@earthangel Your message really resonated me, especially thanking the Universe and our guides for the ability to have sensitivity to the world and this existence.
And to your point about the challenges you have endured: I was talking with a work colleague whose longtime mentor passed away suddenly last year. It was a shock to all of us, but especially to her, who had worked with him so closely for 20+ years. She said that the shock and grieving of his death prepared her to deal better with the current situation in the world.
It's similar to how I feel witnessing my mother go through the later stages of her incurable neurodegenerative disease.
I don't mean to glorify suffering, but rather to say how it can open us up to a larger view of the world and ourselves.
I don't mean to glorify suffering, but rather to say how it can open us up to a larger view of the world and ourselves.
Exactly. Suffering and grief shape your new "normal".
I only can save my own soul in this battle btw good and evil.
However by "saving" yourself, your energy will help "save" others. It's contagious and inevitable.
What a wonderful post and a great conversation starter. This reminds me of flight attendants who tell you before the start of every trip:
“In the unlikely event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, oxygen masks will drop from the panel above your head. Please be sure to secure your own mask before helping others.”
The unlikely event has happened.
I have the tools to get through the crisis which are the Spiritual gifts, intuition and life experiences. I've been given each throughout out my life. I must secure my own mask FIRST by taking stock of my gifts and using them because if I don't take care of myself, I can't possibly help others, nor can I survive the crisis. When our masks are securely fastened, we can help others with their own masks. BUT, they must be willing to use their tool(s) and breathe in the life saving air themselves. I can't breathe for them but I can help show them a light, it is their choice to step onto the lit path or stay in the dark and well, suffocate.
May we all discover our gifts and embrace them as we travel through these times. May we carry truth, love, hope and enlightenment on our journey forward to the next chapter.
@lynn, Thank you for your open-hearted honesty, and surrounding you with healing light and protection from the disabling effects of anxiety and distress.
@earthangel, thank you for a beautiful post.
I find it stunning that so many in this country don't seem to realize what the machinations of this administration are actually doing. It is so clear to me. In the 1930's the Fascists controlled the media, like Truth Social, Sinclair media etc now. Their leader encouraged formation of the SA, like ICE today, encouraged ppl to be in uniform for a common cause unity of 'belonging', the 'inferiors' were pointed out and the citizens were indoctrinated into hatred of 'the other'. Protestors were imprisoned or eliminated. People were terminated from their jobs as the fist of control tightened. 'The other', be it due to their religion, being a member of the intelligencia or thinking class, or the sick or non-productive inhabitants, were eliminated by removal from the country, being placed in concentration camps, or otherwise being disenfranchised. It is a replay of what we've seen before in history, and yet, as a society, we have not stopped it, and even the Supreme Court is enabling its development. It appears to be a time where Americans have scales over their eyes and cannot see. I pray for Light to banish this darkness.
@classictravelr Believe it or not, here in Germany we discuss exactly this topic extensively, and it is already a typical part of daily lessons in schools everywhere in my country. In English class: “How the US is changing right now”; in politics class: “Is there anywhere in the world a democracy moving toward autocracy or dictatorship right now, how does that work and how could citizens deal with it, what changes might they face?”; in history class: “What was it like here in 1933, what is it like today on the other side of the Atlantic?”; in music class with songs by Bruce Springsteen, etc. I think the topic has not yet reached math class, but who knows, given the issue of tariffs, it may soon be included in percentage calculations 🤔. Well, at least I can report that, according to the general consensus among German teachers, it is definetely not yet like what we faced here in 1933, but there is an obvious example of an ongoing shift from democracy to autocracy somewhere in the world right now. You think no one has realized this? Everyone, everyone, everyone in the whole world with media can see it on a brightly lit stage, and surely all schoolchildren in the Western democratic part of the world are discussing about it every day. I am very sure that this is not only in German schools the case (perhaps a little more here because we had grandparents and parents who witnessed 1933 and we do remember all their stories very very well). Why is it that all the people in the US doesn't seem to realize a change, but every non-US citizen somewhere else in the democtratic Western world does realize and is discussing it a lot, even the school children? Hmm, are people in an autocracy actually still allowed to say really everything out loud? Hold on, let me ask some of the German teachers at school here. It is their top topic of the day, I mean, their top topic of every day, anyway.
Joy, thank you for your comments. First, I believe education is of utmost importance so we can look back with an experienced eye to see commonality with previous events and movements from the past. I have always been interested in history... to find out why things are the way they are in the world, and my travels in Europe decades ago were enlightening. In the US, education is mostly funded locally by property taxes, and due to budget constraints and other priorities, national education is uneven. I may be mistaken, but I'm under the impression that the Northern and Eastern states have given education investment more priority, including history classes. Many people seem to think history is unnecessary and a waste of time in their day-to-day lives, but in fact, history teaches us about the Big World and how things have gone right- or wrong- during different eras, how to see what is likely to happen if we don't change direction, and how to recover. There is a comment in the Old Testament Bible referring to the People being unable to see where they were going wrong, like they had 'scales over their eyes'. I pray the Light can lift off the scales sooner than later, because we are in for a very bad time if people continue to believe social media lies & propaganda, and continue their ignorant march into darkness.
@classictravelr Oh, absolutely! Education is so incredibly important, isn't it? I must admit that your answer did surprise me a little. I had no idea that politics and history aren't part of the regular curriculum in US schools. I hope I understood you correctly, but I'm not sure. Have you answered, that it is not common for sixth graders and older kids in the US to be able to list the differences between democracy, autocracy and dictatorship? And that it is not regular that every 6-grader would be able to explain at least a bit what we as citizens can and need to do to keep democracy alive? And have you answered that it is not normal standard for at least the 8-graders and above to know exactly what destroyed democracy in Germany in 1933? (Except for those very lazy pupils of course). Instead, it depends on the US region and the property taxes there if school kids would be able to answer all this and if they would know? Sorry, I am definetely surprised about this, if this was really part of what you have answered me. It is not in the regular curriculum? You must be kidding......
Joy--I will have to ask my granddaughters about their more recent high school curriculum experience. Even back in the 60's & 70's when I was in school, it seemed there was a fading interest in history classes, with likely one American History class during 2 semesters, and after that, as I recall, it was mostly an elective. Since I've always had an interest and curiosity in European history (my roots are in Dusseldorf & Pommern), and learned a bit of German in the home (grandma would switch to German when she didn't want me to know what she was talking about, LOL) I've always been interested in why things are the way they are. I remember her sending packages to family members near Stettin in the 1950's, as things were still very bad there. So I put my son in German Immersion grade school, and later took him traveling every couple summers in Western Europe, so we probably have a different view than families who don't have that European connection or interest. He actually spent a college semester as exchange student in Germany. There is excellent WWII documentary programming available here if people are interested to pay attention. But it's hard to let the light in when the mind is closed.
@joy Indeed, you understood precisely my observation. Low property tax states, like Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi etc have less tax revenue, and thus, budget constraints and other priorities. I may be mistaken, but I doubt a large swath of our citizens, whether in 6th grade or age 60 could clearly state a true understanding of Autocracy, Oligarchy, Dictatorship, Kleptocracy, or Socialism vs Communism. And it is also true that as the gap widens between the "haves" and the "have-nots", it is inevitable that at some point people will reach their "Point of Critical Unworkability" and create change, or we shall become a nation of slave workers/consumers to the benefit of the rich. The majority of the population seems to be quite passive for now.
@classictravelr Thank you very much for your reply. This is indeed different between the US and Germany. No normal healthy kid here would be allowed not to learn about history at all or only for two semesters... because, yes, we need to understand why things are the way they are. I did not realize before that the fact of regular history classes at school here might be because of our very special history. Yes, things back then after WWII.... School kids were starving and got only one soup a day and they got it at school, and this soup was funded by you, the US citizens.... We won't forget that you helped them survive this. Homework was to bring a brick or something for a fire to have some heat at school or to build up again the building. Kids needed to walk 1 to 2 hours to school because schools were not near, many of them were fully destroyed. Classes were huge, 60 kids for one teacher. But all these kids were so very much happy to get the chance to learn instead of fighting in a cruel war. Since then, good and broad education for everyone is held up very high. It is seen like a basic human right.
I like the idea of viewing the present day situation in the U.S.A. as the culmination of 533 years of history, beginning with the European invasion of the Americas in 1492. Perhaps we could better understand how we got to this situation and where we might go from here.
For High School in Arizona, you must have a year of World History, a year of American History, a semester of Government/ Arizona history and a semester of Economics.
These may be switched out for AP equivalent classes.
I don't know how requirements change from state to state.
The thing is, when I was required to take my year long American and World history classes in high school back in the early 1980's, there was a lot less history to learn in the same amount of time as now. When my mom was in high school, WW2 had ended 10 years before she graduated and there wasn't a Korean War yet.
Since I graduated, we have had 4 additional decades worth of History which means more wars, elections, world leaders, policies, laws so forth. Since my mom it has graduated it been 7 decades. Unfortunately, we haven't allowed any more time to teach it.
@lovendures Thank you very much for your reply. I think that enough time for history classes at school is one of the basics to educate the kids to grow up to be citizens feeling responsible to keep democracy as a treasure of the society they live in. My father was a young teenager during the Nazi German time phase and afterwards, all his life he held up high the position that democracy is the highest good and the most worthy treasure for a society he really would want to live in.
@Joy Education isn’t the root cause of America’s authoritarian slide. States like MA, NY, and across New England have standards similar to Arizona. The real issue goes much deeper.
What we’re witnessing now is the result of over 500 years of wealth accumulation through exploitation — beginning with colonization in 1492. The U.S. was built on stolen indigenous land, slavery, and the systemic oppression of marginalized people: women, LGBTQ+ communities, and workers.
Yes, there are exceptions — but many of the most moneyed got there by stepping on others.
Even in progressive spaces, people idolize the ultra-wealthy. Hollywood glorifies them. Few ask: How was that fortune made? People celebrate wealth as achievement, rather than questioning the systems that enabled it.
As Howard Zinn wrote in A People’s History of the United States, exploitation didn’t stop at our borders. In the 20th century, the U.S. overthrew governments in at least 13 countries to secure resources and wealth.
Then in the 1980s, Reagan unleashed a new era of deregulation, corporate power, and right-wing media. The Tea Party? Funded and engineered. The backlash to progress? Always organized and well-financed.
What we’re up against now isn’t just ignorance — it’s propaganda.
Many Americans do know history. We fought fascism in WWII. But now, the very same tactics — disinformation, voter suppression, demonizing the “other” — are becoming normalized here at home.
This isn’t a rant. It’s a call to clarity. So I pray this post won't unleash rants, which waste people's energy and depress others who come here.
The crisis we’re facing isn’t just about education. It’s about power, wealth, and control of the narrative.
If people here are feeling overwhelmed, don’t get stuck in doom. Threads like The Path Forward and Lighthouses offer ways to stay grounded and active.
@jeanne-mayell That was an inspired summary. Thank you for articulating it so well.
@joy I’ve seen this article before and it’s definitely worth looking at. I will however, also provide some counterpoint as someone who has spent 2.5 decades in Education:
Education is decentralized so each state is left to their own devices. While there was the movement in the early 2000s and 2010s to provide some basic standards at the federal level, it was treated as executive overreach and now remains largely hidden under the guise of individual state standards. Each state sort of did their own things with them. I would say now if the administration said “Here are the new standards” there’d be far less pushback from the group that pushed back against it the first time, and far more pushback from the groups that supported or were ambivalent to the national standards movement.
My point being - it’s hard to place blame at the feet of our education system when it’s providing the exact outcomes the systems were designed to provide (good, bad, and ugly) - I officiated a wedding yesterday and when signing the marriage licenses, one of the witnesses, an elderly woman lamented the bride being unable to sign her new last name in cursive. As she clutched her pearls yelling “Don’t they teach this in schools anymore?” The bride replied “no” to which the woman again screamed “F***ing Democrats.” It has nothing to do with Democrats, Republicans, or anything else, and everything to do with how the systems are currently built state by state. Teaching cursive comes at the cost of 10 other things all deemed important and one person’s holy crusade is another’s “Meh, they’ll figure it out.”
Public education is enshrined in most state constitutions as a basic right provided to everyone. The standards and things that are taught in state classrooms are a product of local and state governments. I helped write our 2019 draft state standards for social studies - a six-year process that went through a ton of revisions, support, pushback, etc. In the end we ended up with a great draft in spite of what we were up against. I would encourage you to look at your state department of education’s website and look for opportunities to volunteer in projects, feedback, review, etc - there’s always a call for something.
Religious schools exist, yes, but get enough attention that they often seem like they’re more of an impact than they actually are. - I have several friends in the Oklahoma school systems. Lots of “pocket resistance” and the kids and communities largely allow it, despite also electing certain leaders. If I learned anything in my multiple master’s degrees in leadership, it’s that everyone views “schools as bad” but they don’t usually mean “THEIR” schools.
Charters exist and are no more or less successful than their public-school counterparts. But by and large, schools and teachers aren’t lying down to the threats around them - they just can’t be as vocal in opposing them as the opposition is an attacking the systems they operate under.
People can get involved in the many opportunities that exist for them to get involved and help - but steer clear of placing blame for where we’re currently at the feet of educators and schools. (I don’t think you were, but my knee jerk reaction is always to protect the schools. 25 years in these systems have made that a natural reflex) Most of them are doing their best in the same situations we all are to do what they know is right. And take heed in knowing that the systems the article you referenced are not as prolific as even the Guardian would have you believe.
"Yes, there are exceptions — but many of the most moneyed got there by stepping on others.
Even in progressive spaces, people idolize the ultra-wealthy. Hollywood glorifies them. Few ask: How was that fortune made? People celebrate wealth as achievement, rather than questioning the systems that enabled it".
yes. this needs to change.
As a young student in Iowa, and then in Wisconsin (late 50's, early 60's) the Iowa students seemed to have more in-depth education, as did my cousins in Minnesota, compared to Milwaukee. Later, much much later, my education quality in Wisconsin was far wider and deeper than where I moved to in California. I attribute much of that to the diverse population, where the property tax funding was cut back through Proposition 13, as they tried to stop the runaway property tax hikes, AND the fact that there are so many languages spoken in CA due to the ethnic diversity, and the fact that the state is trying to funnel all students through a process of learning, requiring additional resources for getting the message through in multiple languages and/or ESL costs. Even just the basics. Example: we had a restaurant, the power was out due to street work, and the waitresses were unable to count change back without the cash register telling what to give back. My grands in Wisconsin were shocked at that and laughed out loud. I'd say education results in the US is uneven.