Love Will Prevail
by Rick Harlan

Dear friends and relations,

It may not be clear to most Americans like it's clear to me, hopefully to you, and to most others in the world, what a disaster is taking place in the most powerful nation on earth. But one thing is at last at least clear: that a single party with some kind of agenda is in control of the American presidency, the House, Senate, Supreme Court/federal judiciary, and most of the media.

Must we do something? Yes, many things, urgently; like farmers with a late delivery of seed. What will we need? Commencing now or intensifying now, we need small to large efforts of clear-seeing, of courage, of overt love and of fight. This is a struggle for the survival of our planet; not for 'our way of life'.

Not to give up! Many living today have survived other forms of fascism. 'Don't mourn, organize,' Joe said. That must mean to celebrate what we are fighting for, also. Love what we are doing and how we are living, or we'll not win over fear-mongering small minds and circumscribed hearts.

Beware not of the "Other"— but of Other-ing. We must not pull back but increase our involvements with others, in multitudinous cooperative efforts, while our small steps turn into larger ones. We must each and all reach out with good feeling like our lives depended on it; like our every interaction made the world we live in. Because in fact these actions and intentions—risks as small as a smile interaction with a stranger, efforts as small as an email or contribution or going to an event with a neighbor or giving a disagreeable relative a good listen—DO make our world, which is part of everyone's world, which moves on beyond us in time.

In disasters, even mini-disasters like an inch of snow in Seattle, people reach out, talk to strangers, instinctively pull together to help each other through. The overwhelming results of this US election are intensifying a multi-faceted disaster that's been happening all along, in this country and therefore throughout the world. But most Americans don't see it, or don't see it this way. That definitely could make it worse, especially if we do nothing, and just grumble or choose antagonism for those who are mistakenly celebrating this "mandate".

Love will prevail: it'll have to! But how? Real love for all includes clear analyses, strategies, and organizing at all levels from personal to international. We need a massive attitude of active compassion for the hapless majority of our fellow Americans. Because most of them are now so propagandized around "the Enemy"—wrapped up in foreigner fear and folly, and Gods, gays and guns—that it may take the rest of our lives for the seeds and plants we are growing now to bear results. Years to begin to clearly see hope for a country and a world that will have the wisdom to not ever rend itself apart.

But love WILL prevail. A peaceable world community of communities of communities. No other world view, no strategy for success without creative, celebratory and universal but tough loving-kindness, is sustainable. No other actions but those in accord with the active peace of loving-kindness are akin to our essential, shared human nature. Love will prevail.

Best,
Rick