Many people are experiencing a mix of anxiety, grief, urgency, and exhaustion as they try to make sense of the political violence and instability unfolding around them. This reflection, written by New Society Publishers’ Publisher Emeritus, gives voice to that unsettled emotional space with honesty and care.
Rather than offering solutions or calls to action, this piece sits with the questions many are holding right now—about fear, responsibility, privilege, and how to respond without losing compassion or perspective. It is shared as part of our Resistance & Resilience project, which gathers ideas and resources for responding thoughtfully and humanely during difficult times.
It’s 5:45 pm, coming up to the daily CBC National News. I feel confused and upset. Like everyone I know, I wonder what outrageous acts of violence have happened today. My anxiety level is high, my stomach is in a knot. My mind rarely stops asking why is this happening? Is history repeating itself? Who supports this? No one I know. Everyone in my world wants to live peacefully, quietly, and sustainably. Most of us, everyday, are working on ourselves to be kinder people, to use love as a guiding force as much as we possibly can. So how come this is happening? And what do we do in response?
I feel a sense of urgency to help those who are face-to-face with what is being labelled growing fascism in the US. We, here at NSP in Canada, will do what we can with our resources, making sure that those who need the tools and strategies in our books have them easily at hand. We will do whatever we can to assist the courageous people in Minneapolis and St. Paul. How quickly they are organizing locally to nonviolently resist! Perhaps coming so close to “the beast” makes us come together. These brave souls need to know that they are seen and heard and supported by many.
In all honesty, I also want to run and hide. I can’t blame myself, as surely this is also a survival strategy. We are told that in Minnesota people of colour and/or those with an accent are fleeing the state because they are ICE targets. There is, most definitely, a time for fleeing. We have friends here in Canada who have, at the ready, passports from another country that will take them safely away from Canada should ICE and their ilk creep north. But for me, for now, I resist this urge. Not yet, and maybe not ever. I have the great privilege of living and working safely and, with any luck, securely at least for the time being. How quickly our freedom and safety can become unhinged, however, is mind blowing.
Grow a garden. Stash some bulk supplies of food. Be prepared for the unexpected. Like many, we know how to do this.
Get organized locally. Keep at it. Build community. Don’t give up on love and kindness. Take care of each other and ourselves. Keep an open mind and heart. Try hard not to give in to fear. Stay strong and connected.
Believe that the world of violence, hate, and greed is not of our true nature. Believe in our sisters and brothers who are face-to-face with danger. They are organizing resistance on the front line. Hold fast the dream of coherent peaceful loving communities. Out of the ashes, the kind and loving phoenix will surely rise.
