This was the growl I needed to have but somehow hadn’t gotten out. And at the same time your piece about the buffalo jump was an antidote—the injustice of now followed by the feel of deeper time. (And the pledge ... there is so much to say there. I generally just stand with my hands at my sides, and did that about a year ago at an event and I swear a guy standing across from me was so angry he looked about ready to shoot me. I find the pledge one of the creepiest things we do in this country.)
Public school every morning. But this was at my kid’s swim meet. My kid had only recently joined. Patriotism and Christianity run hot at these things, I discovered.
Ah. My weirdest related incident was at Indian Days in Browning a few years ago. Two, maybe? It was right when all the kneeling stuff was raging. Julia and I remained seated for the national anthem and it was ... intimidating. No one hassled us, though.
All in on those big changes, of course. I've been there for decades. I was there before those things had names. I mean, you know, that's me. I've been around.
Thank you, Chris. I needed a good dose of rage today. In a (distance) session with a healer yesterday, she dared me to feel rage. Not just anger, grief, and weariness. This morning you may be my rage proxy, for which I am sorry. You deserve a break from carrying all that, as do other decent seeking people who continue to be f-ed over at every turn in this country. Thanks for being a truth teller, man of principle, and for making us look at what we’ve wrought—white peoples, in particular—over and over. Thank goodness we have the trees, rivers, and mountains (for a little while longer) to restore some kind of inner equilibrium from one day to the next.
Thank you, Chris. I had the experience some years ago when we attended a rotary club meeting in which our daughter was presented with a scholastic award. Your piece in the HDJ is a gem.
This was very satisfying to read. Thanks for not pulling any punches.
Thank you, Naomi. And thanks for reading.
This was the growl I needed to have but somehow hadn’t gotten out. And at the same time your piece about the buffalo jump was an antidote—the injustice of now followed by the feel of deeper time. (And the pledge ... there is so much to say there. I generally just stand with my hands at my sides, and did that about a year ago at an event and I swear a guy standing across from me was so angry he looked about ready to shoot me. I find the pledge one of the creepiest things we do in this country.)
Thanks, Nia. Also, where is the pledge generally a requirement? I can't even remember the last time I encountered it.
Public school every morning. But this was at my kid’s swim meet. My kid had only recently joined. Patriotism and Christianity run hot at these things, I discovered.
Ah. My weirdest related incident was at Indian Days in Browning a few years ago. Two, maybe? It was right when all the kneeling stuff was raging. Julia and I remained seated for the national anthem and it was ... intimidating. No one hassled us, though.
That’s good. It’s the most insane thing to me that we indoctrinate kids to make a blind loyalty pledge.
I KNOW! It was one thing in the friggin' 70s when I was a kid, but still? Yeesh.
I wonder how common it is across the country?
All in on those big changes, of course. I've been there for decades. I was there before those things had names. I mean, you know, that's me. I've been around.
Solidarity, bro.
Always.
Thanks for the good reads here and at the journal.
Thanks, Thomas.
Thank you, Chris. I needed a good dose of rage today. In a (distance) session with a healer yesterday, she dared me to feel rage. Not just anger, grief, and weariness. This morning you may be my rage proxy, for which I am sorry. You deserve a break from carrying all that, as do other decent seeking people who continue to be f-ed over at every turn in this country. Thanks for being a truth teller, man of principle, and for making us look at what we’ve wrought—white peoples, in particular—over and over. Thank goodness we have the trees, rivers, and mountains (for a little while longer) to restore some kind of inner equilibrium from one day to the next.
Thank goodness indeed, Holly. And thank you.
It’s always been pretty obvious to me that Lucy runs the show.
(Always enjoy your honest and transparent posts, Chris.)
Thank you, Chris. I had the experience some years ago when we attended a rotary club meeting in which our daughter was presented with a scholastic award. Your piece in the HDJ is a gem.