Perpetual Violence

There’s a song on the radio, well not radio because they have too many commercial breaks, but on Pandora. Thomas Newman, of the famous Hollywood composers Newman’s, Any Other Name.

It’s beautiful, haunting, calming, and at the same time…urging. Yes urging. My fingers seek out keys on this little black keyboard, trying to form words, sentences, complete thoughts. I can’t.

All I can think about is the depravity in the world, the headlines that make tears come to my eyes and fear seep into my heart. From women being tossed aside, yes fucking tossed because you don’t see those headlines, as a by product of war: I’m talking rape here. Women, especially Native women, disappearing with no traces, many not even investigated (here), to the headlines of useless shootings, painful protests, senseless riots…have we no humanity? Do our countries no longer cry out in rage about the senseless loss of life?

Is there no bone in our body that revolts at the sensation of this violence? Is there no STOP button in our brains before spewing hateful and bigoted views? Is there no compassion? Ahimsa? Respect? I feel as though I need to walk around hugging strangers and simply apologize for all the pain.

We are all in pain.

We are all suffering.

Each moment of violence kills part of our humanity, crushes and defeats our compassion. Instead of standing in the way of progress for total social reform by clinging to that which your tenderly accustomed, we need to stand together, clasping hands, demanding in loud voices for this to change.

I’m too young to remember the Civil Rights Movement. I’m too young to remember the Women’s Movement. But I’m not to young to remember the pain in a friends face because he was targeted for his skin color. I’m not too young to remember a friend trying to joke off insults because he is Muslim. I’m not too young to remember, and constantly be reminded, to be careful about simply existing as a woman.

Some sit there, and say what good will it do? And it infuriates me. Stand up. Stand with your fellow humans against the atrocity being allowed, being swept aside, and let your peaceful outrage be heard. When we stand up and show compassion, show love, give love, only then can we begin to see a change. It might be a child’s dream, a dreamer’s wish for some kind of forward motion that humanity will take, but it could happen. I know there are complexities to the issue, I’m not over simplifying the many many issues that contribute to where we are today…simply hoping.

How do you change the world?

You change it by loving yourself. Then sharing that love with others.

Its that simple, and that hard. You’ve just got to give it a chance.