Like many people I know, for many years politics played a peripheral role in my life. For me, what was of greater importance was my own spiritual journey. It took precedence over putting much energy into getting actively involved in the political process other than letter writing, keeping up with the news, and voting.
Since my return to the States in 2001, I have been paying more attention to politics, and have been feeling the need to get more involved. Becoming a father in 2002 has been part of it. Yet more of an influence is the desire to take my spirituality and bring it into the political arena. The direction of the country is dominated by corporate interests and a fundamentalist view of the world. The country I was born in and love is not based on these things. These times are demanding that all of us stand up and declare to our politicians, neighbors, friends, and family what kind of country we want, and in turn, what kind of world we want to live in.
The revelation that the President had authorized an illegal wiretapping program on
US prompted me to pick up my guitar and express my feelings of outrage through music. My heart was already aching from the mismanagement of the war in Iraq, the deaths of soldiers and civilians, the Katrina catastrophe, the number of Americans who can’t afford health insurance or health care, the level of corruption in government, and the assault on the environment and civil liberties.
It is nothing new for a government or a president to lie to the people. The history of this country is filled with examples of it. But we live in an age where the stakes are higher, and decisions that have been made in the last 5 ½ years have led us to a dangerous place. The potential for a worldwide religious war, an environmental catastrophe of unimaginable proportions, and the continued hoarding of resources by a small elite are real.
Our world is interconnected in ways that were unimaginable not too long ago. It is harder and harder to justify a “we-versus-them” mentality. Yes, there are evil people out there who want to cause destruction and create suffering. But I am convinced that most people are decent, and only want to make a good, safe life for themselves and their families.
I know we have the power to make compassion, deep truth, integrity, love, harmony, and peace the principles to guide our nation as well as ourselves. It is insane to make any other kind of world. There is no time to waste. It is up to us to create it. Let’s do it!
