Scary times

This is an ATC that I call Free Palestine. I do not know the woman pictured; she represents all Palestinian women enduring Isreal's (with US dollars) genocide.

These days, I am creating much art in my journals that deal with human struggles and dire times. Seeing the erosion of democracy happening every day in the US is so disheartening and scary.  

As a progressive activist in the 80s and 90's, I remember thinking that things then were so bad: the wars we were involved in abroad and Reaganomics at home surely was indicative of a political system in decline. There was so much organizing. And yes, Apartheid did crumble, LGBTQ gains were made and there was general support for anti-racist struggles in the US. I felt the future would be better.

Then a momentous backlash occurred; why did we not prepare adequately for this? Patriarchal white supremacy, the foundation of this country's wealth, would not go out with a whimper. The left had long ignored working with the Democratic Party. So much so, that we now have a two party system that is really a one party system. And a left that is unorganized, tired, and ill prepared.

It is easy to think that President Trump is the main bogeyman. We want to think that if we just get rid of him, things will go back to pre-Trump days. No. While he is a figurehead, the far right backlash is fueled  by the 1%. Basically, this pushback centers around enabling the rich to keep more of their money, at any cost. Forget equality, forget climate change, forget justice. 

Judges, challenging unconstitutional presidential directives are rounded up and jailed. Brown US citizens, mostly Latinos, are being held illegally in detention camps or deported without due legal process.  The legal rights of activists are all being abolished with the hysterical cries against Antifa. The police are now more weaponized and have been given the green light to act as ICE officials as well as Antifa hunters. And the uber rich keep getting richer

So, you can see why I have nightmares and why my art reflects some grim realities. My housemate, DL, told me this morning of a dream he had last night. He dreamt that he was with a group of people that were trying to stop a train full of Nazis. Ultimately, they were unsuccessful, but he does remember that they all remained hopeful. Another dear friend, S, tells me how her autoimmune illness, Chronic Fatigue (CFS) is flared up worse than it's ever been before. Not surprisingly, she also tells me how brokenhearted she is these days. Her grief pours out of her for the people of Palestine, undergoing Israel's genocidal onslaught. And myself. I have a raised generalized anxiety these days about the plight of our country and my own security.

I love watching movies, especially mysteries and thrillers. But these days, I cannot watch a movie about war or a dystopian/apocalyptic future; because these situations don't seem so far-fetched for me. I can easily see the world being reduced to these kind of nightmare landscapes. The atrocious headlines I see every day are so disheartening. I'm finding it hard to remain hopeful.

BUT, remaining content, and yes, hopeful is still possible and more important than ever. Seeking good news about resistance, on all levels, helps.  There are good people who see community as sacred gifts and who see love at the center of all our actions. 

Perhaps I'll take a spiritual break and send my cat, Bimi, to do some community organizing in my name.  Yes, Mr. Bigglesworth* is no match for the lefty kitty,  Bimini!

 

* for those in the dark, Mr Bigglesworth is the evil mascot of Mr. Evil in Austin power movies