen, sitting on the sidelines can no longer be an option.

 

PHOTO BY NANCY WONG compliments of wikipedia commons.

PROTESTORS LOCK ARMS IN FRONT OF THE INTERNATIONAL HOTEL TO PREVENT OFFICERS OF THE SAN FRANCISCO SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT FROM EVICTING THE HOTEL’S TENANTS IN THE EARLY MORNING HOURS AUGUST 1977.

Compassion Demands It

Circumstances have a way of teaching us who we are. Earlier this week ten chicks were hatched and the mother seemed stellar. But overnight she had pecked one of the chicks and it was nearly dead. I took it in and gave it water, warmed it and watched it revive. Two days went by, the chick strengthened and I thought, “let’s try”. Mom and babes were on a walk-about and I let the chick join in. All seemed fine, so I left for a short time. When I returned, there was the chick, pecked and disheveled in the dirt. I picked it up and this time it was much worse.

I couldn’t wrap my head around why. Sure, she may have sensed something about this chick that I could not see, but regardless of the why, the hen was being true to her nature…and so was I.

Compassion is a brilliant part of being human. It enlivens our heart and keeps us present to life.

Defund the policeversus keep the police just as they are, is the hot debate of the day. And if you follow the logic that says human nature is bad, then you are probably all in for militarized police.

But humanity is not single sided and if there is bad in us, there is also good. We have tried punitive measures. They have not worked. They have been used to harm people and surely they have brought harm to the men and women who wear the badge. What is being asked of us is to consider new approaches that could bring better results for everyone.

It may not be a smooth transition to restorative justice and community policing, but it is the path before us. Wisdom would say we should try. Compassion demands it.

 

Thanks to WDRT 91.9 Driftless Community Radio for continuing to air “Consider This” every Thursday 5:30 pm CD.T

 

Refuse to Surrender

Hope, like faith, cannot be blind. It needs to be active and engaged. It requires love and consciousness. And it exists in each of us.

These days hope is easily dashed. When we are hopeless we are easily misled and easily crushed. Fear becomes the dominant force.

And fear is hope’s enemy; especially the paralyzing kind that grips us when we believe there is nothing we can do.

I understand why many of my friends cannot follow the news. The facts and the fabrications are daunting. Just the numbers of worldwide refugees are enough to overwhelm us. The displacement of people due to war, natural disaster, persecution and violence have resulted in over 60 million human beings forced from their homes over the past two decades.

Sixty million children, women and men, young and old, have been driven from their homes. With daily news of over crowded camps, disease and starvation, they are crying to be recognized and desperate to be helped.

Recent events in Syria have underscored the fact that governments are not helping and are more likely the cause of forced displacement.

Hoping that our government or any government will save the day is simply blind. Religious leaders too, are often mired in politics, greed or scandal and guide with fear, not hope.

I am of the mindset that everything we need is at hand. It is not a whimsical fairy tale. It’s an idea born of experience.

Hope is the launching point of action. It is the direct result of courageous conviction and supreme trust. And it is born in the heart of an individual who refuses to surrender to ignorance.

I will leave you with these words of Desmond Tutu: “Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

 

Time’s Up*

As our numbed grief gives way to anger and debates wage over gun control, I must pause and question, “What is at the root of terrorism”? Leaders are finally acknowledging white domestic terrorism and are willing to accept mental illness as blame. And while I do not doubt the illness of individuals who carry out horrendous crimes against humanity, it seems a futile gesture to simply blame guns and video games when our entire society is riddled with sickness.

Genocide and “might is right” have plagued this country from its inception. The ideals of the melting pot and “Give me your tired, your poor…” are unfinished tasks left to weary generations. But these observations do not answer the question, “What is the root of terrorism?”

What belief, what social construct allows a human being to hold himself or herself above another? What confused thinking has replaced human decency? What is the root of this disease?

In traditional healing of indigenous cultures, disease is not thought to be isolated to an individual. It is communally shared. Perhaps this should be a starting point as we reel from white domestic terrorism and seek solutions.

We have inherited a mindset, it is patriarchal in nature, it is controlling in its manifestation, and it is kept in place by fear. None of us are exempt from this mental disease. Some people function better than others in its wake, but none of us are immune.

What arises when the promises of this mindset are not granted or attained? Resentment of others and unfounded fear take root.

Fear driving people to have automated guns and violence taught in video games are sinister. But they are symptoms, not the cause.

If we want to see an end to white domestic terrorism, we need to eradicate the patriarchy that breeds it.

 

 

Driving home from WDRT where I recorded this piece on white domestic terrorism, I heard this song, “Times’s Up” by Song Suffragettes and decided it was an appropriate title and an important message.

Photo by Maryam Hassan. Thank you!

The Return of Light

Solstice is upon us. The return of light is known and celebrated throughout the world and over the ages. For most of the human clan, who live on the land and know the hardships of winter, this time of year holds tremendous hope. And while often the harshest of winter lies ahead and stored foods and supplies run low, the return of the sun is celebrated with abundance and friendship and wonder.

This remembrance is validation of the human spirit and our relationship to the earth. We drum and dance. We sing and pray. We plan the coming spring and of the wonderful bounty the earth will provide. And to those who say, “How foolish to celebrate the end of darkness because darkness has no end,” I say this, “Darkness will forever give way to light. It cannot exist in the presence of the sun”.

In these times when darkness has penetrated the soul of mankind; when the prophesies of doom have taken hold of too many, those who can still celebrate, must.

We do not celebrate theories and explanations. It’s not a feeding of the mind. It’s a feeding of the heart. There is no debate. The days will grow longer and the sun will warm the earth and the earth will give of herself so that we can be sustained. It is our effort that is welcomed, not our cynicism.

There is an idea that stops us and it is called scarcity. We fear it. And we claim it as an enemy. It is said, ‘what you sow, so shall you reap’. If anything can help us turn around this ignorant time it is simply this: Put your hands in the soil. Plant seeds. Plant trees. Feed one another. And feed yourself from the cup of love and hope you have within you. Celebrate that light.

 

Thanks to WDRT  for  the opportunity to speak these words on “Consider This”. You can listen to it here on Soundcloud.

Walking

As I write, it is reported that there may be as many as 7, 000 Honduran migrants walking through the scorching Mexican sun to reach their destination – political asylum in the United States. Contrary to the wild reports made by our president of terrorists and gang members among them, the people are largely mothers with children desperate to seek new beginnings from our country, which is preparing to close our borders to them. And yet another wave of 2000 Honduran people are preparing to begin the journey north.

It is not because Honduran people like the treacherous journey that they walk. They walk out of desperation.

These caravans of human beings have been occurring for some time with people trying to escape the violence and poverty of their country. A country greatly diminished by the United States supported coup d’état in 2009. What we are witnessing is the end result of a series of missteps by United States foreign policy in the region. What they are fleeing is a repressive Honduran government aided by the financial and technical support of the United States.

And before we put blame on the Trump administration we must understand the role of the Obama administration and the actions of then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in creating this human nightmare. We must recon with the reality that our military is and has been used to benefit corporate interests – both here and abroad.

To understand that our politics, regardless of affiliation has been imperialistic; that our military has been used to support corporate greed could wake us to the reality that it is our responsibility to rein in the unleashed power of the United States. It is up to each of us to fight for the preservation of our humanity.

It is time to lend a hand, not build another bomb.

 

You can listen to this on Soundcloud. It aired on WDRT Thursday Nov 1.

*photo on Facebook, no credit found, but it does tell the story…