Honestly, there are times
when I prefer not to bridge cultures
to make thoughtless people feel comfortable
for behaving in ways that are childish,
offensive, invasive, or disrespectful to others
because they take their unearned
unquestioned privilege for granted
*
I reserve the power to simply walk away
without a glance or comment
and let them think what they will
but sometimes I feel called to stand
with others in solidarity against insanity
the sad fact is that self-absorption
has a toxic impact on everything else
and threatens life-sustaining connections
*
Protect Our Water (Stop Enbridge Line 3) Demonstration in Duluth, Minnesota on September 28, 2019 – an ongoing issue https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/aug/10/protesters-line-3-minnesota-oil-gas-pipeline
Edited to add an important information shared by Diane Lefer:
August 17th (this Tuesday) there will be solidarity actions in several cities around the US. (Especially for health and science workers, but all are welcome) Check out the map and links, please: https://sites.google.com/view/healthagainstline3/home?emci=1785537b-51f9-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=4f4f27c2-1dfa-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=155049
Voices from the Margins 
YES!
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💜
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Note to Carol’s followers: August 17th (this Tuesday) there will be solidarity actions in several cities around the US. (Especially for health and science workers, but all are welcome) Check out the map and links, please: https://sites.google.com/view/healthagainstline3/home?emci=1785537b-51f9-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&emdi=4f4f27c2-1dfa-eb11-b563-501ac57b8fa7&ceid=155049
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Thank you so much for sharing this crucial information, Diane. I edited to post to include what you posted. 💜
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Carol, I completely understand the way you feel. It’s so hard to see so many things happening in our world, and yet here at home, the struggles for so many fundamental things to be honored, supported, respected, regarded as important or sacred seems to pale in comparison to the patriarchal need to have “power over” and to tell everyone that they know what is best and then acting on that regardless of cost – human or anything else. May those who continue to walk – to stand FOR what is right rather than resist what is not right – find strength and solace in knowing that many of us are out here supporting them energetically or in any way we can. We hold them in our hearts. 💜
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Thank you so much for your thoughtful, lovely, and supportive comments, Carrie. Sending hugs, gratitude and best wishes to you, dear friend. 💜
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I understand well your position, Carol. The blinders of “unearned / unquestioned privilege” threaten us all.
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Thank you for your supportive and thoughtful comments, dear friend. 💜
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I always thought I would get more empathetic the older I got. It’s a struggle not to be constantly angry at people’s cluelessness.
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I can relate to the challenge. I wonder, though, if it’s more about focusing on the people who are harmed in some way by those who are clueless.
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Completely! Yeah. If they were just clueless and nobody was being hurt, so what? Let ’em be. But when it seeps out into the world with devastating effects…. that’s a whole other story.
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The self-absorption is exhausting. There’s so many layers of crap to get through before you could even begin to have a discussion with both people on the same page. On the other hand, with all the news — about climate change, about so many species going extinct, about water being our most precious resource — you would think people would finally get it and we wouldn’t need to protest anymore. I’m at a loss to understand it, Carol.
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What a great way to describe the effect dealing with self-absorbed people has on one’s motivation and sense of hope, Pam! Exhausting. Before one even gets started, it makes an already overwhelming crisis feel as though attempting anything will be futile! (I hear the Borg chanting as I type – “resistance is futile.”) I don’t understand it either, but it does seems as if the Trump years made it more prevalent and pronounced… Of course, that does nothing to address it but talking about it with people who see it helps. Thank you for sharing such valuable obervations.
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The Trump years unearthed a lot of unpleasantness, but I’m shocked at the level of depravity of his followers, constituents and politicians alike, Carol. It’s been head and I still can’t believe it. 😳
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There is much to think about. How can we change things is a big one. Although disappointing maybe we can only change a little at a time. People will follow if we had the right leaders. We are in the midst of a federal election in Canada and will vote on September 20th. The Green Party Candidate knocked on my door this morning. We had a nice talk. I will not get a visit from our incumbent, Conservative or his rival, NDP candidate. They already know what I think of them. Take care.
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It’s so good to hear from you, Bob. Interesting that at least one candidate visited you despite COVID, and probably the most interesting one! I wonder if the best leaders will ever even run for office, let alone be elected by such a poorly educated citizenry in the U.S. Nonetheless, I was pleased that the most progressive local candidates made it onto the City Council here in the recent election. Sending my best wishes, dear friend. Please keep sharing you exquisite photos of those starry BC skies. 💜
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