Sandy Hook - A Response : Thoughts are Things. With Our Thoughts We Make the World.

I've been studying cultural violence actively and passionately for the last 18 years.  I began my studies   during the sophomore year of my bachelors degree.   It all started with a class I took as a credit in social sciences that I needed for my theater major.  The class was titled Cultural Violence.  After this course I switched my major from Theater to American Studies where I focused like a laser on issues ranging from family violence to cultural violence, like war.

Fundamentally there is no denying we live in an extreme social climate of violence.  This violence penetrates deep inside of us.   So deep that it penetrates our very words and thoughts against others and worse - to ourselves. 

If you want to do something about what happened on Friday, start exactly where you are right now.  Inside of your own mind, how do you talk to yourself or think about others?   Calling yourself names, wishing ill?  Make no mistake, these are powerful actions we are taking.  It is critical that we begin to understand that thoughts and words have power, and only we can stop the misuse of this power.

This is a very simple thing but it is extremely difficult for most us.  Violence is all around us almost all day and mostly, it is spoken violence.  Spoken violence leads to real violence and we have become desensitized to it and we have normalized it - daily.  Our children are now infected by it.

Change what you listen to.  Change how you speak.  Change how you think.  

                         Be kind to yourself.  

This is not easy for most of us but once you begin you will recognize that challenge and rise to it.  You will then begin to recognize and know kindness much more clearly when you experience it. 

I believe that each of us, when we abuse ourselves, it is an act of violence in self protection because, if we are our worst torturer, how can anyone else hurt us again?  

Start with yourself and take that movement of self kindness into the world to share with others.  You will be hurt by others.  That is why this is a very brave thing.  

The definition of Bravery is not the absence of fear - it is moving forward,  despite it.