Mindful bonus from Waylon & elephant community, today:

After tonight, there is no clearer indication that we, as a country, are in dire need of political reform.

We need to elect public servants who align with the values that matter to the working families. We need to vote for the right Councilperson, Mayors, Governors and Senators. We need to be active in our communities, make a difference where we can.

I hope this election serves as a wake up call that we need to listen to our fellow human beings.

Today America spoke loud and clear—democracy made its choice. But is this the process that still works accurately in 2016? America was so thirsty for change that it turned a blind eye to racism, misogyny, sexism and hate, possibly setting our country back 50 years.

I know many, like myself, feel disappointed with our system but we must be honest with ourselves: this dissatisfaction did not start today.

We are all aware of the longstanding corruption, the love affair of Wall Street and politics, the poisoning of our food through the use of Monsato, the obsession with oil that has taken us to war.

Let’s ask ourselves: what have we personally done or said?

We must take responsibility for this result.

This unhappiness has been brewing but it wasn’t enough for us to willingly take a stand or voice our opinion. Maybe we thought it didn’t matter, or no one would listen. This could be why divorce is so high and relationships don’t work because we don’t communicate enough, or wait until it’s too late.

Like many, I wanted Bernie to represent the democratic party. It did not happen, so what do we do now?

This is not the time to complain and point fingers. Let’s not get stuck there. It is not the time to spew more hatred in a well overflowing from it. It will only perpetuate the cycle, moving the conversation further from the solutions needed.

Let’s not overlook this opportunity to progress, to have conversations that matter, about issues that are important. We must not turn our backs on the problems of our society because we do not perceive them as our own.

Martin Luther King Jr. once said: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.”

Yesterday our brothers, today our indigenous people, tomorrow the rest of us that stood by the sidelines.

Sometimes our biggest lessons lie in the most frightening situations. We have all had experiences where we thought our world was collapsing only to reawaken stronger as a result of it. We need breakdowns to have breakthroughs. Let’s trust that although we may not like where this is headed it is probably for our maximal growth.

Tomorrow, when my children wake up, I will have to explain that if they don’t stand up for what they believe in, are too busy to make a difference, don’t think it’s important enough or wait for someone else to do it or leave it for another time (possibly when it’s too late), things like this might happen again. History will continue to repeat itself. The voices of those who are not silent will prevail.

The pain of humanity is wailing out loud, this is a collective cry for help. While hate is boisterous, proud and neurotic, love is gentle, modest and calm.

Love is the only way we can heal individually and as a whole. It is the only way we will progress toward peace. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Ghandi were both successful in these methods.

Let’s not play the hate game, we’ve been doing that for a long time and look at where it’s gotten us.

~

Author: Jaquí Rodriguez

Image: YouTube screenshot

Editor: Katarina Tavčar