Hidden in Plain Sight: Blinding Glimpses of the Obvious

March 14, 2018

Facts are what we see in our experience. “Facts” are distorted by beliefs and assumptions. Truth and Reality are direct insights on the underlying patterns and unseen interconnections.

Our current divisiveness is nonpartisan. Our political choices mark our morals, values, ethics, and integrity, our spiritual grounding of commitments for what we are here to Bring to Life as Human Beings.

Self-Respect as a Human Being (not our identity as political and other labels) demands that we care about, understand and respect the dignity and well-being of everyone as a human being. Self-Respect means personal responsibility for, along with collective accountability to one another for our shared quality of life. Self-Respect requires both personal and societal conscience and consciousness.

The opposite of Self-Respect is Contempt for Life that ignores what we have been given as stewards to share so that all thrive. Without Self-Respect, we resent and have contempt for others as not being deserving or “good enough.” Disregarding or condemning others’ struggles and suffering is Contempt for Life that violates our own humanity. Contempt for Life denies that we are in this life together. It highlights our own insecurity and need to feel good about ourselves through greater status and privilege over others.

Politics determines our day-to-day lives and we are being shown in explicit detail how we are failing ourselves by ignoring what is right in front of us. We have watched 40 years – two generations – of ongoing, intentional exploitation, manipulation and degradation of our societal-economic-political system of democracy. Without Self-Respect, we look the other way, remain silent or support the intentional disregard and violation of oaths of office, the Constitution and rule of law by those elected or appointed to public office. These include:

Intentional expansion and strengthening of a sense of status and privilege based in gender, race, religion, nationality, location, wealth, etc. Use of status and privilege as the benchmarks for declaring accomplishments: Contempt for Life.

Unbridled capitalism and the orchestrated corporate/business takeover of all branches and levels of government to manipulate profits and wealth accumulation for the few. Use of bribery through political contributions and industry lobbyists as the key advisors for and architects of public policy and legislation: Corruption.

Taxes and budgets that intentionally undermine and withhold funding for what is needed for survival and security, food, housing, health care, education, public safety, infrastructure: Contempt for Life.

Politicians who fail to recuse themselves from decisions that result in direct personal benefit, profit or gain, exploiting their office: Corruption.

Politicians who support and facilitate corporate bullying and blackmail in determining public policy and legislation to manipulate profits: Extortion.

Politicians who act to privatize public assets and the common good (schools, infrastructure, parks, etc.) for development and exploitation: Corruption.

The immoral and corrupt DC national agenda “makes things better” for those in authority just like every other third-world country with gross inequities. It also legitimizes state and local actions that do the same thing.

While many see these actions as “normal”, they are unnatural and inhuman. They all violate Self-Respect. They all inflict physical and psychological trauma and violate our Souls with disconnection from ourselves and others. Trauma and loss of connection are the root causes of violence, addictions, overdoses, and suicides that are epidemic in this country: Our Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness as Human Beings are all being intentionally and systematically violated. Both political parties are equally accountable along with the rest of us… Leaders stand for, embody and enact the Best In Us as Human Beings: Truth, morality, integrity, ethics, and justice.

We have been desensitized to the immorality, corruption and injustice that are in plain sight. This steady eroding of our humanity that we have allowed, accepted and supported by our conformity, compliance and complicity has put us on the verge of a systemic collapse. We have regressed, not progressed as a nation. We have abdicated our responsibility as citizens and accountability as Human Beings. Only we can choose and commit to take action to reverse course: Activate our Self-Respect.

Self-Respect means Freedom from labels, ideologies and agendas that divide, exploit and oppress. Self-Respect means that we are Stewards of Life. When we neglect that each and every one of us is a Steward of Life and remain silent and fail to act, we fail to Lead Life. Stewardship is the Collective Leadership of democracy. Stewardship means that we hold ourselves to be Truthful and deeply accountable for the implication of every choice and consequence of every action in life. It’s time to wake up, open our eyes and look in the Mirror.

We have ALL participated in creating what is before us. Leading Life means that we actively and consciously transform this inhuman culture and system. Together we are called to co-create a world where everyone thrives: Equality and equity, shared power and justice for the dignity and well-being of all. Otherwise we keep falling more deeply into a black hole that emits no Light and is devoid of Life.

What is your Legacy? Do you have the Self-Respect and Courage to Be a Steward of Life? Do you have the Integrity as a Human Being to Be the Leader that You Are and Serve Life as Love? Self-Respect is Self-Love. What is Your Choice and Commitment?