Tag: Be Human

Talk of Hope

This is from my book The Peace Warrior, a section called Talk of Hope from 2008.

Before I begin, I’ll clarify my meaning of “growing corn”. The meaning of the phrase, “Can you grow corn with it?” can be as basic as: “Will the land sustain you?” Or in philosophical terms it can mean: “Is all your talk ‘pie in the sky’ or will it deliver?”.

From The Peace Warrior:

“There’s a lot of talk about hope these days, talk about hope is good, growing corn is better. Talk about hope is a lot like reading a menu when you’re hungry. It’s not quite satisfying.

Me, I’m always hungry. I guess that’s why I like living on a farm. I know where my food is coming from. 

All this talk makes me hungry. Are you hungry? Do you know some hungry people? Are we ready to grow some corn?

Bring the kids who don’t know where milk comes from. Bring the old ones who remember. Bring the ones who like the dirt and the ones who aren’t sure.

I can’t think of a more singularly hopeful act right now than to grow corn. I’m not talking ethanol. I’m talking about going Green and feeding people. Talking about protecting and stewarding land so kids can see the stars. About sustained organics so “techno” food will be a fleeting and very bad idea. Talking about saving water, not just passing laws about it. Talking about saving seeds and ending hunger. Talking about inner city gardens and solar heating to keep us warm. Talking about the end of plastics and leaving oil in the ground, so our children need not go to war.”

There are prayers imbedded in hope. Or good wishes, for those who reject the notion of prayer. Either way, unactualized hope will never feed our longing. We are needed. Let’s get busy.

As I finished this piece for WDRT the news flash came about the execution of a young Black man, by Madison police. Numerous bystanders and witnesses video taped the encounter which included three loud shots to a body on the ground. People could be heard saying, “They killed him.” Immediately following the firsthand accounts of the killing came the slanted coverage of media and the police statements regarding the shooting and the young man. It took hours before they admitted he was dead. It took even longer before they named him. Corey Ruiz.

Corey Ruiz, however troubled, did not deserve to be executed. A family does not need to mourn. A community does not need to be divided by protecting or abolishing the police.

It is very clear we are in dangerous times. In too many cases law “enforcement” has become judge, jury and executioner. As painful as this is, what cuts even more deeply are the people who defend the actions of police and ignore the racism behind too many of them. It is time we address abolishing violence. It is time we reckon with our racist roots. It is past time we heal. “Keep hope alive” and speak up and show up if you are able. Do not let hatred win.

Photo from Wisconsin Examiner article: Madison police kill man in broad daylight in front of witnesses

What Every Gardener Must Know

There are things that show up in your garden that just should not be there. Wisdom tells us to pull weeds or put up a fence to keep varmints out early in the season. If we don’t, the effort it will take at harvest will be overwhelming and disappointing. 

These days I spend cutting wild rose and autumn olive in the orchard. Years ago, someone warned me that the wild rose could take over. I ignored his plea to take action. A little aromatic rose couldn’t be that bad, right? I was wrong. Like grape vine, the tentacles of the wild rose reach into the apple branches and are destructive. They tear through clothing and no animal cares to eat them.

photo: wild rose encroaching on a young oak….but not for long.

Not catching the encroachment of autumn olive on the perimeters was another mistake. Both invasives take their toll on the diversity of indigenous wildflowers and luscious greens. Now as I spend time clearing away what should not have been, I delight in the variety, and the increased abundance of wildlife tells me I am on the right path.  

Another bonus of tending the orchard is the respite from the madness that surrounds us these days. And I have to acknowledge the obvious. The seeds of colonial destruction and the cruelty of capitalism should never have been allowed to take root in the garden of the Americas. 

We must do all that we can, in whatever ways that we can, to stop the encroachment of ignorance into our lives and our communities. Truth telling and not recoiling from the backlash that will surely come is an antidote. Finding like-minded souls willing to forge a new way is essential. And key is the enjoyment of the discovery of what has always been: being human in this glorious home we call earth. 

Hope to see some of you here in Madison on Sunday, May 10, 6 pm. Independent journalism and beloved community. Carry on Amy Goodman!

Be Like Spring

Spring is very clear in its agenda. New buds, new sprouts, new life must emerge past the old, the tired, and the dead. And in its exuberance, Spring is irresistible. The April rains, while a bit pounding this year, have already washed away much to be discarded. It is always exciting to see what has survived and what is being born again. 
And this is as it should be in our lives and in our communities. There are well worn paths that bring us sweet memories and comfort us and there are paths that do not deserve our footsteps. 

These are age old and simple truths: Give way to the new; fears and clinging to the past make us tired and weary.
Be like Spring. Be like the animals and birds shaking off the winter. Enjoy the nourishment that is meant to be savored and is especially gifted to us. 

And how do we know what must be discarded? Beliefs that tie us to separation are not worthy to be kept. Beliefs that cause harm to ourselves and to others should not be entertained.

It’s really very simple to ask, “How does this make me feel?” Anger and hatred consume our essence. The Nature of Spring has no time for this nonsense. It is buoyant with life for the living; and this is how we can be.

If the seasons teach us anything, we know renewal is welcomed. Too many of us, whatever our ages, are missing out on that possibility. Nature is a wonderful teacher. And recognizing we are not separate from her is a worthy first step. 

We live in an amazing area, the Driftless, with boundless springs and streams, forests and fields that wait for our appreciative footsteps to wonder. Let us feel it. Be like Spring.

Trajectory

I’ve been thinking a lot about trajectory. So, I took a moment to look up the word. “The path of a flying object moving under the action of given forces”. In Latin, it roughly translates to “throw across”. I found this over simplification rather boring and so I read on about the trajectory of life. It referred to the overall path one’s life is taking, with an emphasis on cumulative choices and experiences that can be intentionally guided or altered.

Now that’s more like it. Intentionally guided choices, not the throw of the dice take-what-comes theory of life. But the reminder that our relationship to life’s experiences, however harmful, however elated, can be altered by our choice. That I am not a victim to circumstance; I have the free will to perceive and the gift of conscious choice to steer my trajectory. And while I may not be able to alter the external, I most definitely can choose the path of my soul.  

How I think and what I choose to give my attention to is my hidden power. And once I arrive at my knowing about any given subject, it’s my duty to preserve my compass and maintain the chosen trajectory of my life. It is my duty and my responsibility to hold the course of the Good within me. And that need not have words, nor does it need to be seen. 

Today confusion challenges us. We’re easily motivated by consumptive greed and fall prey to power and the seemingly powerful. And in doing so we forgo the discernment that is gifted to us at birth. 

Be clear about your goal. And do everything you can to keep it in line with your highest possibility. It is available to you.

The good news is while it’s easy to get lost; it is as easy to right ourselves. Seek wisdom within. Choose your trajectory wisely.

As I looked for images of trajectories, arrows and such, I came across this little image and the author was “youth hostel” and they gave it freely “to the world”. Whoever you are, thank you. We share a similar trajectory. It captures my piece precisely. Even the smile.

Abolish ICE

Created as part of the Homeland Security Act; ICE began in 2003. Currently, if separated from the federal government, it’s estimated that ICE would rank 13th in the world as a militarized army. And now as people are beginning to challenge the legitimacy of militarized and masked police in neighborhoods, smashing car windows, brutally accosting men, women and children one has to wonder who still supports this and why?

Have we not had enough violence? Why have we allowed, without conscience or dignified care, families severed and human beings detained in deplorable conditions? Is our hatred of people who are different so great that we’re willing to see an escalation in inhumanity? Three shots to the head of an unarmed woman and no one is in custody. A Black father and citizen killed by an off-duty agent because he celebrated New Year’s Eve. Are the screams of the children not reaching our ears? Who are you: the ones who cheer these obscene acts? Who are you: the silent ones? 

We have another opportunity to reel in this rogue organization. An appropriations package to further inflate ICE’s budget is being considered by Congress. It must pass with 60 votes. If Republicans hold to their capitulation to this administration, there would still be a need for seven Democrats to support the increase to ICE. Democrats must not support this increased funding. We can and must make that clear. The January 30th deadline to stop this vote is looming. We have time to bring it to an end.

This is when ordinary citizens must become extraordinary. This is when the silent must speak.

Frederick Douglas famously reflected, “Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will”. 

Demand legislators vote against increasing ICE funding. And while you’re at it call for ICE to be abolished. 

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

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PEOPLE OVER PAPERS

Graphic by Just Seeds

America First is America Alone

We are desensitized to killing. Leadership no longer recognizes nor respects international law or the norms of human decency. The United States / Israeli partnership continues the genocide of Palestinians. Turning our backs on this slaughter has empowered it. We have forsaken the independence of Ukraine and the slaughter in Sudan. The United States Christmas bombing in Nigeria was useless propaganda that harmed innocent civilians. We’re still unclear about the nearly one hundred sailors and fishermen blown up in the Caribbean. And as we learn of eighty civilians and soldiers and thirty-two Cubans killed by our bombs in Venezuela, we are distracted by the desire to take over Greenland. No time to mourn. Threats of militarization and regime change have been made regarding Mexico, Iran, Columbia, Cuba and continue in Venezuela. 

America first is now America alone. Might is right has replaced our humanity. And who will stop the United States military, led by ruthless capitalists stealing land and oil and protecting their ultra rich crony pedophiles? 

A senseless murder in Minneapolis at the hands of ICE brings the ruthlessness back home. The lies and propaganda still work on a handful, but the streets are and will continue to be lined with human beings saying “No More”. No more disappearing our neighbors and friends. No more theft of our souls.

Project 2025, the authoritarian playbook disguised as a manual for the creation of a Christian nation, is afoot, and the ignorant are all for it.

If you’re still supporting this madness, it’s doubtful these words will touch you. I write for those who see the calamity before us and to encourage the silent fringe to wake up, that we may remove the bullies we have empowered and allow the possibility of peace to reign.

Reclaiming our humanity with courage and dignity will stop this death march.  

In our human belonging, we are never alone.

Vigil for Renee Good, brutally murdered by ICE in Minneapolis, 1/7/26

Every Winter Carries Seeds of Spring

The Return of Light is upon us. People celebrate this season in many different ways yet universal themes prevail: good will to all, sharing abundance, the need for community, and a recognition of life’s evolving seasons.

Solstice, the darkest time of year, is known as a time of reflection and renewal. Some cultures celebrated for as many as fifteen days, coming together for communal strength to face the bleakness of winter. They came seeking warmth, for feasting, to share the stories of their becoming and to illuminate the possibilities and dreams of what may still be.

Winter is known as the oldest season. It’s a time of passing and of death. It reminds us of our finite nature – that as much as we are beings of spirit, we also live in temporal time, with a beginning and an end. We welcome the return of light, but also reckon with endings and the recycling of life. We come together to celebrate and also to mourn. 

Winter, if we allow it, demands withdrawal from frenetic energies so that we may take solace in the quiet stillness that envelops us. And if we are fortunate and can give our attention to it, we’re gifted with stillness within us as well.

Winter draws us inward. It’s this inward pull and outward need for community that instructs us as human beings. It’s the recognition that light will come again and this is not merely a faint hope. It is our knowing. We know the light will come because we have witnessed it. In this way, knowing is a vital human trait that protects us from doubt. Now more than ever we need to wake up to our knowing and to the seeds of becoming that await us. 

In many cultures time was marked by winter, and the questions were asked: “How many winters have you lived?” Or “How many winters have you been a human being?”

This question and recognition of our humanity may be the most important one we can ask ourselves and answer now. As the vestiges of uprightness are being mocked and stripped away, it is imperative for each of us to reclaim the better angels of our humanity. Because we can. Every winter carries seeds of spring. Nurture those seeds.

Coercion Does Not Bring Peace

In 2016 I answered the call to go to the stand at Standing Rock. People around the world heard the prayers and came to protect the water. We saw the indecency of a country willing to destroy the Missouri River and the lives of People dependent on that river with a pipeline of crude oil from Canada.  We refused to allow another broken treaty destroy Indigenous life. We witnessed the collusion of corporate and militarized police attacking peaceful, unarmed people, once again. Our history. One of conqueror and conquest, of usury and greed. 

People endured water cannons, rubber bullets, tear gas and more from humans in full tactical gear who also answered a call. They followed the orders given by the king of the time, Obama.

I was there for the all-night stand at the bridge; and for the false surrender and lies that took the encampment down and everything that happened in between. I remain witness to this horrible breach in humanity and will be forever indebted to the People who upheld the very best in us.

Seeds were planted that still reverberate. The acknowledgement of those who came before – and those who will come after gave strength and courage. Yet many still do not know or care.

We are at war with ourselves. This Battle has ensued in every life throughout time. Who will we be? Which call will we answer? 

Beliefs were shattered at Standing Rock. They’re being shattered now, too. They need to be. Belief that the government works for us, while it has repeatedly demonstrated that militarism is the its interest. Beliefs that one side or the other are the team to beat. Divide and conquer has worked for the powerful throughout our history. The belief in scarcity over the possibility of abundance. And the ignorance that continues to teach peace through coercion which has never been true. We need to free ourselves from these lies.

We’re not spectators; the sidelines no longer exist. For everyone who has the capacity, it is time to answer the call. Be human.

As our military is poised to destroy Venezuela and uses fishing vessels as target practice to breed fear; as we enter the third year of genocide and still pay Israel to ignore International Law and all human decency; as erasure of predominantly Brown and Black People is strategically carried out in mass deportations; and Queer People are reminded they are lessor than; as the king of “peace” adds the threat of nuclear testing; as children go hungry and people speak of eugenics with the dismantling of health care; as the Army Corps grants Enbridge permission to reroute Line 5…

The destruction of the East Wing is a symptom. Find ways to change the things we can. Stay focused. Empathy is our superpower. And true peace is still waiting for us. It is the option we have not tried.

The photos are courtesy of Ryan Vizzions (Redhawk) and are from Standing Rock. Thanks Ryan, your work continues to teach people and remind us all of who we are.

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