“The secret of freedom lies in educating people, whereas the secret of tyranny is in keeping them ignorant.” ~ Maximilien Robespierre.

Evelyn was the first person who befriended me when I was the new girl in school.  I was more than new, I was different, a little girl in rural Jamaica, with an English accent and white skin.  It didn’t take me long to realize that Evelyn may have had a hidden agenda.  Perhaps it was when she gave me a book to read out loud to a group of schoolmates.  She had realized that I was a good reader, but maybe she didn’t know that at eight years old, I was already adept at reading in my mind, which I rapidly did.  The first line read ‘Farmer Jones walked down the path, drunk as usual.’  The fact that I was a Jones put me on high alert, and I returned the book to her.

I didn’t need to be psychic to realize that my ‘friend’ was a bully, especially when she blatantly whispered in the ears of other schoolmates while staring at me.  The previous day, in English class, we had learned the concept of sending people to Coventry, by isolating them and refusing to talk to them.  At Evelyn’s instigation, I was sent to Coventry.  Looking back now, I suppose Evelyn had been the leader of the group, and my obvious strangeness shifted the attention away from her.  I don’t think it was personal, and I don’t recall how it all ended.  But it certainly helped me to develop my instincts, to beware of people with a hidden agenda.

For the most part, the rest of my school life in Jamaica was full of fun and adventure.  At one school we had caves not far from the playground, and could walk into the entrance and see the stalactites (ceiling) and stalagmites (ground), impressive evidence of the power of water and Calcium Carbonate to build hollow drums which sent delicious echoing ‘thrums’ when struck.  Which disturbed the host of ‘ratbats’ (aka bats) sleeping in the deep dark recesses and grooves.  Geology and Biology lessons in real time!  My schoolmates (not a single Evelyn amongst them) laid the foundation for my anthropological work, taking me into the bush surrounding the school and teaching me which plants to avoid (the prickly ‘macca’ and ‘casha’) or the stinging ‘cubbitch’.  We interwove sticks to create the walls of a ‘dolly house’, mimicking the old way of wattle and daub home building.  We sheltered from a sudden shower of rain under the huge leaves of a plant (was it coco?) and shivered at the rapid drop in temperature.

My education covered a lot of ground, some formal, some informal.  I was a teenager during the 70s, as ‘Black Power’ and Civil Rights Protests were developing in the US.  My classmates shared books written by Angela Davis, Eldridge Cleaver and Malcolm X.  These were not included in the curriculum, but helped to broaden our understanding of the role of racism, colonialism, oppression in the development of an unjust world.  In Jamaica Bob Marley was using Marcus Garvey’s words in his lyrics and exposing more people to an Afrocentric world view.  Rasta colors, Rasta speech, Rasta ideology were evolving from a place of disgrace to one of esteem, thanks to Bob’s pride in his religious practices.  The times they were a-changing.

But although it seemed then as if change was gonna come, here we are in the 21^st century, being told that policies of inclusion, of equity, of recognizing and appreciating diversity in our society are somehow evil, and to be removed from government and private companies.  Among the many firings of government workers are anyone who worked in an area of protecting minorities, of those subject to harassment or discrimination.  As heinous as these acts may be, there seem to be far worse taking place, threatening our nation’s health through shutdown of public information; reduction of Medicaid programs; disruption of Veteran’s benefits; halting of life-affirming medical research.  Not to mention what may be happening with our personal data, and who is following the money?  The group in charge of the slash and burn method of so-called efficiency are less than transparent in their processes, and are putting out misinformation on their web-site.  Anyone who has ever been involved in quality improvement knows that the process begins with the collection of data, followed by a thorough analysis of the data, before any recommendations are made to change processes. 

Meanwhile we are alienating allies, and forcing our former friends to take hostile steps in retaliation.  How can this end well?  In Jamaica a recent popular phrase has turned a patois saying ‘but wah can guh suh?’ into a ‘speaky-spoky’ well enunciated question ‘But what can go so?’  In Canada shelves are being cleared of US made liquor faster than you can say Johnnie Walker.  But the law of unintended consequences rules here.  The ones whose pockets may be affected most likely helped get our current president elected. 

While we wait for common sense to return, constitutional norms to prevail and the ship of co-equal branches of government to right itself, we are encouraged by random acts of resistance across the country.  In one of the National Parks gutted by ‘cost-saving’ job eliminations, the US flag was erected upside down, to signal distress.  The platform created for federal workers to report those who may be violating the new policies of No DEI allowed has been flooded with prank reports.  The town hall meetings of Republican congressmen have been so disrupted by concerned citizens that leadership has told the congressmen to stop holding them.  Protests are popping up all over the place (in front of Tesla dealerships for instance).  We the People are not going quietly along with the plan, and We the People have power.

The first amendment to the Constitution of the United States assures its citizens of the right to freedom of speech.  One of the most powerful tools of a free society is the press, and we are indebted to those who dedicate their lives to investigative journalism, to ferreting out the truth.  At a time when media can be manipulated, when lies can be repeated until they are taken to be true, it is essential that we have access to the truth.  Now more than ever we must support the work of journalism to keep us informed. 

It may seem easier to avoid the news, to retreat from the exhaustion of a chaotic barrage of tariffs, no tariffs; peace, no peace; cuts, no cuts; but we must continue to be informed, to resist, to be vocal.  This is not a time for passivity.  There are plenty of examples to be followed, from Harriet Tubman to Rosa Parks; from Paul Robeson to Alexei Navalny.  People who put protest over personal safety.  Whether it is by quietly contributing to the work of organizations like the ACLU, or purchasing a subscription to the news organization of your choice, we can fight back.  Bullies, Dictators cannot be the boss of us.  We must defend democracy and freedom, and the rights of all of mankind to decide their own destiny.

This Friday morning I trust you are hopeful, and feeling a part of a community that shares stories, shares kindness, and rejects bully-ism. 

Have a wonderful weekend, Family!

One Love!

Namaste.