Today I find myself looking at a calendar to see a startling fact – the end of October is very near, which means the first Tuesday of November is right around the corner.
As we all brace ourselves for the news of the destiny of our nation, I think it’s the perfect moment to pause and speak to our challenging times…
Challenging times is putting it mildly. What we have been through this year is a whole other level. What I see, today, is a world and a population that is deeply hurting.
How did we get here, my friends?
To which, I actually have an easy answer. This answer – it doesn’t involve angry gods or bad luck. Instead, it’s a simple matter of action and consequence.
For years now we’ve pushed through managing an assortment of problems. Poor healthcare values, ignored racism, denial of climate change… We may have seen these problems – but we have had other work to do, or maybe, we’ve thought, someone else will take care of it. It’s fine. Everything will be okay.
No longer. The trials of 2020 have clearly shown us that the systems we operate under are not as functional as we would like to believe.
Belief – that thing we tune into to make decisions that guide us through this journey that is life. Belief is, interestingly, something that I have come to understand as a double-edged sword.
It can be heartening. It can be a breath of fresh air – choosing action based on that feeling of knowing deep inside us makes us feel so good.
It can also be the thing that continues to lead us towards devastation.
The interesting thing about belief – something many of us don’t realize, is that belief is a choice.
If we take a moment to pause and become aware of our situation, and then if we follow this up with conscious intention, we can choose what we want to believe in.
For example, what I believe in is a better future. Sometimes I feel like I have to believe this, because the alternative is a future that looks like today. Today is a struggle. Today hurts. I don’t want more of today. So, for our future, I choose to believe in something better.
But the reality is that I could choose to believe that we aren’t going to figure this out. I could choose to believe that we are ruined.
And, to be honest, some days I think this belief would be easier to deal with. It sounds like a much easier path forward to accept that hope is lost. At least, then, I could go on with my own life, making the most of it with what is leftover.
But I don’t like that belief. I don’t like the idea that we can’t take action that is going to lead us towards a better future. So, I choose to not embrace it and instead to keep moving forward.
There’s one particular belief present in our society that pains me to witness. This tightly held belief by many of those around me is based on the promise of a future that resembles our past – back when we were oh-so-great.
Our country has been through some incredible times. We’ve accomplished so much – we’ve stood at the top, leading the world for centuries now.
Our country also has some real darkness. Racism. Poor health. Systems supported by big money.
I love many aspects of our past. But I don’t believe we ever reached perfection. In fact, I believe we’ve always been pretty far from it. We’ve always had room for serious progress.
Progress – that’s what our country has always stood for. The American Dream: a better life for ourselves and our children.
I don’t feel like I’m living the American Dream nor that we are acting from any of our nation’s core values when I look out and see a country fighting to go back to the way things once were.
However, if you want, you can choose to believe that our country was at one point all rainbows and butterflies. Or, maybe it’s just one thing that we once got right, but you see slipping away today. You can choose that its greatness is worthy of going back to. But please understand, this is your choice… and the way I see it, it is very often one that denies the facts.
Facts – those things that are right in front of us. That which cannot be denied without spouting lies.
Let’s look at the facts of today – of 2020. Let’s look at that which we could have chosen to accept and address years ago, but instead chose to ignore. And because of this earlier denial, these issues have now risen to the surface in forms that can no longer be ignored without formidable consequences.
Racism runs deep in this country because the systems we have ALWAYS operated under systems that either support or do not actively denounce fear and hatred of others because of the color of their skin.
The basic human rights of women and the LGBTQ community are being threatened just when we see these populations finally getting the rights they deserve – those that any and all human beings are worthy of – because we are turning back to systems that support only that of the rich, white, straight male.
A pandemic is spreading through our population and killing our people because our systems support big industry, and big industry supports profit over health.
Our forests are burning by the hundreds of thousands of acres because our systems support unsustainable practices that take resources from our planet while, in turn, polluting the hell out of it.
Families are being torn apart at the border and children are put into cages because we feel the need to protect our country from those whom have risked everything and are most vulnerable.
What has gotten us to where we are today?
Belief – in systems that drive poor health, racism, and the destruction of our planet, and all other agendas that support the rich, white, straight male.
Denial – of facts, and the reality that is the darkness that we bring into this world.
What will steer us towards a better future?
Ooh, that’ a tough one. But, maybe, we begin by taking a good look at our beliefs to ensure they are based on those facts.
We are days away from an election, and what I see terrifies me.
I’m terrified because I’ve spent four years led by a president who denies the facts while supporting belief that things were once “great” until those “others” destroyed it.
Things are great now. He’s making them better. He’ll keep doing it as long as those “others” stay pushed down. As long as this “us” keeps power and “they” stay quiet, then all will be well.
That’s what I’ve heard for many years now.
Facts, my friends, will tell you otherwise.
Let’s take a look at a couple simple facts, tying in the beliefs and actions that we can choose that tie into these facts.
Fact #1: There is no “us” and “them.” There is just us, an American people – a diverse group of human beings who are all hurting because systems that are deeply rooted in our country take advantage of those without power while pushing forward the agenda of the rich, white, male.
Belief A: Believe that your own issues are the most important issues. Believe that you and your issues are being pushed down by those on the other side of the aisle.
Action A: Continue to push those on the other side of the aisle down to have your issues heard.
Belief B: Believe that we are all suffering here because of deeply rooted issues that are dragging us all down (some much more so than others).
Action B: Choose to work together to solve these deeply rooted issues that are destroying our population and our planet and suppressing those without white, straight, male privilege.
Fact #2: This is about those deeply rooted issues (disease, climate change, racism)- they exist. They are here in front of us screaming loudly because we have denied the issues for too long.
Belief A: My problems are worse than your problems; or, I am right about the importance of this one issue because the systems I have based my life on tell me I am right.
Action A: I will continue to push my own agenda and push those “others” down so that my own problems and answers are heard and addressed.
Belief B: We are all suffering because of a series of deeply rooted issues. We have to work together to solve these deeply rooted issues that are destroying our population and our planet.
Action B: Listen to each other. Look at the facts. Take action that corrects the systems that are destroying the health, livelihood, and basic human rights of our people and support the life of our planet.
Understand our choices here?
There’s a common theme – either we work together and begin addressing that which is tearing us down, or we continue to separate ourselves, push our own agendas, and shove those we have labeled as different down.
Now the multi-trillion dollar question: how do we do anything about it?
How do we actually begin to move forward towards a future that truly supports what which we desperately need?
Well, friends, it’s election season. And that means the next step is an obvious one.
This next step – we elect a leader that is going to accept that these problems exist and take action to address them.
We elect a leader that is going to move us away from denial and hatred. We begin by electing a leader that accepts facts instead of ignoring them while spewing lies.
We elect a leader that has the most reasonable and trustworthy approach to all issues, and not one that speaks to a single one that speaks to us the loudest based on what we have come to believe is most important.
From where I stand, there is one step forward here. And I know, there are many that don’t like this option.
For some, this means going as far as to vote against a party that they have supported their entire lives. That’s tough. The ability to support another – to reach across the aisle. To say “I don’t love this man and all of his ideas but he is getting my vote anyway” – to do this because you have looked at the facts and they can no longer be ignored.
For others, like myself – someone who has never identified strongly with one party – it’s not great to vote for a candidate that I am not enthusiastic about seeing in office. I don’t love the idea of voting for a man who doesn’t have the best answers.
But facts (remember those things?) – those are going to tell us clearly that this is the only path that leads us towards a better future.
Voting blue – that’s our path forward.
The alternative? We continue to deny facts and choose to cling to beliefs that tell us to vote for a man that tells us he will make our country great again. A man that tells us that he will take action that speaks to what we have been told is important:
- Belief that the harsh realities of our world aren’t that bad and we should instead focus on our own problems.
- Belief that there is one single issue that is more important than anything else.
- Belief that we are here because “they” caused our problems, and if only we can silence them – then our own lives will be okay.
Facts vs. belief. That’s what this election is about. My hope is that we can all show up and choose facts.
- Fact: our planet is being destroyed by our actions
- Fact: the health of our population is horrendous
- Fact: the rights of individuals are being threatened (or continue to be dictated) by the agenda of the white, rich, straight male
Choose reality. It’s not pretty. It pains me deeply every single day.
This choice – it means we have a lot of work to do.
I’m choosing to do the work. I’m choosing to show up for our people and our planet. I hope you can do the same this election.
And even more, I’m hoping we can all continue to make that choice. Every single day.
Because that’s how we address these issues. Step by step. Piece by piece.
It begins by voting blue. That’s the first step that I see. From there, we move forward.
