It never stops, the unrelenting waves of moral offenses from Washington and from the Governor’s 4th floor office. So how do we sustain ourselves? Nourish ourselves? Keep moving? Sage advice from Frida Berrigan (yes, that Berrigan) and an extraordinary live rendition of “Say Yes,” a powerful poem by Andrea Gibson.
There are days when I don’t want to get out of bed. I want to hide from Amy Goodman, NPR, and most of all the Internet. Saturday was one of those days, but fortunately I muscled up the courage to open a blog from Truthout. And there was exactly the article I needed. Perhaps it will help you today, as well. Frida Berrigan, daughter of Father Phillip Berrigan, wrote Preparing for the Long Haul Under the Trump Administration for Truthout, a blog I highly recommend. In it she told of posting on Facebook that she needed her friends advice as to how to cope with today…and tomorrow and 1,000 more tomorrows. Several nuggets were reported including this one from her uncle:
“One friend reminded me of an experience with my uncle, Father Daniel Berrigan, who at dinner with three friends in the 1980s got impatient with their conversation — I imagine that it was a litany of political ills and social frustrations mixed with too much chatter about movies and television. My friend shared that Uncle Dan closed his eyes and said, “Let us close our eyes to the culture and (opening his eyes, scanning those seated) open them to our friends.”
One of the most remarkable things about the Retake movement is the friends made through working together. And so today, I close my eyes to our political climate and open them again to reflect on our growing number of friends. As I see each of you in my mind’s eye, I see your expressions of hope and determination, and so I find the way to continue.
Click here for the full Berrigan article and absolutely scroll to the bottom of this post for “Say Yes.” It will leave you inspired as Andrea Gibson exhorts us to turn no into yes.
There are many opportunities this week for you to work to turn no into yes. Our Outreach and Organizing Meeting is Tuesday from 5:30-7:30, and there is no more important event this week if you want to use your voice to build our power. We will work in small groups to plan our block-by-block canvassing effort; develop plans for organizing in cities throughout NM; continue developing alliances with other progressive organizations; expand our base in Santa Fe; and learn to use SwingLeft to influence other Congressional Districts outside NM. Also on Tuesday, at noon there is an Equal Pay for Women rally at the Santa Fe Plaza Bandstand. On Thursday evening from 7-9pm, there is an extraordinary Interfaith Panel where we will discuss how to find our moral bearings and common ground with representatives from our faith communities. You MUST have tickets to get a seat for the Interfaith Panel and the event is getting close to sold out. So to get details on all of these events, how to RSVP for the Outreach meeting, and how to get tickets for the Interfaith Panel, click here.
That is all from me today. Time to go be with friends and turn away from this craziness. We need respites now and then. But before you take your respite, take 3 minutes to listen to “Say Yes.” And then on Monday, let’s begin changing no to yes.
In solidarity,
Paul & Roxanne
Categories: Trump, Uncategorized
Paul, would you be willing to review and/or provide any insights on the candidates running for the chair of the DPNM in one of your future issues before the State Central Committee? I assume many of your readers have taken advice on being involved and will be attending the SCC and voting for the new leadership.