We Have the Power to Refuse the Fear

There is no need to disconnect from others.

We’ve all been hearing the rumors of massive civil unrest following the election day. 

Celebrities are hiring armed guards to protect their homes. 

Cynical, deep-pocketed, adult-led astroturf organizations pretending to be idealist Gen Z revolutionaries are conducting road-block training (which is just fantastic for anyone campaigning on a platform of saving the people from a “still ongoing dangerous pandemic” because what could be more life-saving during a pandemic—if we still truly had one—than roadblocks potentially slowing down ambulances transporting patients in a critical condition, regardless of who is President?) 

All sorts of military exercises are taking place (see Whitney Webb’s brilliant reporting). 

Bluechecks on both sides of this spectacular charade are saying that we should be terrified of “the other side”—as if the sides were anything but clever marketing campaigns paid for by the same Machine. (But if we accepted that, how would they put us against each other?)

Citizens are stocking up on arms. 

Twitter is artificially “trending” their editorials about imminent violence in the streets, even though the “trending” thread in question had like four tweets total at the time I looked. 

Fear, fear, fear. 

Fear of the virus slowly transforming into the fear of a civil war, and then, perhaps, if the civil war stubbornly fails to appear, transforming back into the fear of the virus. Clearly, a relaxed, thinking, united population is horrible for business.

Someone wants us all to be on edge. 

Someone wants us to accept the perpetual stress and the near inevitability of violence as the “new normal.”

Someone wants us to view the people with different political beliefs as a different species, unworthy of saving or compassion. 

Someone wants us to beg for security and predictability.

Someone—whoever that someone is—is messing with our heads.

And to that “someone,” I say, I have the power to remain even-headed. 

I have the power to remember that I deserve dignity, community, and sovereignty.

I have the power to walk straight up.

I have the power to see humanity in other people regardless of their politics and to treat them as human beings, not as bioweapons or messenger viruses.

I have the power to reject confusion.

I have the power to speak to anyone freely and from the heart—but also to remember why I speak and keep perspective.

I have the power to remind myself that if a person disagrees with me, it doesn’t mean that I am crazy. Perhaps we are on different wavelengths—and maybe it will change with time or maybe it never will, but I am not responsible for their choices—and as long as I follow my heart in earnest and with courage, I am doing fine.

There is a certain mystery to life, a trajectory that is bigger than all of us. It’s a fate of a human being to sometimes rely purely on inner light.

I have the power to maneuver this life, and whatever comes, with love and hope—and to use my brain for my protection. I have the power to understand that all of this has meaning, and that beauty is undefeatable. 

I choose to honor my heart and ask my heart to guide me because I have the power to choose it. 

And so do you. 

Without our fear and hate of others, they cannot win.

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RELATED: Breaking Up with Fear and Conformity (my recent piece in Off-Guardian)

(Also check out the famous “elections” commercial from another era that inspired the image used in this story)