It’s becoming obvious of late that there’s a serious, growing lack of understanding regarding something very important that I feel I need to write about. ‘Love, peace & happiness’ don’t magically come without “correction of thought.”
In an obvious politically corrupt environment beyond anything we’ve ever seen in our lifetimes…In such a corrupt environment demanding patriotic Progressive Americans to take an uncompromising stand against this national “Trump disgrace”, it is becoming more and more common to see people not only conforming and actively avoiding taking such a critical ethical stand, but even going out of their way to actually try to fault-find those of us who are.
More and more, a growing number of conformist-minded individuals are seeking to rationalize doing so by saying things like ‘I avoid politics in social settings’ (as though the ‘politics’ of those they choose to socialize with isn’t that important and doesn’t truly matter) Or saying things like, ‘Oh I am only about love, peace and happiness, and taking such a position critical of others is just unhealthy conflict’, etc. etc. What a huge hypocritical cop out such false statements reveal.
Anyone who knows me knows I am first and foremost all about creating love, peace and happiness. One of my favorite topics to write about is on the topic of true spiritual understanding as opposed to the ‘organized lie’ of ‘organized religion’. That understanding in a nutshell is that we are all a PART of what “God” is, and not separate from what God is, subject to being condemned for not ‘believing one way’, etc.
When you grasp that true spiritual understanding, you realize you have an obligation to BE the love of God that others need. But, understand this…To reach that understanding of REAL spiritual love in the first place requires something that for many is often initially very challenging and uncomfortable…it requires CORRECTION to the unhealthy and ignorant, selfish and fraudulent way they had been believing in their former religious, cultural and/or political mindsets.
Follow me here, because this is key…LOVE isn’t just warm and fuzzy ‘comfy coziness’…Remember the ‘love’ that we had to bring with major correction to those who were resisting the necessary love, acceptance and change in the Civil Rights Movement? That is the perfect example of what I’m talking about.
Certainly you have heard the expression: BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD, right?
What we are seeing with Donald Trump’s lack of character and lack of integrity, not to mention a level of corruption and collusion with a longstanding national enemy (Russia and Vladimir Putin) on a scale we have never before witnessed from a President…
And what we are seeing with the mind boggling degree to which he lies and bastardizes the truth with impunity…ALL of that bewildering dishonesty and corruption that we are seeing from Trump is only rivaled by how mind boggling it is that so many of his supporters on the ‘Right’ are WILLING TO JUST KEEP IGNORING IT in the interest of partisan gain as Republicans!
Talk about shameful behavior…When the corruption gets to this level, honorable Americans CAN’T DO THAT! In case you haven’t heard, even well known Conservative commentator and columnist George Will is beginning to sound this same alarm.
And it is even MORE shameful, those of you who would even think about criticizing those of us who have the courage to step up and lead at such a critical time, in an effort to be voices for the change that are so desperately needed in our country, now more than ever.
You wouldn’t believe the degree to which recently I have been attacked by some ignorant individuals because of my willingness to take a strong ethical stand with my private musical group in Sacramento called “The Capitol Blues Jam”.
Since this national Trump disgrace took place, largely due to such unconscionable low character and inexcusable bad judgment by many who supported Trump, after all of us daily witnessed the vulgar, bigoted and racist things he built his campaign upon, not to mention his hugely corrupt business background and strong well documented connections to organized crime…
Since all that occurred, one of our screening/membership requirements for my private music jam group that I felt compelled to add is that we do not allow Trump supporters to be members. Again, that is primarily due to this issue of the LACK of good character that it takes to see and hear those chronically vulgar and bigoted things from Trump that he is now well known for advocating, coupled with his level of daily lying with impunity, and to then think to oneself, “I LIKE THAT GUY”…The lack of character that it takes to have that kind of reaction to everything we’ve seen and heard from Trump is inexcusable.
Many, though not entirely all of Donald Trump’s supporters have praised him and actively support him in his ongoing efforts to BAN MUSLIMS from our country with a broad sweeping travel ban…
YET, those same Trump supporters who would wholeheartedly cheer for such a ban on many if not all Muslims, and who would enthusiastically deport millions of Mexican immigrants from our borders, are the same ones who want to hypocritically point a finger and denigrate me for feeling like I need to keep them from bringing such hate and negativity to my private Blues jam in Sacramento?? That is hypocrisy on steroids.
If you can seek to ban Muslims and Mexicans from our diversity embracing culture in America, I am certainly on the high road and well within my rights to BAN YOU from bringing your hate and infecting my healthy and private music environment.
This is about the lack of character and integrity fueling this national Trump disgrace. Integrity is what ‘politics’ is SUPPOSED to be about. Politics is not meant to be a negative term. It is supposed to be about attracting public servants to represent American citizens within the scope of equality as guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution…not within the scope of ‘white privilege’.
What does it mean to be an honorable American? What is that definition? It means we don’t COMPROMISE that character and integrity in social settings with those who would actively SUPPORT that which is compromising that character and integrity on a daily basis! And that applies to all aspects of our social lives…Character and integrity isn’t something you turn on and off to avoid ‘making waves’, etc.
And if we are a musician, that would obviously of course have to include and apply to who we play music with…If it doesn’t, well we are just giant, flaming hypocrites with our musical talents. We might as well just go join Trump’s new FOX Network reality series coming out next Fall called “KU KLUX KLAN HAS TALENT” (OK, I had to lighten it up with a little humor there:)
Now, back to the topic I began with, regarding ‘love, peace and happiness’… If you understand REAL spiritual love…If you understand REAL spiritual peace, and if you understand where REAL happiness comes from as a result of those things…
And if you understand the INTEGRITY that those things require as a part of what “God” is, then you also understand that real love and peace bring healing that often comes initially in the form of UNCOMFORTABLE CORRECTION (conflict) when applied to such corruption and hate that we are witnessing from this sick movement today…
When you understand that, you would not compromise that integrity for SOCIAL or BUSINESS reasons, and you certainly would never think to criticize someone else who was living that example and being that change that is so needed right now, while you weren’t willing to do so yourself. On the contrary actually…you would seek to make sure you had their back, as you could clearly see they undoubtedly have yours.
That is to say, you wouldn’t take the neutral position: ‘Hey I know where my bread is buttered, so I am not going to take such a stand, in order that I don’t offend those who I can profit from and make a lot of money’…
That is to also say, you wouldn’t criticize those who are willing to take that ethical stand in every aspect of their lives, at a time when that is needed more than ever, holding others accountable for their embracing that above described degree of corruption, bigotry and lack of integrity.
Obviously we don’t go around with a bullhorn in ALL settings we find ourselves in, creating a political scene as it were. But yes, especially in the social settings that WE have control over, and wherever the opportunity presents itself to speak up in every aspect of our lives, we absolutely have an ethical and moral obligation to BE THE CHANGE that we know is needed in the face of this tidal wave of corruption…We absolutely have an ethical and moral obligation right now to BE THE INTEGRITY we can daily see that is being kicked to the curb by Trump and his many dishonest and empowering supporters.
And that is how LOVE brings CORRECTION…Love always forgives, but it also always CORRECTS. And in being a part of bringing that correction, just like in the Civil Rights Movement, conflict is unavoidable. There will be conflict with the lack of moral integrity we expose.
And if you take any part in criticizing or fault-finding those who are seeking to lead by that example on a daily basis, there is serious and major correction needed in your life and in your thinking, even and especially if you aren’t a Trump supporter.
Lastly, while there is no ‘normalizing’ of this degree of corrupt disgracing of the office of the Presidency, there is an unbelievable amount of bizarre conformity we are seeing from many right now, coming from places and individuals I never dreamed I’d see such lack of character from.
And at a time when standing together against such egregious corruption and dishonesty from the office of the President is so desperately needed in our nation, such conforming behavior to ignore it is almost worse than those who actively supported such an obviously corrupt, pathologically lying con artist for President in the first place.
Connie Bryan
(Connie Bryan is a writer in Sacramento, CA…Check out all of her material on her website and blog at www.conniebryan.com)
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