"I'm not political"
"I don't vote"
I understand their belief that they way to make the world a better place is to focus on positive energy, personal responsibly, taking their own inventory, but the reality is, what that mostly does is make the space closest to them a better place. You can make a great space for people to come and heal from the cruel world yes. Yes, it has some effect on the rest of reality outside your vicinity. But while folks are using (don't get me wrong, very valuable) healing arts, doing their drumming, yoga, or what ever, very un-spiritual, very sick, negative energy people are making policy that is crushing the souls of billions, making people physically sicker, or outright blowing poor souls to bits in wars that the sick, *willing* political participants are inflicting on the rest of the planet.
Why not get involved in making the *policy* that will heal the world, make it less cruel, make folks in it less in *need* of spiritual healing?
Sure, voting isn't working the way the system works now. But we didn't give up on medicine when "physicians" were bleeding people to death. We knew that doctoring had to happen, and it took brave souls to stand up to the established order and say "Healing: You're doing it wrong!" And brave souls to go to those doctors the established order disdained.
I just met a young man last week in yoga class who lived in a town from which I needed a signature to get my candidate onto the ballot for state rep in November. I asked him if he was registered to vote and he said no. I asked him if he would please register and I would ask him again to sign the next week. He seemed affable and amused, but when I returned to yoga this week, he was harsh. He asked me, "Why don't you just ask God?' I didn't understand. "Instead of asking people to help you get him on the ballot, you might as ask God because he will never win." (Mind you, this is someone who considers himself FULL of positivity and light!)
So I dropped back to my old stand by question: Do you consider yourself intelligent? Most people say yes, and then I say, "So if the smart people are too smart for politics, we will always be run by idiots!" Or some such quip. But this young man asked, "Smart in what sense?" I said in any sense. And he said blithely with a little grin "I don't know." Well, I knew what to say to that!
"Isn't that who should be making policy? People who *aren't* completely satisfied that they have already learned everything they need to know? If the compassionate, positive, spiritual people won't run for office, vote against the duopoly, get involved in *policy* making, then it will be left to the corrupt, the heartless, the attention whores!"
Well, he clearly thinks himself smarter than at least me, because he said one last time before leaving, "You can't win." But he said it with a smile.
Way to stay positive.
