Reflections on september
My work now is to not be immobilized. Ever since Sept 11th 2001,
I've been wondering how to reach out and wondering if it mattered
whether I did or not. I've wondered what I could say that would be
intelligent, comforting and insightful enough to put on this site.
Eventually I realized that I would probably not write or say that
profound, nurturing thing to put all of this in perspective. I'm
still hurt and shocked, and the situation unfolding now only seems
to promise more pain.
I was born and raised in New York. Thankfully my immediate family
and friends are still alive. I have to admit though that I'm
afraid that at some point I will ask about someone only to be told
he or she is dead. For me this is a fear. For the family, friends,
and colleagues of over 5000 people it is reality. For people all
over the world, this is daily life.So in the days after September
11th I felt powerless. I asked myself, "Why write?" It
hadn't prevented this catastrophe or the ones that I think led up
to it.
The answer came when the writing, which felt so fruitless, turned
out to be my main form of protest. Without my pen I would have
taken no action. I have written letters to government officials
urging them not to make nations pay for the actions of a few, I
have signed an endless stream of anti-war petitions, I have read
poems, I have written to Barbara Lee to thank her for her courage,
I have written the mainstream media objecting to their
oversimplification of the issues, I've written "love,"
"peace," "think,""don't make assumptions"
with friends in sidewalk chalk on the ground. Writing has been
central to making myself heard. Obviously, this is not the happy
end to a sad tale. Some days are more difficult than others. The
United States is waging (yet more) war, and I often feel as though
I am moving through fog or looking at life through a dirty window.
My actions are attempts to clear that glass.
But sometimes instead of cleaning the glass, I imagine myself
smashing it because I am outraged. I am angry that our government
thinks that killing more innocent people is a way to honor our
dead, I am angry that the Taliban were not challenged about their
oppression and murder of women, I am angry about the rise in
attacks on Arabs, Muslims and Sikhs in this country. There are so
many layers to my thoughts and emotions I don't know if I will
ever be able to articulate them all clearly.
There are many people who listen gently as I stumble over words
sometimes only finding tears. I am thankful for each and every one
of them. Some of the most beautiful among us are the ones who
simply listen. The ones who ask how you are. The ones who reach
out and hold you. Treating each other with love, tenderness and
respect are more important than political ideologies. An ideology
without humanity is useless. If love and kindness are what fuel
our movements then we are headed in the right direction. September
11th reminded me that my life is a service and that service should
stem from love.
Wherever you are, just know that someone else is asking questions,
crying, writing, working, envisioning a better world and moving
with as much purpose as I can possibly muster.
Links to Actions
The following are links to actions. If you would like to add any of your
own please email me.
http://www.workingforchange.com/activism
This is a wonderful site which features pre written letters to government
officials on political, environmental, humanitarian issues. Also provides news
updates.
http://www.poets4peace.com/
Here's
a space where poets can add their words of peace and link with others who are
planning peace readings in their areas.
http://www.9-11peace.org/
This
grassroots site is full of ideas for action.
Links to Donations
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