I AM Part of the Resistance (by Thomas J. Gray)

UPDATE: I’ve received notification by Thomas J. Gray that he is the author of this piece.  By the time I had seen it on facebook, it had been added to – so I am updating this post to more accurately reflect the original wording.  I liked much of what had been added, and I understand that in the passion of those first horrible days, many felt similar feelings and simply added their own parts.   This phrase was added:

The survival of our democracy and our way of life demands that we stand and resist. So I will Resist. I AM part of the Resistance, and I AM proud of it.

Here is the original, by Thomas J. Gray:

This is Why We Are in the Street

Now that Trump has won the electoral college (and lost the popular vote) in the United States election, this man who has unleashed so much racist, misogynist and xenophobic hatred will soon be installed as president of a vast, multi-cultural nation.  And the people are in the streets worldwide. #NotMyPresident

I am seeing conservatives post on social media criticizing the massive nationwide demonstrations. Many implying that the citizenry are merely “upset that their side lost”.

 

No.

• Have you not seen the KKK victory parades? 
• Have you not seen homes defaced with swastikas?
• Have you not seen the nooses left (often with black dolls lynched) in peoples’ yards?
• Have you not seen the children of color being bullied and taunted — often by cruel white adults – that they will soon be deported?
• Have you not seen trolls attacking Jews on social media, saying that tRump will soon “re-start the ovens”?
• Have you not seen graffitti with “Fu*k N*ggers” sprayed on cars, homes and businesses?  People of color are being told to “get to the back of the bus”.
• Have you not seen peaceful Muslims threatened?
• Have you not seen the assaults and even murders of people of color which began on the night of the election?
• Have you not seen the attacks upon the LGBTQIA community (“We got a new president you f*cking faggots”)
• Have you not seen men threatening women – especially gay women – with the slogan “Trump that Bitch”?

Yes, the word “tRump” is now a threatening euphemism for lynching, rape, beatings and murder.

Bernie says Hillary on worst day better than any GOP on best – The Supreme Court

Anyone who’s read this blog for any amount of time knows that I’m an enthusiastic Bernie supporter.

Bernie — plus a HUUUGE  turn-out for Progressives in the Senate and House  — could mean a GREAT change for the citizens of this country:

 

• Imagine an economy designed to actually serve the citizens instead of only the elite.
• Imagine FDR’s Second Bill of Rights becoming reality.
• Imagine getting money out of politics and having an actual democracy.
• Imagine the end of “too big to fail”, breaking up the big banks, and ending monopolies — especially that of our of our media institutions, so that the citizenry could have a chance to hear diverse opinions and values.
• Imagine single payer health care, freeing us all from the profiteering insurance, medical and pharmacy complexes.
• Imagine restoring our infrastructure, with the federal government creating good jobs as the CCC and other government programs that lifted our citizenry out of poverty in the 1930s.
• Imagine our country getting very serious about cleaning up our environment, tackling it like we did the race to land on the moon back in the 1960s.
• Imagine our taxes actually being spent on making ALL our lives better, creating more EQUALITY and SERVICES for ALL — instead of subsidizing multinational corporations, polluting corporations, Big-AG, and “defense” contractors.
• Imagine restoring the tax rate on the wealthy plutocrat/polluter class to what it was during Eisenhower, when the US economy created the biggest middle-class in history: with unions insuring good wages, good benefits, vacation and retirement for the workers who actually built this country.

Couldn’t Say It Better Myself – Message to US Citizens

This person’s essay is so good that I’ll just let him speak for himself.  The entire thing is well worth reading for just a bit of common sense.  Check out his site for more.

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DROPPING SOME TRUTH

February 22, 2016

I feel the need to drop a little truth on y’all. So buckle up…I’m about to be politically incorrect.

We don’t need to take America back. No one stole it. It’s right here…you’re sitting in it. Chillax.

Mexico isn’t going to pay for the wall and we’re not going to deport millions of people and break up families. If you think either one is a good idea, you’re not smart and probably not a person I want to hang out with.

We don’t live in a democracy. Technically we are a Federal Republic. But in reality we are ruled by an oligarchy. If you don’t know what that is, look it up. Reading will do you good. You probably need to do more of it.

Living and Evolving in Interesting Times

There is an ancient blessing, “may you live in uninteresting times”. The obvious meaning being that peace and happiness do not make for the kinds of adventures that become the great myths, songs, and stories of the ages. Quiet and happy lives with their small dramas do not make the history books.

And we DO live in interesting times.

The dominant culture into which we were born, is dying. The economic, social, ecological and political systems that were part of the narrative of our reality are now revealed to be clearly unsustainable.

And as much as we may want to ignore this change, it is happening all around us.  Now.

Chelsea Manning, Whistleblower. What would YOU do?

Here’s a question:  If you saw and heard what Chelsea Manning did, what would YOU do?

Let’s say that as a naive young person, you actually believed the BS about the military fighting to “preserve our freedoms” and “keep us safe”.  And let’s say that you also believed that the military would, in exchange for your service, provide you with education that would insure your future career opportunities.  Let’s further imagine that you believed that the military was actually about stopping “bad guys” rather than indiscriminately killing innocent civilians.  Yes, that’s a lot of false memes to believe, but just for a moment, lets pretend that you believed these things, and so you enlisted.

Real Change Comes From Within

Real change always begins within.  It begins with becoming Awake.

And becoming Awake begins with Wonder.

For a little perspective…  We are here…

That tiny blue speck is home to countless beautiful species, and each individual within each species is unique.

I’m Green and Yet I’m Voting Dem

If any political party could represent my views, it would be the Green Party.   I have admired Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala, and I would be proud to have them as President and Vice President.  The Green New Deal is a progressive, ethical, visionary platform.   In fact, I visited isidewith.com recently just for fun, and discovered – no surprise – I’m just a point short of 100% Green Party.

As I write this Ms Stein has just been released from jail.  She was arrested for taking food to activists at a protest of the deadly Keystone Pipeline.  She walks her talk.  (Some pundits have claimed that going to jail makes her “not a serious candidate”.  I suppose these pundits never heard of Nelson Mandala.)

But when I asked around, I confirmed my suspicion  that  in the US, outside of green/left circles, Green candidates are still largely unknown.  They don’t even have the promotion that Nadar did in 2000, so there’s no way the Green candidates are going to get even 2.7% of the national vote that Nadar did.  The corporatocracy definitely does NOT want progressive ideals to be offered to the American people.

Knowing that a Green or any other third party candidate won’t get elected on November 6th, I ask myself, “which of the two major parties is more likely to take a step towards addressing climate change?”  The answer is obvious.  The one that accepts SCIENCE – not the one who believes that dinosaurs took a joyride on Noah’s ark .

We Are Unstoppable; Another World Is Possible (Sandy Edition)

Climate Change is finally back in the US discussion after being belittled by the know-nothings on the reich and ignored by both major candidates on the campaign trail.  Finally, finally US political ads are appearing that focus upon climate change.  And remembering this storm, preparing for the next, will perhaps keep Americans from being lulled back into denial by corporate mouthpieces.  Perhaps we’re finally ready to get serious about clean energy and restoring the damage we’ve inflicted.  Time to wake up America. Nap time’s over and the Climate Deniers’ 15 minutes are up.

But there’s another thing happening on the East Coast after Sandy…something that often happens to human beings when disaster strikes.  Compassion.  Humanity.  Love.

Over 8.5 million people lost power; as of this writing power has been restored to all but about 1.5 million people.  But that’s a LOT of homes, apartments and businesses still in the dark and cold.  Up to 40,000 people may be left homeless.  In situations like this, tempers fray, and looting can be expected.  But unexpected acts of community and generosity are everywhere.

Feeding people on the street

Where people were hungry, other people shared their  food — for free.  Restaurants, community groups, and individuals pitched in to share what they had with others.  Makeshift food serving areas spontaneously sprang up on city streets.

Occupy Sandy , which began Wednesday as an amorphous effort by members of Occupy Wall Street, the environmental group  350.org, and a host of community groups to offer relief to devastated areas of the city, had taken a very definite form over the last 72 hours.  Bases like Jacobi church were created to bring people together and concentrate efforts, while satellite locations were established in areas crippled by the hurricane, in Far Rockaway and in Staten Island. Both types of hubs had been wildly successful at collecting and distributing aid and mobilizing volunteers, and now the links between them were being strengthened. 

Greetings Fellow Earthlings: This is Our Home

“You didn’t come into this world. You came out of it, like a wave from the ocean. You are not a stranger here.” ~Alan Watts

The monotheistic belief of being alien to this world, placed here by a vengeful god, has wreaked a terrible devestation upon us all.  After the followers of this belief conquered the earth-based spirituality of our ancestors, it became dominant, with horrific consequences that are finally becoming global.  

The belief that we are “outsiders”, and not a part of this planet has lead modern humankind to  feel isolated and hostile, compelled to “conquer” nature,  fouling the air, soil, and water.  In remembering that we are indeed Earthlings, and all beings are our family, comes the realization that we are – and have always been  – HOME.