Minnesota, Monks and MLK
We can see the stars
Today, I struggle to write this. Minnesotans are orchestrating an economic boycott because they are under attack at the hands of our own government under the guise of Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
What can I say in a moment like this that doesn’t feel like bullsh*t?
This time in our country is harder than I imagined it would be, and I don’t want to minimize it. ICE is terrorizing and hurting good and hard-working people with tactics that horrify us. Each day brings a fresh affront to our humanity. We experience more than anyone can reasonably absorb competing for our attention by the hour. I never thought I would see events like these take place in the United States in my lifetime—and now I suspect there is even more ahead .
And still I believe we will prevail.
Not because path ahead is clear or easy, but because I believe the lying, malevolent forces in this regime have underestimated We the People. Those that rely on fear and hate do not know how to respond to creativity, solidarity, and love.
Martin Luther King Jr. said on the night before he was murdered: “I know, somehow, that only when it is dark enough can you see the stars.” His words from that night continue to inspire.
In this darkness, we see what we love more clearly. Justice. Diversity. Fairness. We love those who give so much and are willing to take a stand for all of us. And we also know that MANY more have been facing these terrors for months and years… waiting for us to wake up to what they are experiencing at the hands of the those who are supposed to serve the constitution.
On this day, when reality feels so heavy, I look for inspiration. Like this:
I am inspired by Minnesotans, and all who have faced this reality well before I.
I am inspired by all who take a stand to resist the darkness. Your courage is inspiring. Your faith contagious.
This regime expects us to give in to intimidation or thuggery, to allow our exhaustion or fear to become despair. They expect withdrawal and complacency. We are being challenged to not to look away, to help one another, to stay engaged, and to fight for for our fellow community members.
So yes, we will keep going. We will move through this together.
What other choice do we have?
P.S. Here are ways to help and stand in solidarity with Minnesotans
Beautifully said. The challenge is to not get discouraged by all the fraudulent and disingenuous acts sanctified by our own government. Fighting the fight for good is all there is, no matter where or how long it takes us. We will not be cowed.
MLK's idea that darkness lets us see stars feels particularly apt right now. The Minnesota boycotts show something regimes always miscalculate: that targeting the vulnerable doesn't breed compliance but galvanizes resistane. Solidarity becomes visible when cruelty tries to isolate communities.