Soul Ties

For those who have their eyes peeled on the campaign trail, I was pleased to see Kamala Harris join the race. After her opening remarks about Christine Blasey Ford and the entire Kavanaugh debacle, where she called Blasey Ford, “A true profile in courage” she aggressively questioned Kavanaugh on his abortion stance. I knew then she would be someone I would want to see on the democratic ticket. She’s intelligent and gets right to the point. Take for example this question she posed to Kavanaugh: "Can you think of any laws that give the government the power to make decisions about the male body?"

Politics has become a dirty game. The word comes from the root, “politeia,” which is “Of the People.” So if as individuals we ask ourselves what does it mean for us? It denotes a collective behavior. We need to ask ourselves what it means to be honest. To be authentic. A question everyone should ask themselves; are we doing the right thing? Am I compassionate? Forgiving? What is judgment? What is discernment? What is the path that I must walk? Questions we should ask ourselves as individuals but also as a nation.

And we must not use religion as a way of looking away. Never look away from human suffering. No traditional or unconventional practice gives us a pass from adversity in life. Religion doesn’t justify placing yourself in a tribe with only a few. That’s a counterfeit form of spirituality. We have a moral responsibility to eradicate any human suffering.

In the history of the United States, it’s important to remember the path to social justice. Immigrants came here to avoid religious persecution. And people of conscience such as the Quakers and Abolitionists rose to the occasion, and the path of the government followed.

There is an inner light within every man, woman, and child. We must do more than believe in that notion; we must stand on that mount. If we do that and stand on courage white nationalism, suppression of women, segregation, racial disparity, and economic injustice will not exist.

We are in an election year. The question remains; are you brave enough to look at your soul and honestly say you are doing all that you can? Or are you simply following the status quo without question, without introspection, without consciousness? Are you aligning yourself with a party because you feel putting a few extra dollars in your pocket is more important than social programs and are willing to forfeit democracy? Or are you looking at the incumbents with shallow eyes saying you don’t like a person and viewing the candidates as if they are in a personality contest?

To follow or to lead, the question lies within your heart. And if you tell yourself, I don’t care. Remember the legacy you will leave behind. If our nation, the global superpower becomes a third world country that will be the future for your children and grandchildren and your conscience chose ease over making a contribution