@barry Wow. Thank you. So much in your post that keeps adding to why we must forgive. I want to tag @allyn who just posted how pessimistic she is feeling about the future. I tried to tell her why I am optimistic but you have said it all in a better way. Hey, @allyn, come back and take in @barry's post further above yours.
"Until justice and equality are the right of every single person on this planet unconditionally, it doesn't exist for any of us. That is where we are going, every step forward thus far has been hard fought and hard won. This time is no different."
"In the grand scheme of justice and forgiveness, in the end, we cannot be defeated until we surrender. As long as there remains one person who seeks the light and a better world, we are not defeated...
"I think it's ok and healthy to acknowledge the immense struggle we face. It's a constant battle to not give in to it. Certainly I don't often win. It's more important to keep getting back up."
@allyn When I'm feeling low, I think of Brother John, and how he never lost hope.
Do what you can today, even if that means resting a weary soul. The fact that you care enough to want this world to be a better place means you are a light within it. That light shines on others, even if you don't think it does.
“Take a long, hard look down the road you will have to travel once you have made a commitment to work for change. Know that this transformation will not happen right away. Change often takes time. It rarely happens all at once. In the movement, we didn't know how history would play itself out. When we were getting arrested and waiting in jail or standing in unmovable lines on the courthouse steps, we didn’t know what would happen, but we knew it had to happen.
Use the words of the movement to pace yourself. We used to say that ours is not the struggle of one day, one week, or one year. Ours is not the struggle of one judicial appointment or presidential term. Ours is the struggle of a lifetime, or maybe even many lifetimes, and each one of us in every generation must do our part. And if we believe in the change we seek, then it is easy to commit to doing all we can, because the responsibility is ours alone to build a better society and a more peaceful world.” -- John Lewis
@blackandwhite I looked up Joe Manchin, and he just got reelected so he is good for five more years. Maybe if we get more democrat senators, it won't matter. I keep trying not to get mad, because it's bad for the heath, but it's hard.
Well then hopefully at some point soon there's enough blue senators to where he loses his relevancy.
But hey in regards to anything about manchin, I'm right there with you. I strongly dislike him and his disregard for the American people. It's because of senators like. Him that citizens united need to be overturned and why we need term limits.
Here is some interesting news on Manchin that I did not see coming.
https://apple.news/AP8YRE_ClTAOMsq8WOja7Rw
Manchin received more money from the fossil fuel industry than any other senator. Speaking to constituents from his $250,000 yacht, he is the epitome of Joseph Conrad’s pasty red-eyed devil that defines the decay of our times.
Environmentalist Bill McKibben wrote a good article about what Manchin has done: https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/joe-manchin-has-wrecked-the-biden-presidency-perhaps-hell-also-liberate-it?
excerpt:
“I’ve tried everything humanly possible. I can’t get there,” Joe Manchin said. “This is a no on this legislation. I have tried everything I know to do.” And with that pathetic brushoff—he sounded like a feckless TV bachelor explaining why he couldn’t hand his rose to a hopeful contestant—the West Virginia senator put the kibosh on the Build Back Better bill, and with it pretty much all the legislative priorities of the White House.”
Please also note:
Manchin's daughter is the CEO of a pharmaceutical company... a very particular one:
https://theintercept.com/2021/09/07/joe-manchin-epipen-price-heather-bresch/
She was at the center of the epipen scandal.
West Virginia has a population that desperately needs assistance, yet the Maserati-driving, yatch-owning Senator Manchin could care less.
Like many, I was irritated and angry about the news about BBB being toast courtesy of Manchin. I then saw that YouTube video about retired generals warning about further insurrection attempts in 2024. It was easy the last few days to feel lost and while I'm still sort of there, last night as I crawled into bed feeling more than a little conflicted, lost, and uncertain of the future, I closed my eyes and saw a brilliant white ball of energy combatting shadows. It was warmth and light (and winning!) and I threw some additional light its way. I'm feeling a lot better today.
Not certain what exactly it was, though I have a hunch this bright white sun like anomaly I saw is very much connected to the circle of lights many here in this forum have been participating in. (I'd love to but they meet right during my daughter's bedtime story time) - glad to have been able to add to it even after the fact.
Don't lose hope folks. There's a lot of "fight for good" out there!
I would like to add another thought. I'm really, really recognizing my Doomscrolling tendencies again - this is what initially got me to leave Facebook back in July of 2020. Now I'm doing it on Twitter (but Twitter isn't doing to me what Facebook did to me - I'm not about to leave it)
We aren't meant for this much stress - between the news, our social media feeds, and everything else.
That ball of light I saw when closing my eyes last night - it was the least effort I've ever put into anything - I simply closed my eyes and it was there. It was also effortless for me to throw some good energy at it.
Those of you in despair right now - close your eyes and seek that brilliant orb of sun out and add anything you can give to it as it continues to drive back the darkness. And then turn your feeds off if you need to and spend the next few days remembering that brilliant orb of light if you find it. Think of it every time you need to. Add to it. If the news gets you down, close your eyes and add to it again.
Whether it's part of what Jeanne and the rest of the group is sending on the circle of light nights or not - if we get the energy we put into this world back that's the energy I want to put out right now and it could do us all some good to try and build that further.
Light and love friends! We'll get there!
If there was ever any doubt about where Manchin's loyalty lied: