#GoneGreen2016 | Day 218 / 365
It’s Remembrance Day today, a day designated by King George V for the Commonwealth of Nations to remember those who lost their lives in the First World War; one fought in the name of nationalism, imperialism, militarism and alliances.
We remember too the lives lost in the Second World War as well, a war much more gallant in its efforts, fought instead for democracy, against fascism and tyranny. It ended in 1945, yet with the most recent results of the American election, familiar tingles of fear felt while learning about WWII begin to rise. It feels as if we’ve taken a giant 75-year step back, and all the good that was fought for and won since seems suddenly threatened.
Sadness, fear, anger and anxiety, bubbles within me and boils in the internet world around me … apart from the few celebrating Texas-based Republican family and friends who, despite my intense disappointment in, are good hearted people in the daily realities of life. I hold on to the hope that one day they’ll wake up and look past their own closed communities to realize there are ramifications for the choices they made, which expand beyond the front porch of their McMansions. Those I know personally who voted for Trump are neither poor, undereducated, or stupid. They’re a product of their peers and have been brought up to think – much like religion – that the political party passed on to them by their parents is not an alliance made through conscious choice or lucidity, being Republican, regardless of its wavering definitions, is simply a part of their identity.
We woke up to a strange and scary world the day before yesterday, It rained all morning and was grey too. I’d wager to say the whole world was mourning, unable to face or digest the shock of the recklessness reality revealed. Sounds quite dramatic but the reality of Trump’s new found powers offers a heavy-weight to anyone working towards positive change and progress in any facet of social or climate justice.
It’s not that I would have been overjoyed if Hillary won, she wasn’t my number one choice either – in fact – I didn’t have a choice, I’m Canadian after all. All the same, I’ve never been so involved in another country’s election. Perhaps it was because, in the four years since the last U.S. election occurred, I met and married an American man which makes the United States’ antics even harder to ignore. Or perhaps it was because, for the first time in my life, an election commenced with a man named Bernie who offered ideas of monumental progress which mirrored my own hopes for the future and our world.
My first reaction on the mo(u)rning of the 9th, despite being the daughter of a pagan and an atheist, was to use my facebook rant box to allude to the fact I see this ‘man’ as the false Massiah of a country overrun by Christian fundamentalists (please note: Christian fundamentalists are very different from actual Christians practising Christianity as intended). Trump to me is the Antichrist himself, embodying shamelessly all seven deadly sins: pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth. A ‘man’ so lacking in virtues and concentrated on hate, it is inevitable destruction will be all his legacy brings.
At this present moment in time, apart from us ripping each other to pieces through wars and disagreements, us little Earthlings have – for the most part – avoided talking about the biggest threat humanity has ever faced. Despite popular belief, that threat isn’t Isis (you have more chance of being killed by an asteroid than a terrorist), it’s a much bigger and badder bag of worms soon to be unleashed in all its fury due to the global warming process. This is what irks me the most about this President-elect (apart from the racism, sexism, bigotry, and buggery), because with Trump at the helm the country most guilty of contributing to our climate’s demise, the lack of action and in fact retraction of action that he has says he will instate, only adds to the list of evils his improperly formed sentences have promised to put in place.
This man’s actions – or lack thereof – affect the entire world and every living thing, and for that, we all have a right to weigh in on his decision-making, and by proxy, the decision making of those 50 States.
This man’s actions – or lack thereof – affect the entire world and every living thing, and for that, we all have a right to weigh in on his decision-making, and by proxy, the decision making of those 50 States.
At the rate we’re currently going, during this century, the average temperature will rise to surpass the 2°C warming that scientists have set, bringing us to the danger zone of 3°C (+). The United States is one of the main contributors towards both CO2 and Methane emissions. Without them leading the world with fortitude and passion into alternative energy sources and reduced meat and dairy consumption, we’re headed towards huge ramifications which can only be described as apocalyptically troubling. This rise in temperature is set to put 30% of animals at risk of extinction, will cause oceans to acidify, wildfires will get bigger, droughts more severe, and drown entire countries due to sea level rise.
Thus far, America’s trumpet President-elect has called global warming a Chinese hoax and threatened to scrap the regulations put in place to reduce US carbon dioxide emissions – including the Clean Power Plan. He has also vowed to to get rid of the Environmental Protection Agency entirely and repeal all federal spending on clean energy. If all that isn’t enough, Trump also plans to pull the United States out of The Paris Agreement, signed with the United Nations alongside 195 countries (you can read about The Paris Agreement and the ramifications for lack of action HERE).
It’s so tempting to run and hide from all this and pretend it’s not happening, but ignoring these issues is what allowed the realities we face occur in the first place; from climate change to Trump himself, we’ve been highly distracted with other things and not actively engaging socially, politically and environmentally in ways this planet and her inhabitants so desperately need.
Using my slightly weak Christian analogy, with the antichrist in the highest office and the world on a brink of a genuine apocalypse, we’re gearing up for a second coming as promised – only I suspect a Jesus-esque saviour won’t be what comes to our aide, we ourselves must embody a holy state. If God is Love (and it doesn’t really matter who’s God or Goddess(es) that might be) and the kingdom of God lives in the heart of every man, woman and child, then it is up to us to fight the darkness which presides over us with just that: the Love in our heart, not useless words of violence (for which I am most definitely guilty).
As cheesy as it sounds, especially to a non-believer like myself, the only way for us to overcome hatred, evil, greed and capitalistic restraints is through unity, positivity, hard work, education, (two-way) conversation, and keeping ourselves in a near constant active state.
We don’t hear about it much in mainstream media but collective conscious activism has delivered change in the past. I’ve seen my own spiritual leaders post words in response to this election about meditating towards positivity and love, and though our own inner peace is an important part of progression, it is passive activism – and despite all its magic, belongs to a world beyond us which doesn’t shift the reality in which our bodies are a part. Spirituality has its powers in terms of inner strength, but that strength must be converted into action for it to take harness of the strings on which this world hangs.
In the ultimate battle of good over evil which has the possibility of bringing us to a more conscious and capable Messianic-esque age, we need every sub-community even the ones we consider to be our enemy to engage. That means us partaking as publicly as possible representing who we are in everyday life so we represent the majority, not our own festival going minority. My dear inspiring yet flamboyant friends, I do Love you, but wearing nipple tassels and glitter to demonstrations does not create a relatable political statement to the mainstream and political powers who are needing to be swayed. That’s one of the meany reason Anonymous wears suits and masks, unity in masses must take precedence over personal glorification.
There are a multitude of examples throughout recent history in which peaceful revolution took place and won. Iceland peacefully overthrew their government after the financial crash of 2008 – refusing to bail out its banks – and instead hired voluntary non-partisan citizens to re-write its constitution in favour of the people rather than corporations.
Nelson Mandela’s ANC party organized an anti-apartheid ‘stopping of work’ in 1950 in which hundreds of thousands of South Africans stayed home from work in retaliation of a new bill which would allow governments to investigate any political party or organization.
Then there’s Martin Luther King’s historic “I Have a Dream” speech in 1963, for which more than 200,000 demonstrators gathered peacefully to promote racial equality in the United States. A demonstration which is credited with and pressuring President John F. Kennedy to create firm civil rights legislations.
The wall which had separated East and West Berlin came down just two months after public protests occurred throughout Germany influencing the East German government opening its gates on November 9, 1989.
Finally, most inspiring, for this present American situation, a demonstration which occured at the end of 2004, known as The Orange Revolution, which brought thousands to Kiev’s main square to protest the results of the Ukrainian presidential election. Demonstrations continued for 12 days through horrific weather conditions until a revote was called, reversing the results and putting the opposition candidate in office.
From my facebook feed, it looks like Portland is already united in protest, New York too.
From my facebook feed, it looks like Portland is already united in protest, New York too.
It is possible to be an activist on masse, or on an individual level, but you have to pay attention, invest your time wisely, and think for yourself and of others. Not the other way around.
No longer can we allow our forms of entertainment or precious time to be sucked up by the likes of the Kardashians, TMZ or any other intended disturbances. If you want any say in the future this world holds for you, your children and all living things, then you must decondition yourself from the distractions of popular culture and make sure you entertainment is educational or inspirational, your actions influential – and embody – even in your darkest moments (which I myself am continually working on) – unconditional love. We have to wake up, unify, and act together. The time is now.
photos: 1, 2, 3
sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
No longer can we allow our forms of entertainment or precious time to be sucked up by the likes of the Kardashians, TMZ or any other intended disturbances. If you want any say in the future this world holds for you, your children and all living things, then you must decondition yourself from the distractions of popular culture and make sure you entertainment is educational or inspirational, your actions influential – and embody – even in your darkest moments (which I myself am continually working on) – unconditional love. We have to wake up, unify, and act together. The time is now.
photos: 1, 2, 3
sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
Powerful call to action- we all need this and should heed the call. Thank you!