I was going to compliment your photo, and then I read further. I want what you want. To me, your words are a prayer. They should be spoken and shared. Hugs to your daughter, too, during such a difficult and sad time.
Ah, Teresa, these are reassuring and much needed words. That expression--there but for the grace of god go I--has seldom felt more apt. Thank you for sharing this with those you care about. That means so much.
Let it be so! The manifesto part, at least. Though I'm not a big fan of using militaristic terms for the purpose of promoting goodness, I dare say we have an army of love warriors among us -- you included. Thank you, Barry.
I appreciate you doing the audio recording, I’m sure it wasn’t easy. It makes it more personal for me. Thank you for being a sane and thoughtful voice in the face of such profound loss.
Sometimes I don't realize the audio is going to be hard until I get into it. This was one of those times. I'm sincerely honored to know you listened and found connection there, Eileen.
I worked in schools for more than 30 years, and I have been only a few degrees removed from several school shootings. I understand your feelings, all that you have named here. Just remembering them now brings up tears. Yesterday I stopped at a shopping center and could hear shrill whistles while inside my car. I saw two women blowing furiously and filming the back corner of the lot. They told me ICE agents were there, that they'd already picked up one person without a warrant. That was my first close encounter with this kind of violence, and it shook me, even though I was several degrees removed. Violence ripples. I am grateful your daughter is physically OK. I share your vision for the world I wish we all lived in, and I hope the exercise of writing it was a balm to repair the rupture for you.
I can't imagine the rising trepidation you must have felt at school, Rita, nor how yesterday's events brought that back with new layers of disgust and fear. Thank you for holding all of that in your own way.
It does help to get thoughts into written words. It also gives me a process to consider what doesn't make the page. So many layers. I feel fortunate to have a place to work some of this through in the company of like-minded friends.
Sigh. That's what I did when I was finished reading. As always, you bring me facts and interpretations with heart. Thank you. You add your humanity.
The shooting numbers are astonishing. May I inquire what your, or the, definition of a 'mass' shooting is? Not that it matters, but I guess it mattered enough to ask because those numbers seem so disheartening and unseemly and then a child kills the parents that raised him and I, too, want to understand better why there are these unending turns to violence, if that's possible. ~J
Much appreciated, Janice. I know you're reading with sensitivity and a desire to understand, and I have so much respect for that intention,
After the fact, I edited to post to add the link for the source of that statistic. It slipped my mind before publishing. It's here, with this definition: "A 'mass shooting' includes any shooting with at least four victims injured or killed, excluding the shooter." https://www.wvtm13.com/article/mass-shooting-numbers-united-states-december/69729477
Today, on another reputable news platform, I saw an even higher number.
You are in the company of many who want to understand, me among them. I think the reasons are many. Processing my thoughts for this piece, I had to acknowledge the reality that humans have been slaughtering each other for about as long as we've been known to exist, or at least since our populations grew enough to put us in proximity with new bands of humans. Which comes first -- the fear of losing what we have to an other, or the desire to take what is not rightfully ours? I'd say the latter.
Right? Think of the Romans. Brutal. I'd say you're right, the latter. And does that ever end? I doubt it. The means become more violent or aggressive or...modern. Results are the same? We've said it before. The world as we wanted it to be has gone a bit mad. And it's the holiday season! ~J
Too much violence this week. Too much hatred, too little listening, too little love. The world is rocky at the moment. I fear things I never thought to fear when younger. But as I cleaned the shower stall yesterday morning, every stroke was accompanied by the repetition of the word ‘love’. Thankfully I felt a little less fragile after that, after sending love to all I know, and to myself. We need to bolster ourselves to keep on keeping on through these dark times. Sigh…. Take care dear Elizabeth. Sending love. All the best.
What a beautiful practice, Beth, to send love while working in a way that acts as a form of moving meditation. I suppose that's all we can do, really, for the people too distant to reach, or too far gone, while focusing as we can on what's closer to home. Thank you for your gentle heart, Beth, and for sharing care in all the ways you do. And thank you for being here.
It’s still hard to articulate as our media here in Australia is running hot with the tragedy.
Worse is the fact that politicians rather than being bi-partisan, have fired shots off each other’s bows, blaming, censoring. As if anyone could have stopped those two gunmen with the finest legislation in the world.
Even so, if our already tight gun laws of which Australia has every right to be proud, are tightened even more, if hate crimes are stringently legislated federally (Tasmania legislated its own 2 days before Bondi), if intelligence and security is funded fully and acted upon, then good. Those lives weren’t lost for nothing.
But more than anything, it must solidify that we in Australia are one people - that’s it, nothing more, nothing less. ‘United’ because that’s where our Australian strength lies.
Given Australia's already stringent gun laws, I guess the elephant in the room is really the rise in anti-semitism. Though it won't resurrect the dead, I hope, as you say, this tragedy prompts swift and stern response. And as Isaac Saul, editor of "Tangle News" says, "[Australia] provides a good case study to support the general principle of adding more friction between the desire to purchase a gun and actually accessing one." I pray someday, the opposition to common sense gun laws in the U.S. will be forced to concede that doing nothing is akin to pulling the trigger themselves.
Thank you so much, Prue, for sharing your thoughts. My heart is truly with you all.
It is the rise of rightwing anti-religion/race that is the problem and I think anti-semitism is part of that, fully aided and abetted by fundamentalist groups.
I don’t think creating legislation purely against anti-semitism will work. I think it has to be across the board to protect all those who are discriminated against, otherwise the government is just widening the potential for more protest and division.
The idea is to heal the breeches rather than create more, and to create and maintain a healthy Australia, not one that’s fractured by what’s going on in the rest of the world.
There are a number of global leaders who have facilitated the rise of the rightwing - we know who they are and I think THEY are the elephants in the room. Just a thought...
I'm honored to have you among my readers, Darrel, and appreciate the comment. I suppose if we manage to cling to even a few of those ideas at a time, we're still moving in the right direction.
Oh, my lord, girl. What a piece of beautiful writing, Elizabeth. I'm not resigned, I'm not sure that I'm angry right now. I'm just overcome with sadness for the world. My synagogue was celebrating the first night of Hanukah on Sunday. I didn't go. Mostly, because I feel too scared to be in my synagogue these days. Sad? Heartbreaking. Everything feels so unhinged. We are being lead by a band of hateful lunatics right now. I'd like us to put a stop to that. And your manifesto? Spot on. You are by far one of my absolute favorite writers on Substack. Thank you for YOUR wisdom and humility. Extending a hug of comfort to your beloved second-born. This will take some time to recover from, I'm sure. xo
Nan, first, thank you for your incredibly supportive words about the writing. I'm humbled and delighted at the same time to have you in the flock with me!
I hurt for all the people, including you, who feel so unsafe in the world these days that they are altering their routines. A colleague from Sri Lanka has been keeping a low profile since the Guard and ICE descended on D.C. "Let's face it," she says. "I'm brown."
It's impossible to come to terms with this kind of backward motion for our country, and frankly, I don't want to. Together, let us rage, rage against the dying of the light!
And I'm grateful for you, Elizabeth. Question. Do you feel unsafe at this point? When do all of us start feeling that way? Your friend's skin is brown, and as we've seen, it seems to be ICE's number one standard for "you don't belong," and immigration and citizenship don't really seem to matter as we're beginning to see. And now the government is talking about rescinding the citizenship obtained through the naturalization process. Can you imagine? I can't. I'm Jewish, queer, lower-income, aging, and very vocal about my feelings about the current government. I'm not going to be quiet about those feelings, either. I'm raging against the dying of the light, for sure. It's getting darker every day. But like the Hanukah menorah....we shine on. xo
I wish I knew what to do. We all go on, over and over again. What if we refused? I know this is a luxury that few can visualize. Walk off jobs, out of schools. No consuming anything beyond essentials. I am willing, but I have little to lose. Are we desensitized? It's horrific. I loved your manifesto, though. And seeing your sweet face.
Thanks, Wendy. The only pieces of this we have the power to influence come in who we elect, the pressure we put on them to prioritize it (and I think this one gets less attention), and the care we offer each other in the everyday. The first two, anymore, feel like smoke and mirrors, so here we are clinging to the last one. I love your all-in idea and, like you, also understand it's not accessible to many. But if all those for whom it was in reach were to pull together...? I'll keep imagining.
I am immensely grateful to be in community with you.
Smoke and mirrors…yes, I’ve come to this conclusion as well. It’s a big performative game, and I’m horrified by it. I don’t know how to change it. But all the little things matter. The community we create. Maybe the micro does change the macro. In any case, it changes us.
I have been very quiet the last few days, not just here, but generally. I get to a place where it is just too much, and I reached that place Sunday night, when news of the Reiners started to emerge. On top Of Brown University and Bondi Beach, I really had no words left, just sorrow for all of us. I want what you want, and I hope we can get there. Very glad your daughter is okay. Love to you, dear Elizabeth <3
Quiet is necessary, Ally. While I sometimes think about how other species (and ours when it was newer) don't have the "luxury" of living without fear, at least part of their brain always attuned to threats, we humans do not handle it gracefully. It breeds depression, anger, and paralysis. The best I can do is imagine something different, try to craft another story, like the film Life Is Beautiful.
Be gentle on yourself. Take all the time for quiet you need, because the world does need you when you're ready to poke your head out again. I'm honored and buoyed by your presence here.
Thank you for writing and speaking what has been trapped in my throat. I didn’t realize my voice had been muted by witnessing until this exact moment. Now I want to say, sister, let’s roll!
Yes, Kathleen! I think this is an important observation: We don't even realize we've lost our will to speak out, or to see ourselves in a different kind of world. And that's not to say we all need to take up arms, but we do need to stand for what we want. It'll never manifest if we continue to believe it can't.
Thank you so very much for reading, commenting, and being in solidarity with me. It matters so very much!
I’ve felt overwhelmed for a while, and I know so many around me feel the same way. I just had a long conversation with my son who says he and so many of his friends are distressed, stressed, desperate for quiet and something solid to hold on to, to feel grounded. Grounded in love, I guess, I feel. Your manifesto is beautiful - it should be in the constitution of all countries ❤️
I'm grateful for your comment, Francesca, and that you have the kind of relationship with your son that he feels comfortable sharing his concerns with you. You're both fortunate in that regard. For me, the path to grounding is literal. I find I am at my most peaceful when I'm paying attention to what nature has to offer, when I've got my feet on the earth or my hands in the dirt. We're all different. The important thing is to draw on what centers us.
I was going to compliment your photo, and then I read further. I want what you want. To me, your words are a prayer. They should be spoken and shared. Hugs to your daughter, too, during such a difficult and sad time.
Ah, Teresa, these are reassuring and much needed words. That expression--there but for the grace of god go I--has seldom felt more apt. Thank you for sharing this with those you care about. That means so much.
AMEN.....AND AMEN!!! Powerfully and faithfully stated!
Let it be so! The manifesto part, at least. Though I'm not a big fan of using militaristic terms for the purpose of promoting goodness, I dare say we have an army of love warriors among us -- you included. Thank you, Barry.
I appreciate you doing the audio recording, I’m sure it wasn’t easy. It makes it more personal for me. Thank you for being a sane and thoughtful voice in the face of such profound loss.
Sometimes I don't realize the audio is going to be hard until I get into it. This was one of those times. I'm sincerely honored to know you listened and found connection there, Eileen.
So timely, so personal, so wise, and healing. Thank you.
Grateful for you, Charlie, and for your comment. I do hope the healing somehow, energetically if nothing else, reaches those who need it most.
To lose loved ones, life,
to hatred fueled by fear, “faith.”
Pain like no other.
...
“Always... personal.”
May manifestos move love.
Axial tilt leans light.
Oh, thank you! Lovely start to finish, but that final line is sublime. Thanks, too, for restacking the piece, Marisol. I'm grateful.
I worked in schools for more than 30 years, and I have been only a few degrees removed from several school shootings. I understand your feelings, all that you have named here. Just remembering them now brings up tears. Yesterday I stopped at a shopping center and could hear shrill whistles while inside my car. I saw two women blowing furiously and filming the back corner of the lot. They told me ICE agents were there, that they'd already picked up one person without a warrant. That was my first close encounter with this kind of violence, and it shook me, even though I was several degrees removed. Violence ripples. I am grateful your daughter is physically OK. I share your vision for the world I wish we all lived in, and I hope the exercise of writing it was a balm to repair the rupture for you.
I can't imagine the rising trepidation you must have felt at school, Rita, nor how yesterday's events brought that back with new layers of disgust and fear. Thank you for holding all of that in your own way.
It does help to get thoughts into written words. It also gives me a process to consider what doesn't make the page. So many layers. I feel fortunate to have a place to work some of this through in the company of like-minded friends.
Sigh. That's what I did when I was finished reading. As always, you bring me facts and interpretations with heart. Thank you. You add your humanity.
The shooting numbers are astonishing. May I inquire what your, or the, definition of a 'mass' shooting is? Not that it matters, but I guess it mattered enough to ask because those numbers seem so disheartening and unseemly and then a child kills the parents that raised him and I, too, want to understand better why there are these unending turns to violence, if that's possible. ~J
Much appreciated, Janice. I know you're reading with sensitivity and a desire to understand, and I have so much respect for that intention,
After the fact, I edited to post to add the link for the source of that statistic. It slipped my mind before publishing. It's here, with this definition: "A 'mass shooting' includes any shooting with at least four victims injured or killed, excluding the shooter." https://www.wvtm13.com/article/mass-shooting-numbers-united-states-december/69729477
Today, on another reputable news platform, I saw an even higher number.
You are in the company of many who want to understand, me among them. I think the reasons are many. Processing my thoughts for this piece, I had to acknowledge the reality that humans have been slaughtering each other for about as long as we've been known to exist, or at least since our populations grew enough to put us in proximity with new bands of humans. Which comes first -- the fear of losing what we have to an other, or the desire to take what is not rightfully ours? I'd say the latter.
Right? Think of the Romans. Brutal. I'd say you're right, the latter. And does that ever end? I doubt it. The means become more violent or aggressive or...modern. Results are the same? We've said it before. The world as we wanted it to be has gone a bit mad. And it's the holiday season! ~J
Too much violence this week. Too much hatred, too little listening, too little love. The world is rocky at the moment. I fear things I never thought to fear when younger. But as I cleaned the shower stall yesterday morning, every stroke was accompanied by the repetition of the word ‘love’. Thankfully I felt a little less fragile after that, after sending love to all I know, and to myself. We need to bolster ourselves to keep on keeping on through these dark times. Sigh…. Take care dear Elizabeth. Sending love. All the best.
What a beautiful practice, Beth, to send love while working in a way that acts as a form of moving meditation. I suppose that's all we can do, really, for the people too distant to reach, or too far gone, while focusing as we can on what's closer to home. Thank you for your gentle heart, Beth, and for sharing care in all the ways you do. And thank you for being here.
It’s still hard to articulate as our media here in Australia is running hot with the tragedy.
Worse is the fact that politicians rather than being bi-partisan, have fired shots off each other’s bows, blaming, censoring. As if anyone could have stopped those two gunmen with the finest legislation in the world.
Even so, if our already tight gun laws of which Australia has every right to be proud, are tightened even more, if hate crimes are stringently legislated federally (Tasmania legislated its own 2 days before Bondi), if intelligence and security is funded fully and acted upon, then good. Those lives weren’t lost for nothing.
But more than anything, it must solidify that we in Australia are one people - that’s it, nothing more, nothing less. ‘United’ because that’s where our Australian strength lies.
Given Australia's already stringent gun laws, I guess the elephant in the room is really the rise in anti-semitism. Though it won't resurrect the dead, I hope, as you say, this tragedy prompts swift and stern response. And as Isaac Saul, editor of "Tangle News" says, "[Australia] provides a good case study to support the general principle of adding more friction between the desire to purchase a gun and actually accessing one." I pray someday, the opposition to common sense gun laws in the U.S. will be forced to concede that doing nothing is akin to pulling the trigger themselves.
Thank you so much, Prue, for sharing your thoughts. My heart is truly with you all.
It is the rise of rightwing anti-religion/race that is the problem and I think anti-semitism is part of that, fully aided and abetted by fundamentalist groups.
I don’t think creating legislation purely against anti-semitism will work. I think it has to be across the board to protect all those who are discriminated against, otherwise the government is just widening the potential for more protest and division.
The idea is to heal the breeches rather than create more, and to create and maintain a healthy Australia, not one that’s fractured by what’s going on in the rest of the world.
There are a number of global leaders who have facilitated the rise of the rightwing - we know who they are and I think THEY are the elephants in the room. Just a thought...
Thank you for articulating these visions of a better world. They are hard to hold on to.
I'm honored to have you among my readers, Darrel, and appreciate the comment. I suppose if we manage to cling to even a few of those ideas at a time, we're still moving in the right direction.
I can only hope that your wishes are fulfilled - we would all be in a better world if they were ❤️
Thank you so much, Melody. It means a lot to know you're joining me in making whatever contributions we can. Wishing you well this holiday season.
Oh, my lord, girl. What a piece of beautiful writing, Elizabeth. I'm not resigned, I'm not sure that I'm angry right now. I'm just overcome with sadness for the world. My synagogue was celebrating the first night of Hanukah on Sunday. I didn't go. Mostly, because I feel too scared to be in my synagogue these days. Sad? Heartbreaking. Everything feels so unhinged. We are being lead by a band of hateful lunatics right now. I'd like us to put a stop to that. And your manifesto? Spot on. You are by far one of my absolute favorite writers on Substack. Thank you for YOUR wisdom and humility. Extending a hug of comfort to your beloved second-born. This will take some time to recover from, I'm sure. xo
Nan, first, thank you for your incredibly supportive words about the writing. I'm humbled and delighted at the same time to have you in the flock with me!
I hurt for all the people, including you, who feel so unsafe in the world these days that they are altering their routines. A colleague from Sri Lanka has been keeping a low profile since the Guard and ICE descended on D.C. "Let's face it," she says. "I'm brown."
It's impossible to come to terms with this kind of backward motion for our country, and frankly, I don't want to. Together, let us rage, rage against the dying of the light!
Grateful for you, Nan.
And I'm grateful for you, Elizabeth. Question. Do you feel unsafe at this point? When do all of us start feeling that way? Your friend's skin is brown, and as we've seen, it seems to be ICE's number one standard for "you don't belong," and immigration and citizenship don't really seem to matter as we're beginning to see. And now the government is talking about rescinding the citizenship obtained through the naturalization process. Can you imagine? I can't. I'm Jewish, queer, lower-income, aging, and very vocal about my feelings about the current government. I'm not going to be quiet about those feelings, either. I'm raging against the dying of the light, for sure. It's getting darker every day. But like the Hanukah menorah....we shine on. xo
I wish I knew what to do. We all go on, over and over again. What if we refused? I know this is a luxury that few can visualize. Walk off jobs, out of schools. No consuming anything beyond essentials. I am willing, but I have little to lose. Are we desensitized? It's horrific. I loved your manifesto, though. And seeing your sweet face.
Thanks, Wendy. The only pieces of this we have the power to influence come in who we elect, the pressure we put on them to prioritize it (and I think this one gets less attention), and the care we offer each other in the everyday. The first two, anymore, feel like smoke and mirrors, so here we are clinging to the last one. I love your all-in idea and, like you, also understand it's not accessible to many. But if all those for whom it was in reach were to pull together...? I'll keep imagining.
I am immensely grateful to be in community with you.
Smoke and mirrors…yes, I’ve come to this conclusion as well. It’s a big performative game, and I’m horrified by it. I don’t know how to change it. But all the little things matter. The community we create. Maybe the micro does change the macro. In any case, it changes us.
I have been very quiet the last few days, not just here, but generally. I get to a place where it is just too much, and I reached that place Sunday night, when news of the Reiners started to emerge. On top Of Brown University and Bondi Beach, I really had no words left, just sorrow for all of us. I want what you want, and I hope we can get there. Very glad your daughter is okay. Love to you, dear Elizabeth <3
Quiet is necessary, Ally. While I sometimes think about how other species (and ours when it was newer) don't have the "luxury" of living without fear, at least part of their brain always attuned to threats, we humans do not handle it gracefully. It breeds depression, anger, and paralysis. The best I can do is imagine something different, try to craft another story, like the film Life Is Beautiful.
Be gentle on yourself. Take all the time for quiet you need, because the world does need you when you're ready to poke your head out again. I'm honored and buoyed by your presence here.
Thank you for writing and speaking what has been trapped in my throat. I didn’t realize my voice had been muted by witnessing until this exact moment. Now I want to say, sister, let’s roll!
Yes, Kathleen! I think this is an important observation: We don't even realize we've lost our will to speak out, or to see ourselves in a different kind of world. And that's not to say we all need to take up arms, but we do need to stand for what we want. It'll never manifest if we continue to believe it can't.
Thank you so very much for reading, commenting, and being in solidarity with me. It matters so very much!
Precisely. The pen is mightier…
I’ve felt overwhelmed for a while, and I know so many around me feel the same way. I just had a long conversation with my son who says he and so many of his friends are distressed, stressed, desperate for quiet and something solid to hold on to, to feel grounded. Grounded in love, I guess, I feel. Your manifesto is beautiful - it should be in the constitution of all countries ❤️
I'm grateful for your comment, Francesca, and that you have the kind of relationship with your son that he feels comfortable sharing his concerns with you. You're both fortunate in that regard. For me, the path to grounding is literal. I find I am at my most peaceful when I'm paying attention to what nature has to offer, when I've got my feet on the earth or my hands in the dirt. We're all different. The important thing is to draw on what centers us.
Thank yo so much for reading and commenting here.