Here in Reno Nevada (for those who are interested, Reno is in the western US and shares Lake Tahoe with and borders California). There was an incident in the next town named "Virginia City" where they feature replicas of the old west, cowboys with spurs, men and women in costume etc. We went once and felt a very menacing extremist energy even as some of the people were making an effort... and even with lots of Spanish folks. There were extremist signs and flags everywhere. As global majority folks, we never went back.
An African American man was asking for signatures for a petition to put a ceiling on the cost of attorney fees for poor people, which we'd signed last week. This guy went there and got trashed... but he managed to film it... it went viral on tik tok, and then the national papers did a story. Only after this, did the authorities take action... revoking licenses of the jerks, etc... not before. We all know why [$] worried about tourism duckets... yada yada.
I have not yet caught up with the news happening in the questionably "United" Kingdom but relieved to know you are both okay. I would have dropped a note before this if I had. It must be quite an uncomfortable thing for Abha to feel this particular brand of racism and bigotry since, from our respective ponds, we grew up in it (which never makes it easier, just, sadly, familiar). It is gut-wrenching to keep hearing (and feeling empathically), such life-threatening pain body responses by folks not addressing the starvation of their spirits.
Bless you for addressing these issues as uncomfortable as it is to sometimes do. It is likely equally uncomfortable for people to read and respond, but I think for each reader (or responder) there are likely a dozen or so who will register something of it in their hearts that they would not have, had you not brought it forward.
I am so happy to be a sangha member who gets to regularly connect on this level with you and the other members of our group beyond color, culture and conditioning, beyond the 'this and that' that keeps ones mind swimming and to authentically take in and live from the truth of our hearts. Seriously, we sangha folks could all just paint ourselves our favorite colors, none of us judging the other via this modern conditioning, and we would all simply love being a rainbow together. That's how beautiful knowing oneself is.
Here in Reno Nevada (for those who are interested, Reno is in the western US and shares Lake Tahoe with and borders California). There was an incident in the next town named "Virginia City" where they feature replicas of the old west, cowboys with spurs, men and women in costume etc. We went once and felt a very menacing extremist energy even as some of the people were making an effort... and even with lots of Spanish folks. There were extremist signs and flags everywhere. As global majority folks, we never went back.
An African American man was asking for signatures for a petition to put a ceiling on the cost of attorney fees for poor people, which we'd signed last week. This guy went there and got trashed... but he managed to film it... it went viral on tik tok, and then the national papers did a story. Only after this, did the authorities take action... revoking licenses of the jerks, etc... not before. We all know why [$] worried about tourism duckets... yada yada.
I have not yet caught up with the news happening in the questionably "United" Kingdom but relieved to know you are both okay. I would have dropped a note before this if I had. It must be quite an uncomfortable thing for Abha to feel this particular brand of racism and bigotry since, from our respective ponds, we grew up in it (which never makes it easier, just, sadly, familiar). It is gut-wrenching to keep hearing (and feeling empathically), such life-threatening pain body responses by folks not addressing the starvation of their spirits.
Bless you for addressing these issues as uncomfortable as it is to sometimes do. It is likely equally uncomfortable for people to read and respond, but I think for each reader (or responder) there are likely a dozen or so who will register something of it in their hearts that they would not have, had you not brought it forward.
I am so happy to be a sangha member who gets to regularly connect on this level with you and the other members of our group beyond color, culture and conditioning, beyond the 'this and that' that keeps ones mind swimming and to authentically take in and live from the truth of our hearts. Seriously, we sangha folks could all just paint ourselves our favorite colors, none of us judging the other via this modern conditioning, and we would all simply love being a rainbow together. That's how beautiful knowing oneself is.
Bless you, dear friend.
xx
Sent you a voice text dearest Drew