It is almost a spiritual experience
Trust, like faith, is a wonderful thing. Those who have had religious or spiritual experiences know this all too well.
That “knowing” is important. You can mark the conversion date on your calendar, because all the days that follow the event are experienced differently.
One cannot deny the change in the feeling, and the knowing of its origin.
Trust can be broken, too. Closeness to another, like intimate relationships, can be irreparably harmed if, for instance, when our beloveds are found to be with someone else. It can be very traumatic.
Those who have been physically, emotionally or sexually abused know what their triggers are. It can make for subtle knowing and anxiety about movements on the periphery of our vision; that vision can come front and center.
Political knowing can be like this, too. For many who follow President Trump, they have that sort of belief; nothing can shake their gut-felt strength, no matter what happens. The more anyone tries to convince them to the contrary, the more tenacious their grip.
Those of us who oppose Trump feel it in our guts, as well. The more Trump targets individuals, jackboots people off the streets without due process, or reduces the services we rely on, the stronger we feel. We cannot deny this feeling; it is almost spiritual.
When court rulings are ignored, when policy and presidential edicts replace the Constitution, when Congress fails to independently act for fear of retribution, we have lost confidence in our system of government.
Our belief system has been DOGE’d, and we hate it.
There are some that have not been personally affected — yet. When our kids are young, life is busy, and we have enough to pay attention to rather than the events around us. But we see our friends or people they know, in growing numbers, having bad experiences, hurt by the government. We feel their pain, empathetically, in our guts. That number is growing.
I am retired and not too busy to see the changes around me. Those who have had trauma experiences, either directly or empathetically, feel for others’ hurts; we need to rise up. The older we get, the more we know those who have been sick, hurt or traumatized, including governmental trauma. Let’s support them.
We all know what trust feels like, and we have learned what betrayal feels like. The government has betrayed us when they dismiss the rule of law and the ways of democracy. Government is to be of, by and for the people, rather than for the benefit of the rich.
It is now time to connect. Let us use our faith, courage and empathy to join with those who have been hurt, fired or disappeared. There are bigger things happening than we have seen in a long time.
Let’s not look away, but join together. June 14 is Flag Day; let’s join together and support our flag for all it should represent.
Mike Myers
Battle Ground
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