On Monday We Mourn

I woke up to the news about Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer. On any day of the year this would be tragic news. After the past few days it feels catastrophic. I've been rereading old blog posts looking for direction. 

Two sentences are running through my head.

• What evil lurks in the hearts of men?
• It’s the guns.

I’m sharing an old post from 2018 today because I’m horrified by how relevant it still feels and I’m almost embarrassed by my naïveté. There’s no mention here about the massive concentration of money which was always a key player in this process. When so much of what might be an agent for good is purchased and neutralized, my exhortation to vote feels…hollow. 

The Dealers of Darkness, October 28, 2018

In order to take the country in a direction that any reasonable person would recognize to be wrong, it is necessary to take away their ability to see the truth. Our vision relies heavily on an access to light. And so light is what is systematically being taken away from our national discourse.

Like advance men for a traveling show, the dealers of darkness come in and post big swaths of darkness in our communities. It’s gradual. But it is a steady, ongoing loss of light. We move from walking confidently to crawling along, feeling our way. Any noise in the darkness is something to be feared.

Normalizing racist and others forms of hate speech = darkness
Demeaning women = darkness
Stirring up fear about immigrants = darkness
Promoting a culture of guns = darkness
Closing polling places = darkness
Reviling a free press = darkness

The mailing of explosive devices to people/institutions that have been criticized by the current president is a direct result of this ongoing process to spread darkness: the darkness of ignorance, conspiracy theories, and anger. So, too, is the slaughter at the Tree of Life Synagogue. When your goal is to keep people in the dark and take away their choices, it is important to convince them that someone else is to blame.

We must be as aggressive in spreading light in our communities as these dealers are in destroying it. Moreso, actually. As hokey as this may sound, the survival of our democracy depends upon it.

We must:

Speak and act with respect to those who are different from us 
Respect and empower women
Advocate for fair and compassionate immigration policies
Elect candidates who will vote for common sense gun legislation
Protect the right to vote
Lift up and defend a free press

We must vote. Of course we must vote. Voting alone is not enough. We must also live in a way that shines light in the darkness.

*****

I’m closing with something which has come to be almost a benediction for me, written by one of my favorite writers on Bluesky: 

Good morning

eat

take your meds 

hydrate

tell your people you love them 

let them love you back

We are here. This is real. Let's 

build a home for each other and 

fight like hell.

I noticed this morning that a friend had signed off last night with this:

Tomorrow needs us all. Rest up and then show up in whatever ways you can. It matters.

Amen.

Village Green/Town² Comments