Today I am thinking of Chile. I am thinking of 3,000 dead and tens of thousands tortured. I am thinking of a US-backed coup. I am thinking of the the psychological damage done to a people by a dictator they didn't elect.
Today I am thinking of 3,000 dead in NYC and hundreds of thousands dead in Afghanistan and Iraq. I am thinking of innocence, hatred, compassion, and retaliation. I am thinking of shock, awakening, pride, flags, and nationalism. I am thinking of terrorism by extremists who see their way of life threatened, and terrorism by governments which see their neoliberal agendas threatened.
Today I am thinking of how crisis brings out the best in us. And I am thinking of how crisis brings out the worst in us.
Today I am thinking of the love of people who opened their hearts and their arms to strangers who struggled with the anguish of losing loved ones. And I am thinking of the love of people who are fighting for an end to war against strangers under attack on the other side of the world.
Today I am thinking of our ability to look past differences and show empathy for strangers who are traumatized. And I am thinking of our ability to look past complexity and blame a situation on skin colour, religion, and clothing customs when we are traumatized.
Today I am thinking of lives under attack by guns and bombs, of the loss of life, and the need for understanding of the root causes of extremism to prevent futher attacks. And I am thinking of human rights under attack by governments and their laws, of the loss of freedoms, and the need for education, awareness, and action and protests to show our governments that we will not allow their attacks to go unchallenged.
4 days ago
