As long as I breathe, I cannot remain silent in the face of lies, injustice, discrimination, attacks on freedom, and arrogance. It’s just not in me. Never has been and never will be. Even as a child, I identified with the downtrodden and the underdog. Perhaps it was my own victimization, and perhaps it is part of my higher purpose. Be that as it may, if you are a Lightworker, if you are spiritual, if you are a Universalist, or if you are motivated by love and compassion, it’s not in you either. It is part of our spiritual and moral DNA to champion truth, justice, fairness, freedom, humility, and love. It is why we came here—to raise the love consciousness of the planet.
Of course, you and I cannot help but be frustrated by this complicated, messy planet we call home, a home that is also very divided. The struggle between the forces of light and dark is no longer subtly hidden underground but is clearly out in the open. I imagine this is a cyclical phenomenon, a pendulum swinging back and forth between cohesion and division throughout history. It is our fate and challenge to be on the disunity end at this moment in history. So, we have choices to make.
There is a great temptation to get caught up in anger, self-righteous indignation, and ego. We are better than “them,” the blind losers who can’t see the truth—so we might arrogantly assume. Tempting, yes; constructive and useful, no. The values and tools of the Lightworker have always been founded on love, compassion, mercy, empathy, and understanding. We cannot abandon them now. Moreover, in this life or past lives, we have been blind as well. Who are we to judge?
Gandhi and Dr. King both proved that loving, nonviolent, peaceful resistance works. It is just more challenging and takes a lot of patience. Giving in to the strong currents of anger, rage, hatred, prejudice, arrogance, and ego is so much easier. Those are the easy emotional streams. We can even become addicted to the adrenaline high of drama and chaos so common in our world. In The Empire Strikes Back, the evil Sith Lord, Emperor Palpatine of Star Wars fame, encouraged young Jedi Luke Skywalker to give in to his rage when fighting Darth Vader. “Good, Luke, good!” He knew this was the direct path to the dark side. Fortunately, Luke figured it out in time and chose inner peace.
So, how do we fight these dark forces with only the vulnerable weapons of love, compassion, mercy, and understanding? Another title I wanted to give this blog was “Lightworkers, Wake Up!” There is a legend that Atlantis blew up because the darker forces in that society attempted to create a mechanical Merkaba as opposed to a spiritual Merkaba. The Merkaba is an unlimited spiritual energy directly connected to Source, and they were trying to control it for themselves. The Merkaba cannot be used this way, so the experiment backfired horribly and caused worldwide devastation. The point was that the light forces in that society were not paying attention to the signs that would have alerted them to this evil endeavor.
Such has always been the case with Lightworkers. We are always very individualistic and find it more difficult to organize unless our backs are against the wall. The other side is made up of determined, focused, and highly organized leaders and followers who follow a long game. For example, since the 1970s, the right-wing elements in this country have planned and executed a decades-long strategy to take over the country by being elected to city councils, school boards, state legislatures, Congress, judgeships, and national office. In doing so, they have successfully pushed an anti-abortion agenda, book bans, White Christian Nationalism, anti-government ideologies, anti-diversity, and various other policies that go against everything this country stands for in its attempt to be a more perfect union. Where were we when these elections, laws, and policies were quietly introduced and enacted? We were not paying attention, nor did we have our own long game. My point is that Lightworkers need to be aware and vigilant so they can accurately read the signs.
Here are some things you and I need to do to stay on top of things and fight for our values of love and inclusivity rather than hatred and exclusivity.
If MAGA prevails in November, be aware that your rights and needs will not be included in the upcoming autocratic administration of Donald Trump if you are a woman, Black, Hispanic, Native American, immigrant, Muslim, Jewish, LGBTQ+, liberal, progressive, Democrat, or RINO (Republican in Name Only). (By the way, that list includes me and you.) According to his Project 2025, millions will be held in detention camps and deported. Do you think those “camps” will eventually only be for illegal immigrants? You may only be safe if you are White and Christian and a MAGA loyalist. If you think I am exaggerating, these are Donald Trump’s own words and the words of his lieutenants. He has even said he would like to “terminate the Constitution.”
Many of my Lightworker friends tell me they ignore the news because it is too depressing. I empathize with that. It certainly can be exhausting trying to keep up with all the craziness in the world. You don’t need to be a political wonk like me, however, to stay informed. Pick a publication or news channel you trust. No news organization is perfect, but some seem more dedicated to ethical journalism and the facts. My choices are MSNBC, CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. You may have others, but please avoid Fox and other right-wing organizations, which are clearly propaganda outlets devoted to “fake news.”
Google Project 2025. Please don’t take my word for it; see what they say for themselves. The Heritage Foundation used to be a respected conservative Republican think tank but has been taken over by MAGA Republicans. Trump is now trying to distance himself from Project 2025 because he knows it is too radical and unpopular for most Americans. However, its authors are his allies and former senior officials and advisors in the Trump White House, and Project 2025 mirrors his own statements about what his next White House will look like. Here are some samples of their proposals that should scare the pants off every American.
o A national ban on abortion (with no exceptions for rape or incest), IVF (In Vitro Fertilization, which many couples rely on to become pregnant), and contraception.
o The firing of up to 50,000 federal employees and the requirement that federal employees sign loyalty oaths to Trump. This means your army general, meat inspector, agricultural scientist, hurricane scientist, railway inspector, Air Traffic Controller, and thousands of other jobs created to serve and protect you will be given to people less noted for their expertise than their loyalty to the king.
o Ending our involvement with international climate change treaties and denial of climate change. Oil, coal, and gas will be prioritized, and many alternative energy sources (solar, electric, wind) will be defunded. Ending environmental regulations that protect our air and water.
o Eliminating the FBI and taking over the Department of Justice to be a tool of the President. Historically, the Department of Justice and FBI have been relatively independent of the President (except under Nixon and Trump), especially when it comes to criminal investigations. This idea that they are part of a “Deep State” is laughable. In all my years in the government, I never ran into a “Deep State.” Over the years, I have known many dedicated FBI personnel who are true patriots who will not get involved in politics. Throughout its history, the FBI has been manned by primarily conservative individuals who were Republicans. The idea that they are some sort of liberal, leftist organization is just not credible. If they are eliminated, who will investigate domestic and foreign terrorism, foreign spies, cybercrimes and cyberintelligence, public corruption, interstate robberies and homicides, and many other criminal investigations? They perform an invaluable law enforcement service.
o Vengeance is a central theme. They plan to prosecute and lock up all their political opponents, including President Biden, VP Kamala Harris, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Mike Pence, Nancy Pelosi, and Liz Cheney, among many others. Some of his lieutenants have even called for the execution for treason of people like General Mark Milley, former head of the Joint Chiefs under Trump. It will not stop there as they plan the same for many journalists and other critics. How is this America? Where are you and I on the hit list?
o Abandoning our NATO allies and Ukraine. As a Lightworker, I abhor war as much as anyone, but I also see there is a light vs dark battle between the dictator Putin and the democratic people of Ukraine. Moreover, NATO has been the most successful alliance in world history. It has prevented a number of wars and made our country more secure. The only time Article 15 of the NATO alliance has ever been invoked was after the 911 attack on our country. Every NATO nation voted to come to our aid because Article 15 states that if any member is attacked, all will come to their aid. Is this how we repay our European allies’ loyalty?
o Terminating diversity programs in the workplace and in education. Promoting programs that “whitewash” our history regarding slavery, Native American genocide, LGBTQ+ issues, and other uncomfortable topics.
o Getting rid of Social Security and Medicare. I'm 75 and I have to tell you that my monthly Social Security check really helps us get by and I would never be able to afford the good medical care I receive now without Medicare. And I'm not poor. Those programs are lifesavers for so many. Remember, we paid for these programs through our payroll deductions from our first job on, so it is money we earned.
o Stopping the vaccination of our children. This is not just for the Covid vaccine, but for all the vaccines that used to take so many young lives: smallpox, polio, diphtheria, tuberculosis, Whooping Cough, Scarlet Fever, tetanus, chicken pox, measles, pneumonia, and Hepatitis A and B. I come from the Polio generation, and it was a fearful and devastating disease until the vaccine.
o Reforming the tax system in a way that will benefit the rich and burden the middle class. This includes a 10% tariff that Trump would impose on all imports. Since all tariffs are passed along to the consumer, this is a tax on Americans. For example, your $40,000 car will now be $44,000. It will affect cars, appliances, groceries, building materials—anything that comes from another country. Many Nobel Laureate economists have said this will drag the United States into a recession.
o And there is so much more.
Every Lightworker condemns political violence, so we are appalled at what we have devolved into with the attempted assassination of Mr. Trump. We are grateful he was not badly injured or killed. At the same time, it is ironic that he was the target of political violence when he encouraged the violence of the January 6th Insurrection, said there would be a “blood bath” and a “civil war” if he is not elected, joked about one of his followers almost killing Nancy Pelosi’s husband, and has used violent language against all his perceived enemies from politicians to judges and juries. (As an aside, we have another under-21-year-old with an AR-15 who is a lonely misfit who was bullied unmercifully every day in high school. When are we going to prevent these violent acts by effective gun reform, more effective bullying prevention in our schools, and helping the bullied loners receive the support and help they need?)
Finally, and most importantly, please vote in November or in early voting. You think your vote does not count, but President George W. Bush won by 550 votes in Palm Beach County, even though he lost the popular vote to Al Gore in 2000. A non-vote or a vote for a third-party candidate like conspiracy theorist Bobby Kennedy is a vote for Trump.
Every vote counts. You don’t have to love Joe Biden, but the MAGA alternative threatens to destroy our democracy, this grandest of experiments for 240 years. I lived in Delaware in the early 1970s. I voted for Joe in his first Senate election in 1972. It’s a tiny state, and everyone knows Joe. They have always considered him a decent and honorable man. He is not perfect, and I struggle with the terrible things happening in Israel and Gaza, too. Still, I also know that current historians consider him to be among the ten most effective and good presidents in our history. The same historians note that he has accomplished far-reaching, bipartisan legislation that has benefited the average American more than any other modern president since FDR. The same historians rate Donald Trump as the worst president in American history.
Wake up, Lightworkers!
Blessings,
Tom
Rev. Dr. Tom Norris
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