Cross Currents Churning
So Much News About Rising Violence and Fascism, Growing Cracks, and Resistance Building
Recent news has been full of what look like disagreements about the state of America. We find more information about growing fascism in the democracy we have loved. Many of us, for all of our lives. We also see analyses of our capacity crumbling. And there are also reports about our rising tide of resistance. Are these antithetical? No, they’re part of a complex system of cross currents that emerge during times of chaos like these.
We read about the growing violence in Portland and Chicago, with increasing numbers of injuries, deaths, and people disappearing. We hear about the devastating personal, psychological, spiritual, and financial impact of the federal closures. Too many people are without paychecks in a time when growing numbers of families are living paycheck-to-paycheck and adding gigs to bring in more income. The economic devastation caused by tariffs, shutdown, and job losses will only be fully understood in retrospect. But already, we see reports of people shopping less and trying to raise funds for food on GoFundMe. Retail CEOs are reporting huge changes and losses from all but the rich. There is a rapidly growing divide between rich and poor, with loss of much of the middle class. It makes the Grand Canyon look like a little fault line.
With all of this happening, people are finding that multiple capacities in America are crumbling. Our government services provide just a sliver of what was offered in past years. It’s now almost impossible to reach people at federal offices, and resources are being stretched in many states. The tariffs, still newly enacted, already create economic hardships for people, companies, and governments around the world. The closure of the federal government, with revenge furloughs and firings damages the body politic and its ability to meet its constitutional obligations. Did we need to address overspending by the U.S. government? Absolutely! The national debt is now unsustainable, created by leaders of both parties. Using a scalpel protects our governmental body and civil society. A large buzz saw or blowtorch often destroys much of what it touches.
We find reports of an increasing number of people seeing that destruction is being created by weak policies, lies, revenge politics, and violence. Farmers realize they weren’t being helped. People living in red states who supported Trump realize they and their children may no longer be able to access somewhat affordable healthcare starting next year. More citizens find they or those they love out of work with few prospects. Almost all of us gulp before entering the grocery store.
The effects of the buzz saw and the grocery store gulp have mobilized more and more of us to call these leaders and their actions to account. This coming Saturday, we will probably see more No Kings Day Rallies, with larger numbers in attendance.
May we be empowered as we seek to restore our democracy, and support more compassion and justice in our communities.
Dolores Huerta, of the United Farm Workers said it best: Si Se Puede! That means both “if we can” and “yes, we can”
Si Se Puede!
