2/17/2020 Treat everyone as human
On this day set aside to honor presidents, I wanted to share a commitment I am making for the next nine months. Regularly (every week or two), I will reach out with information, inspiration, and/or ideas that focus on what our beautiful human family has in common.
This is shaping up to be one of the most important elections in our country's history. There will be many attempts to divide and conquer, to emphasize our small and large differences, to wedge fear into the gaps those differences reveal. A significant amount of misinformation, propaganda, and falsehoods are already circulating, with the intention of influencing our votes. (Read this article in the Atlantic for details: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/03/the-2020-disinformation-war/605530/)
My intention is to offer a countering voice, one that is grounded in the core values of human rights, inclusion, dignity and respect for all.
I might also offer an occasional take on what's happening. (For example, if you want to educate yourself about why the recent interaction between the attorney general, the media, and the president is deeply troubling, a good source is the in-depth story produced by On the Media: https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/otm/episodes/on-the-media-norm)
But mostly, I want to focus on the things that pull us together, forward, toward compassionate understanding and heartfelt action. I believe this is no time to sit on the sidelines. We must work diligently for the future we envision for ourselves and for generations that follow us, and to make our ancestors proud.
For today, president's day, I offer a quote from the writer Sandra Cisneros. I heard an interview with her yesterday, and she closed with this. It echoed in my heart, and prompted me to make this commitment to move forward with you all. (Read/listen to the full interview here: https://onbeing.org/programs/sandra-cisneros-a-house-of-her-own/)
Ms. Cisneros said:
"I hope that my speaking tonight will motivate each of you to right the planet, to do something positive, even if that only means treating everyone you meet, tonight and tomorrow and the day after, as human beings."
Treat everyone we meet as human beings, every day. As we would want to be treated. What could be more powerful?
Sending love and gratitude to all.
Liz