Pinche Muro

      This post is to be brief, because the concept I want to unfold is a simple one. If you can pontificate on its validity after you've finished reading then I urge you to stop thinking because that is surely sending you down the wrong path. This is a matter for the heart. Are you ready?
      When you look at a map, drawn all across it are lines, some based on natural contour and others are merely angular and arbitrary. No matter what they look like, they are pure illusion. What is a border? Is it a real place? Maybe when someone has built a wall of fence it might make the illusion more tangible, but nevertheless that wall is still a creation of someone's dimented perception of the world. Ownership is a perception, one that implies power over people and power over planet. It forces people to be across the fence, making them someone else. An other.
      Riding the train from New Orleans to Tucson, we passed Ciudad Juarez and folks were talking about how "those people" don't deserve to come here. How "they" exploit our education system and hospitals. How disgusting it is for "those" pregnant women to have their children here so they can gain citizenship. When I questioned them simply about their family's heritage and how they came to live in the U.S., they didn't seem able to make the correlation. When I asked them if they could imagine what someone must be going through to make the deadly trek to cross an arbitrary border in a land that they are originally from, they seemed incapable of empathy or perspective.
      Waking up in Mexico, hearing a language I am not well versed in all around me, different smells and tastes everywhere, and somewhere that I am a drastic minority...I am filled with the feeling of love and gratitude. How can I look into someone's eyes, into their heart and see anyone but the reflection of me? You may say, "That's an awfully sentimental perspective. It's not how the world really works." I say shut your mouth hole and stop the story that you think you know something. If you're still convinced that there is a difference between a person and yourself because Colonialist drew a pinche border, then you're lost.
      If you don't feel that way and you are someone whose heart is open to those around the world, then you cannot in good conscience sit and watch the destruction of your brothers and sisters any longer. If you don't act with all of your power NOW, then watch it fall apart in front of you. And get ready for that same destruction to come your way.
      No muros, nunca. Liberate your mind and the borders mean nothing. One love.n

Purchased Power

      Perhaps it is the company I currently keep, or maybe it is truly where the climate of society is, regardless, I hear on a regular basis how upset and scared folks are about the political and social devolution we are apparently going through at the moment. From utter disbelief to straight up anger, I hear negativity exiting people's mouths on the daily.
      The negative cycle of emotions and the expression into the world has interested me, disturbed me, and startled me when I find myself in similar cycles, so I have really tried to dissect what it is all about in order to possibly find some medicine to help heal it. Ignoring the disgusting behavior we see isn't the answer, fighting it with violence feels alright for a while but serves to fuel it in the end, and acknowledging it in order to transform it ends up sucking the life force right from us.

Da Fuck?

      This is not to say that when we come together and create direct actions as collectives, we can't stop violence against the earth and people. That, to me, is a moment of expression that can be largely positive in its results, but truly teeters on the balance of everyone in the collective having the highest spiritual intentions to break the cycle that is directly in front of them. There are also those select opportunities when individually we are presented with the chance to open our hearts and singularly take on someone or something who is attempting to draw on existing negative cycles. These moments should be cherished and stepped into with all of your spirit.
      What I am talking about, however, is the day to day. When we are with the homies, the family, or just some rando on the train. When conversation descends to the basic levels of "the bullshit around us." Here is where, IMHO, we have a chance to do the most radical work in our lives. Self work. Because in the end, the work we do on ourselves defines the vibrations we express into the world. This is one of the basic tenets of Eastern Philosophy and Spirituality, as well as many under-appreciated Western schools of thought. Heal yourself, heal the world. Right, this is basic. But when we really look at it, how complex can it really become in our daily symphony of expression?
      First, step into the realm of modern Violent-Capitalism. Small groups of individuals who sit at the top of corporate pyramids derive their power from millions of unsuspecting consumers who make up the foundation of the pyramid. For instance, Tide detergent, one of many products sold by the parent company Procter and Gamble, which is a volatile and toxic substance and belongs nowhere near humans, animals, land or waterways. Yet, P&G, who netted over 80 billion dollars in 2014, doesn't need to care about any of that. The power comes from the money. Reason would say, however, that if folks didn't buy P&Gs products, they would no longer have the power to manipulate markets, force child labor in other countries, and pollute the entire earth.

Slash and Burn Palm Oil Production

      Set the same stage, the same players and props, but change the title from Violent-Capitalism to Patriarchal-Politics. Power is derived from the bottom, and in reality their power is derived from the masses buying into their products, whether that be ideas or tangible products since most politicians are major players in corporations like P&G. We allow hate-mongers and war-profiteers to become powerful even when we hate them. Love is as empowering as hate, so choose your tool.
      I know this becomes abstract in thought, but in action it really does become crystal clear. The next time the feeling arrises to say something hateful about a far away fool, remember how useless it is to spend your energy that way. Breath through it, and let it go. The big scary monster that has got you all worked up may just melt away in front of your eyes. We truly can redefine the world through love, and it will most definitely be a hard road, but that's the point! We are the ones who can handle it, so we chose it.
      Please don't misinterpret what i've said for being complacent and just letting fools have free reign. Let me be very clear. To take power away from those who cannot handle it, we must stop giving them power. Figure out piece by piece how to decolonize your life, and when you've stopped buying their products, their ideas, and falling into their traps again and again, maybe then we can call ourselves free.