I find it inspiring that many marginalized groups came together to re-elect President Obama. The effort was not formally organized, but it shows what is possible when the many less-powerful come together. Here is a condensed excerpt from Grandmother Dreams, p.79-81, which discusses this shift and encourages us to make positive changes:
“Oppression is about domination. People want to be in control of their world. They want everything to be the way they see it. They are uncomfortable shifting their view, so they ask others to shift in order to accommodate them. This is short-sighted, because people cannot change the fact that they are female, gay, black. It is foolish to think that these factors can be eliminated, that the world can be static. Change is happening all of the time. That is Life Force—constant change and renewal. It cannot be any other way.
We have gone through a long period where a few are dominating the many. You will notice
What we all need to be aware of is whether we are making a positive or a negative shift. Are we fighting oppression with hate? That is a negative shift. Are we fighting oppression by creating links and raising awareness? That is a positive direction………..Each individual has a responsibility to make choices based on Love. When the energy of Love reaches a higher level, then oppression will not have room to exist…….This takes action, too. We need responsible leaders, and that requires action. Get your attitude together and get up and move. Make room for peace and harmony. Complaining has limited value. Name the wrong but then work to right it. Violence is a tool of the oppressor. Don’t be tempted to put that in your hands. Do unto others—live by the golden rule. Forgiveness. Compassion.”
Oppression
[in a definition cited earlier] that oppression creates stress. Stress has an interesting presence in evolution. It will weed out those who are weak, and it will strengthen those who are strong. Within each variable (sex,color,etc.), there are some who are weak and some who are strong. An entire variable is unlikely to be wiped out. What remains within a variable are those who are strong. As long as they remain an individual variable, they will not have enough power to overthrow the dominating oppressors. Fragmentation strengthens oppression. What the oppressed need to see is their value in the whole, a whole which includes all of the oppressed as well as the oppressors. What the oppressors need to see is that they are a small part of the whole.
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