This article was published by DRUTHERS by T. Thorn Coyle. Issue #38 – of the January 2023 DRUTHERS – Truth – Love – Freedom paper.
I was reading this article and felt the instinctual surge to share it here with you and the rest of the world. It is a message of Love and Hope. We even have a reference to James Baldwin, an American writer and civil rights activist (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987), reminding us that through reading books, we recognize our shared human experiences, fostering a sense of connection and dispelling feelings of isolation.
Take a moment to enjoy this brief read, and may you feel the connection that is always there for us.
? – Ash
Hello Friends,
What a tough time here on this planet. Our interconnection, which is such a source of comfort, sometimes becomes a source of pain. We have empathy for each other, which is good. But that doesn’t make it easy.
As a creative person, I’m always looking for ways to connect with others through art, words, photography, music…As James Baldwin tells us, reading books reminds us that we are not alone. As isolated as we sometimes feel, someone, somewhere, is having a similar experience. Why is that?
We are human.
I wrote an essay for Patreon friends last month, then forgot to post it in public. While reaching for what to say in the midst of our ongoing, stacking crises, I realized I’d already written a lot of my thoughts and feelings out. So, I added an introduction and posted it on my blog today.
My words are not enough, but they aren’t meant to be. They’re one drop in the ocean in which we humans swim. And I’m glad to be swimming alongside you.
Flinging Joy in the Face of Oppression
Here are some excerpts pulled from the essay:
Tyranny is challenged with every kind word. Every refusal to back down Every racist, sexist, queerphobic, or anti-trans statement challenged.
Tyranny is opposed with every garden planted and every resource shared, Tyranny is challenged with every anti-fascist sticker slapped on the back of a street sign. Tyranny is challenged when we remember we can take care of each other…
Words challenge tyranny. Actions challenge tyranny. Emotions challenge tyranny. Art, music, and theater challenge tyranny. The stories we tell can either support or tear down tyranny.
We challenge tyranny when we allow ourselves to rest. We challenge tyranny when we revel in pleasure. We challenge tyranny when we insist on being alive, as we are.
Love and defiance challenge tyranny.
We challenge tyranny when we examine our assumptions. We challenge tyranny when we refuse to call the cops on noisy neighbors. We challenge tyranny with every block party thrown, every clean up organized, every fascist faced down in a bar or in the street.
We challenge tyranny with every union organized and every worker collective founded…
To fight tyranny is to say, “We are here, and we shall not comply with orders or actions that diminish us.”
Please read the rest: Flinging Joy in the Face of Oppression
I appreciate your presence here. Thank you so much for just being.
Be well – Thorn
Druthers makes the claim that this paper is written, funded, promoted & distributed freely by concerned Canadians.
Originally published at tthorncoyle.substack.com
