Wow, Codyroo, I sure identify. I sometimes think these people are mean. Sometimes i
think they are brainwashed, ignorant, or racist. I know a few Republicans who see
whats going on. But such a high percentage hang on to the crap. “We are a nation of laws.” But why don’t any laws apply to this thing called President! When all comes out,
there will be so many laws he’s broken and I wouldn’t be surprised if raping that woman who was 13 at the time will be among these crimes.
I sometimes feel we are at a time when Hitler was rising and people had to choose where they stood, but also when Jesus was put before the people by Pontius Pilate.
He asked who he should free. Those who yelled, “free Barrabbas” remind me of the people hanging on to trump. Why did those people want Jesus to be crucified? Why did people want to eliminate Jews? To make such choices boggles the mind.
To see hordes of people not marching on Washington daily, even after what the Mueller report found, shows unbelievable lack of care or fatigue or ??? The polls are bad for him right now, but he had 13% in the summer of July 2016. Hillary had been made into a supposed monster while people ignored all the horrible truths about trump. Why? Now we see how rampant evil is in this country and how fragile our government is.
Anita
I want them to suffer, too. My family who put Trump over me. I want them to really feel the pain. You’re not alone.
@elaineg, I just read that a dealership gave this gentleman a new Ford Escape and a trailer, and an anonymous donor gave him a new pressure washer. I firmly believed that good people would come through, and am very grateful that they did.
I sense your deep hurt and pain and also feel your grief and anger. So many here in this community have felt similar feelings. Many like you have lost family and friends to a dark angry pit filled with hate, fear and selfishness. We wonder, are they even capable of recognizing a pinhole of light begging to be discovered amongst such vast dark emptiness?
Perhaps.
Some in our community are reporting such awakenings among their friends and family. I have not yet noticed this, though perhaps those who are becoming aware don't yet know how to communicate their awakening as it must be difficult to admit your foundation and lifestyle has been built on lies and hatred.
Personally, I feel most of these individuals have been in that pit since Obama was running for president. I remember those same individuals freely spewing hate and corrosive lies about him being the devil incarnate and being born in Kenya. Comparing him and his family to apes, championing the NRA at every turn while Obama pleaded for reform after Rep. Giffords was shot, Sandy Hook, Charleston and all the other mass shootings shattered our nation over and over again. Remember back then the angered projected to those concerned about environmental issues and climate change? The seeds were firmly planted in toxic sludge during that time enabling a Trump era to be ushered in with all its putrid glory. It is so difficult to stay out of the grime when it surrounds our society, even when we recognize it as grime. It wants nothing better that creep its way into our hearts and soul, to dim the light.
After so many years feeling the relentless stinging attacks against humanity grow in intensity, how do we respond when the loving light finally reaches even just a few of those in perpetual darkness? Do we "kill the fatted cow" and celebrate their return or chose to not attend the feast? I don't think we have prepared ourselves for this moment in its entirety, at least I haven't. I often think about it in a global way, how wonderful it would be for our community, nation, and world to finally have Trump followers wake up. But it is different on a personal level because well. it is so personal. The Parable of the Prodigal Son is such a difficult one for me to completely synthesize. As a parent, I understand the joy I would have at the return of my child who disappeared and squander their inheritance but I can also relate to the older brother who chose not to partake in the feast. Where would I fall with my own reaction and would it depend upon how contrite the returning person felt? I am not sure yet.
What amount of darkness have I spread? I am not perfect. I have ranted at the very people who have vilified my own beliefs. When is it virtuous to label hate as hate and when are we spreading that hate by how we treat the haters?
Moral dilemmas. Unbelievable Moral dilemmas.
Perhaps this age we are living in will be remembered as the Age of the Great Moral Dilemmas.
Codyoo, all of our spirits are desperately in need of love right now. Without feeling love, our hearts dry up and we become like that grape that withers on the vine. The only way I know of to combat a drought of love is to water our spirit with drops of joy, hope, compassion, kindness, warmth and love. For me, part of that watering is self care. Prayer, meditation ( like Jeanne's heart centered meditation on this site), sleep, healthy foods, turning off the news and yes blocking those who are filled with vitriol from entering my scared space is a good placet for me to start. In addition, I find acting in care for others in need is a beneficial way to water my spirit and heart. Seeing a specific need in my community I might be able to help fill, in even a small way helps. Volunteering for an organization which brings me joy , doing some random acts of kindness and "catching" people who show compassion and love to others are helpful ways of moving through the week. Laughing at my goofy dog ( a daily occurrence cuz he is such a goofball) is as easy as breathing now. There is also something I noticed I am doing currently while writing this message that adds beauty to my world. I am actually listening to the birds joyfully chirping, even in 110 degree heat outside. This brings me a moment of pause because if they can chirp through this sweltering heat perhaps I can find something to chirp about too, right?
Sometimes it is difficult to do just ONE of these things but I find I can muck my way through the sludge better when I do. The burden becomes lighter and when I notice a lighter burden, I often feel. a hint of joy in the air, which if I take the time to notice, becomes a warming in my heart.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts today. It unexpectedly helped me learn something about myself. I hope in some small way you can feel a little lighter. There is light. It is growing. We may not yet know why all of this is happening but I know our world will come out the better for it. It is a deep, deep cleaning, but a cleaning it is indeed. The shadows are falling and they will continue to fall. Look for the light to burst through. Perhaps as a few pin picks at first ( can you see them, they are there?) Soon the radiant beams will be shimmering. I have faith that they will. Light is more powerful than darkness. One tiny beam of light can illuminate a darkened room. Look for that pin prick because when you notice that light, it is a sign that more is on the way, a whole bunch more. You will see them, I know you will. We will all see them. The beauty of the light will heal as it surrounds us all. Can you feel its whisper? It is there.
Something for everyone to look into, and sorry I don't have a link for it:
The 1619 Project (NY Times Magazine)
400 years ago this week the first slaves arrived in Virginia, they were taken from what is now Angola, and they were taken from pirates, by the British to The New World. That occurrence set in motion ALL the issues we deal with to this day in the US. EVERYTHING is about this. From politics, to immigration, to rights, to health, farming, and education -- it all comes from slavery and white euro-centrism.
The Constitution is revered as a sacred document rather than as the living document it was intended to be. The Founders and Framers f*ed it up real good, but gave citizens the power to change it, which we never do anymore because of the extreme reverence for words written in the past. The descendants of the slaves are the ones who have fought and continue to fight for the rights in the Constitution and the Amendments.
Had the Tea Party/Revolution never happened, North America would be half British and half French, and slavery would have been abolished 100 years earlier than it was. Remember that the Tea Party was gangster - white rich landowners who didn't want to pay taxes to a "foreign monarch". They wanted to keep all profits to themselves AND keep their slaves, without whom they couldn't have built up the economy. Sound familiar?
So if you feel up to it, look into this project, edited and written by people of color. I find that re-learning history more objectively and avoiding American exceptionalism really help. That and checking that Uruguay hasn't changed their immigration laws for US citizens...
I found the link:
And if you think slavery is long gone, check out this Propublica Article:
Some of the Country's Worst Prisons
There are days where I feel strong enough to forgive. I thank Trump for the lessons he gave our country, and tell him, in prayer, his services are no longer required.
There are other days, however, when I want to see the world burn, to re-start. To begin again.
I wish I were strong enough to feel optimistic but I’m not. When McTurtle denied Obama’s Supreme Court nominee even a hearing...that’s when I started to feel like I wanted to start over with this country. I want progressive women and men, Muslims and Latinx people in office. I want the feminine to take over. Let the Queen energy rule once more.
Maybe our own lights are fighting our own darkness. It certainly feels like time has come for a Matriarchy to reduce wars, greed, inhumane treatment of others.
Anita