War Between Red and Blue

Not so long ago, in old people's years, there was breathing space in the middle where public discourse could take place without rancor and with the common goal of reaching a cooperative agreement on the way forward.

Much longer ago, a group of colonists believed they were "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness ... whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it,” as is stated in the Declaration of Independence. They then listed a number of grievances that they felt justified such action.

This document formalized colonial sentiments which had lead to an uprising in the Boston harbor several years earlier. A group of colonists had stormed a British ship and poured the cargo of tea into the sea to protest an unfair tax.

In February, 2021, a young man (Francisco Camacho) wrote a guest column in the Tennessean newspaper comparing the Boston Tea Party to the Capital uprising on January 6, 2021. He concluded "There is but one tangible difference when adjusting for place and time. In one case, the tyranny the mob feared was  real.  In the other, it was a manufactured  fiction."

In another way, they are surprisingly the same. In the eyes of the challenged governments they were both illegal. Insurrection, Revolution and Secession are all threats to the continued existence of a civil union, and no matter how well justified they may be, if the governing entity suppresses the disturbance, their laws apply. And on the other hand, if the troublemakers win, their rules become the laws of the land.

Thus, the bad boy colonists became the good guy patriots of the new United States of America. Perhaps there's another way besides armed conflict to guide a government's evolution into a more enlightened civil society. Perhaps nonlethal resistance could bring about change through the same means they hope rulers would implement to govern humanely and equably.

Expendable

According to the rules of war, children are expendable in the achievement of an important military objective.  What more important objective is there than protecting the future generation. If we achieve our goals while ignoring the young all that remains is a desolate world without hope. 

Is there a way to wage war without killing the innocent? I do not know, that is for the generals to determine. Either way, is the world worth saving if children are expendable?

Them and Us

In the world of barriers there are always them and us. In the land of the U.S. southern border there are the cartels and the Americans. The cartels bring drugs they promise will make us happy, have a good time, party on. The innocent citizens think there is a trouble-free pill that can make life fun and then it's back to work. The predators are hunted as ruthless criminals only in it for the money. The prey are just living their lives looking for ways to make life bearable.

Illicit drugs make up a multi-billion dollar economy. The market place is the street and the purveyors are the U.S. residents acting as retail agents busting the bags of whole-sale chemicals into easily consumable products that can be sold at a good markup. The consumers are young kids, career professionals, just about anyone interested in a good time.

In a market economy the wheels are driven by supply and demand. Without demand there is no need of supply. If no one bought a packet of drugs then no one would become addicted, no one would die of an overdose and no one would be standing on the street corner hawking their wares. Further back down the line, mules would not be risking incarceration or death to transport bulk drugs across borders. Cartel members would not be fighting for control of the drug flow or murdering the innocent residents of source countries.

A drug induced high is the ultimate goal of the co-dependency between users and dealers. It is the release from pain, frustration, depression, anger, grief, boredom, empty existence that we as people are always seeking. Let's face it, life can be a real drag once in a while. Where can you go, what can you do to fill the void. Is there a book, a blog, a healer with all the answers? Everyone is looking for a path. The first easy path is a pill, a pipe, a needle. Not too expensive at first. Good times are had all around. What's the problem? It's all harmless fun.

With the first swallow, toke, fix, someone dies on the other side of the country or is sucked into the magical river of gold and violence flowing from the pockets of the seekers. Some of us have difficulties in childhood causing trauma, misconceptions, unrealistic expectations, or an inability to fit it. Over time these can grow into intractable life struggles. Very often the help needed to find our way through these problems can be unavailable, unaffordable, or unprovided by those who are normally responsible for giving it.

The one thing that is the most easy to find and that offers some relief from our predicaments is the black market drug trade. All you need is some cash.What would happen if the assistance we are looking for and truly need was as close as the neighborhood drug store, with easy to read signs, directions and options. One size does not fit all, but usually there is a solution for almost everyone. The path is not easy, but if it is consistently and responsibly presented through counseling or commonly agreed upon information portals then our recovery can begin.

One day soon, the bricks of heroin, bales of weed. sacks of fentanyl piling up on the docks awaiting transport to distribution centers will remain unprocessed and be forgotten. The dealers and traffickers will wait in the usual places for the cash to roll it and, as if over night, those hangouts will become deserted and converted into health and well-being centers.
 

What if they threw a war and no one came?

 There is a long, deep trench and many people are lined up facing it. There are many soldiers around the trench, making sure that the unarmed are under control. The soldiers intend to shoot the men and women and dump them in the ditch. What would happen if one brave soul among those threatened was to turn to face their murderers? Would it change anything? Would one soldier see the humanity in the eyes of the resistor? Would others in line turn to resist the cruelty of men and testify to the common understanding of our shared suffering in the world? How many innocents would die anyway? Would any hearts be changed by our love of peace?

Falling

 

Time passes

And men fall down

Passing the torch

And women fall.

Reaching for the stars

And children fall down.

This is the truth,

Our raison d'etre,

Then we fall down.

It isn't complicated,

Clear as a bell,

We grasp at moonbeams

And then we fall.

From time immemorial

It's been done before.

We do what we have always done:

We learn to tie shoes,

We learn to fight war,

We build tall buildings,

We sing a song

And then

We all fall down.

The only thing that means a damn

Is not our footprints in the sand.

It's not our children.

Not the ladder climbed.

It's soul and compassion

And loving kindness shared.

Then we fall

Down.

Protect and Serve

Could you be a cop? You would be admired by many, feared by some, and hated by others. Could you wield deadly force, if necessary? Aye, there's the rub. In the heat of the moment, could you take another''s life to save your own or that of another? When the smoke clears and the one who threatened is found to only have fake gun, how would that make you feel? 

In Madison, until recently, cops were told "the purpose of deadly force is to stop the threat." This seems to be a clear-cut directive that would entail little hesitation when time is of the essence. Now suddenly, cops must first consider that their duty is to ensure the "protection and preservation of all human life", victims and perpetrators alike (New Police Procedures). This new policy takes into account not just the appearance of imminent violence, but the circumstances in which it occurs and the state of mind of the individuals involved. And still a decision needs to be made on the fly as a situation unfolds. The point is, that cops have other options, including deescalation and non-lethal force. 

The trick is processing this additional instruction in a short amount of time. The other part of it is overcoming preconceived notions about the citizen being confronted. Will the mentally ill and people of color be given the the same benefit of the doubt? Training to implement the new policies will help cops adjust the way they interact with the public, but changing their cultural response may take a more concerted effort.

Grasping at straws

Conflict comes in many forms. This year has been tumultuous on the political front, with everyone choosing sides and no one giving an inch. As a liberal it has been weirdly satisfying to see republicans battling other republicans (WI Republicans squabble over state budget ). On the other hand, it just increases the ongoing splintering across the political spectrum leading to greater inertia on issues that need to be acted on.

There might be one bright note that could come from this free for all, and that is the possibility that those remaining moderates of either persuasion might feel more inclined to break ranks, meet as equals, and forge a compromise on legislation that would both help people and not crush the economy. It is a slim hope, but one I grasp at.