I absolutely agree with you, and I feel like I've been banging my head against a wall sending requests to the DNC and my Dem Senators for practical, visible action that they are changing course to show they care more for people than their corporate donors. Crickets. No action plans.
That's the hard question. If they won't listen to us when we call, write, and attend town halls, then they must be primaried. Perhaps if they see the support their opponent is garnering, they will see the writing on the wall.
Marie, this is a powerful article. Your analysis is spot on. I love the graphic of the circle of voter frustration. That really brings it home. It makes so much sense. Politicians need to stop being politicians and start being authentic neighbors who listen reflectively to their constituents (or neighbors) who put them in office.
A lot of my family are maga. The disconnect between what they believe (have faith in) vs what they understand (have knowledge of) is kind of frightening. Best example is talking to them about healthcare. You mention Obamacare and they go ballistic. You mention the Affordable Care Act…”that’s a good program, I get my healthcare through that.” Honest to god conversation. With more than one person.
You’re absolutely right. No one is listening because we’re not always speaking the same language.
I could go on, but thank you for this. It’s inspiring.
I'm so glad this was impactful for you. Words matter. It is amazing how changing one word or not mentioning who's platform it is changes (or exposes).
You mentioned your family. That is so hard. I'm an outlier in mine too. We rarely discuss politics because from experience, it rarely goes well. However, the one time I really felt like there was a genuine conversation really fits this discussion. We started just talking about how things had been going and we were both careful not to name parties or people. We just talked about shared frustrations and hopes. So instead of Obamacare, it was "yeah I've been feeling off but I just can't afford a doctor's appointment and it is scary." And the other could relate to that. Then the conversation turned to "I just don't want anyone to suffer or die because they have to decide between rent/food or a doctor's bill." We could agree on that. That gave us an in. A starting point in a shared value. And we could agree that it is a complex situation and no one seems to have a perfect answer but we need solutions. The conversations since have been less charged because we've unofficially adopted this strategy.
Good luck out there. Scared dogs bite. I truly believe until we have leaders who speak the same language as us, there will always be a divide. An us versus them.
I want a country that cares about its citizens. Ex: climate change, racism, hate crimes, NO guns, high level health care- currently sub-par, high standards for education, remove extreme religious groups, no more lobbying, no more money in politics, ACCOUNTABILITY no matter the wallet, no more lying, no more corruption, no more sexual predators, no more drugs, ... more people who care about people. America has never been that for anyone except Caucasians with money and a tolerance for non-caucasians with money.
Humans over money.
Animals over money.
Environment over money.
But because evil was given a voice, it gained support, accumulated power and is trying to kill EVERYONE it can just to stay in power.
But this time, who will save Americans from the chaos they created through laws and selfish beliefs?
Why should anyone help us?
Yes, there are pockets of good people who help thy neighbor, feed the poor and hungry, help people regardless of where they come from. But those people are not the current politicians.
Give me a reason to fight for a country that disavowed me, before & after I served in its military.
The same country that now threatens me because I am not a person of wealth but a person of color!
The same country that demonized my skin color and enslaved people for 400 years who have the same color skin regardless where we come from.
Give me a good reason to have the backs of others who continue telling me my native indigenous cousins lives don't matter and my brown/black cousins lives don't.
Because when I signed up for the military, I did it as a way out, a way up, and to make a difference in this country. What I learned instead is Americans are disrespectful in other countries in ways NONE of you are aware of and it continues to this very day! I was embarrassed to see so much ignorance regarding cultures, boundaries, and even raping service members let alone people in the community.
Again, give me 1 reason. What am I fighting for?
If the Revolutionary War, Civil War, WW1, WW2, Vietnam War, Korean War, Afghanistan War, etc., did not make us seen as equals, what war will? The bottom line is if the current political administration does nothing to make this regime stop, we will have to resort to violence and overthrow the government to remove them. 99.999% is what happens in corrupt government take overs.
Ex: the Philippines, Haiti, Africa, Vietnam,... know the history and cycle. Push people to far and they ALWAYS fight back.
So have fun doing it through the courts. What happens when that stops slowing them down? 🤔 because I didn't get this far in life to become a slave.
Other countries are seeing the truth. If you give evil power, this is the result.
Have you ever read the Hindu book, The Gita? I'm not Hindu, but I reference this ancient text often. Arjuna, the military leader of the Pandavas, stands in a war chariot on the battlefield where 2 massive armies are about to clash. In the midst of the war cries, the clanging of shields, and the blowing of war horns, he throws down his weapons and refuses to fight out of decency, compassion, love, and a deep-seated understanding that all of us, including his enemies who happen to be his cousins - we are, all of us, humanity. He doesn't want to shed anyone's blood. Like you, Arjuna sees the sheer heinous unjust behavior of his cousins. The cousins, the Kauravas are just plain ol' bad news. They're lying, thieving, conniving thugs who have stolen a kingdom! Usurpers! Autocrats! Bastards! ... For days the 2 sides face off, but don't engage because Krishna, Arjuna's military counselor, has frozen time and space to give Arjuna time to come to his senses and lead the Pandava army. At the tail end of this pause in the war, Krishna says to Arjuna (paraphrasing), "Arjuna. The war between good and evil must always be fought. Rest assured that Good will prevail, but until the cycle of Life is completed, you must always do your part to conquer evil whenever and wherever it rears up. Fight, not for victory, not for 'glory,' not for vengeance. Fight because it is the right thing to do." Why must we do our part? Because your part is who you are, who you were created to be. To deny this instinctual aversion to America's crimes at home and abroad is to deny your very Self.
I also am a person of color. I am very much woke. I suit up for war with every injustice I see, no matter the degree of the crime. My way of fighting is to do the exact opposite of what I'm expected to do; to build or prop up anyone and everything I can that amplifies compassion, love, peace, health, a reverence for the Earth. What form of dissent speaks to you? Identify this and act, not only for yourself, but for all of us.
They may turn into 4 parties .. we will see.
I absolutely agree with you, and I feel like I've been banging my head against a wall sending requests to the DNC and my Dem Senators for practical, visible action that they are changing course to show they care more for people than their corporate donors. Crickets. No action plans.
How can your analysis be applied?
That's the hard question. If they won't listen to us when we call, write, and attend town halls, then they must be primaried. Perhaps if they see the support their opponent is garnering, they will see the writing on the wall.
Marie, this is a powerful article. Your analysis is spot on. I love the graphic of the circle of voter frustration. That really brings it home. It makes so much sense. Politicians need to stop being politicians and start being authentic neighbors who listen reflectively to their constituents (or neighbors) who put them in office.
A lot of my family are maga. The disconnect between what they believe (have faith in) vs what they understand (have knowledge of) is kind of frightening. Best example is talking to them about healthcare. You mention Obamacare and they go ballistic. You mention the Affordable Care Act…”that’s a good program, I get my healthcare through that.” Honest to god conversation. With more than one person.
You’re absolutely right. No one is listening because we’re not always speaking the same language.
I could go on, but thank you for this. It’s inspiring.
I'm so glad this was impactful for you. Words matter. It is amazing how changing one word or not mentioning who's platform it is changes (or exposes).
You mentioned your family. That is so hard. I'm an outlier in mine too. We rarely discuss politics because from experience, it rarely goes well. However, the one time I really felt like there was a genuine conversation really fits this discussion. We started just talking about how things had been going and we were both careful not to name parties or people. We just talked about shared frustrations and hopes. So instead of Obamacare, it was "yeah I've been feeling off but I just can't afford a doctor's appointment and it is scary." And the other could relate to that. Then the conversation turned to "I just don't want anyone to suffer or die because they have to decide between rent/food or a doctor's bill." We could agree on that. That gave us an in. A starting point in a shared value. And we could agree that it is a complex situation and no one seems to have a perfect answer but we need solutions. The conversations since have been less charged because we've unofficially adopted this strategy.
Good luck out there. Scared dogs bite. I truly believe until we have leaders who speak the same language as us, there will always be a divide. An us versus them.
I want a country that cares about its citizens. Ex: climate change, racism, hate crimes, NO guns, high level health care- currently sub-par, high standards for education, remove extreme religious groups, no more lobbying, no more money in politics, ACCOUNTABILITY no matter the wallet, no more lying, no more corruption, no more sexual predators, no more drugs, ... more people who care about people. America has never been that for anyone except Caucasians with money and a tolerance for non-caucasians with money.
Humans over money.
Animals over money.
Environment over money.
But because evil was given a voice, it gained support, accumulated power and is trying to kill EVERYONE it can just to stay in power.
But this time, who will save Americans from the chaos they created through laws and selfish beliefs?
Why should anyone help us?
Yes, there are pockets of good people who help thy neighbor, feed the poor and hungry, help people regardless of where they come from. But those people are not the current politicians.
Give me a reason to fight for a country that disavowed me, before & after I served in its military.
The same country that now threatens me because I am not a person of wealth but a person of color!
The same country that demonized my skin color and enslaved people for 400 years who have the same color skin regardless where we come from.
Give me a good reason to have the backs of others who continue telling me my native indigenous cousins lives don't matter and my brown/black cousins lives don't.
Because when I signed up for the military, I did it as a way out, a way up, and to make a difference in this country. What I learned instead is Americans are disrespectful in other countries in ways NONE of you are aware of and it continues to this very day! I was embarrassed to see so much ignorance regarding cultures, boundaries, and even raping service members let alone people in the community.
Again, give me 1 reason. What am I fighting for?
If the Revolutionary War, Civil War, WW1, WW2, Vietnam War, Korean War, Afghanistan War, etc., did not make us seen as equals, what war will? The bottom line is if the current political administration does nothing to make this regime stop, we will have to resort to violence and overthrow the government to remove them. 99.999% is what happens in corrupt government take overs.
Ex: the Philippines, Haiti, Africa, Vietnam,... know the history and cycle. Push people to far and they ALWAYS fight back.
So have fun doing it through the courts. What happens when that stops slowing them down? 🤔 because I didn't get this far in life to become a slave.
Other countries are seeing the truth. If you give evil power, this is the result.
Have you ever read the Hindu book, The Gita? I'm not Hindu, but I reference this ancient text often. Arjuna, the military leader of the Pandavas, stands in a war chariot on the battlefield where 2 massive armies are about to clash. In the midst of the war cries, the clanging of shields, and the blowing of war horns, he throws down his weapons and refuses to fight out of decency, compassion, love, and a deep-seated understanding that all of us, including his enemies who happen to be his cousins - we are, all of us, humanity. He doesn't want to shed anyone's blood. Like you, Arjuna sees the sheer heinous unjust behavior of his cousins. The cousins, the Kauravas are just plain ol' bad news. They're lying, thieving, conniving thugs who have stolen a kingdom! Usurpers! Autocrats! Bastards! ... For days the 2 sides face off, but don't engage because Krishna, Arjuna's military counselor, has frozen time and space to give Arjuna time to come to his senses and lead the Pandava army. At the tail end of this pause in the war, Krishna says to Arjuna (paraphrasing), "Arjuna. The war between good and evil must always be fought. Rest assured that Good will prevail, but until the cycle of Life is completed, you must always do your part to conquer evil whenever and wherever it rears up. Fight, not for victory, not for 'glory,' not for vengeance. Fight because it is the right thing to do." Why must we do our part? Because your part is who you are, who you were created to be. To deny this instinctual aversion to America's crimes at home and abroad is to deny your very Self.
I also am a person of color. I am very much woke. I suit up for war with every injustice I see, no matter the degree of the crime. My way of fighting is to do the exact opposite of what I'm expected to do; to build or prop up anyone and everything I can that amplifies compassion, love, peace, health, a reverence for the Earth. What form of dissent speaks to you? Identify this and act, not only for yourself, but for all of us.
Very good points. The Gita is amazing and so suited to this time. Thank you so much for your insights
Listen or be removed. By force if necessary.
Excellent post, Marie! as usual. Very moving, informative and a call to action. Appreciate you.