13
I had a whole different subject matter mapped out for this installment, but my convictions and my heavy heart have led me in another direction. Considering this is the space where I do most of my processing - I couldn’t help but draft my other blog and trudge forward.
It’s no secret that our entire nation is in the throes of chaos, division, and calamity.
I have been encouraged by my therapist to only indulge in current events for 30 min. maximum a day. However, as any other empath can relate, I’ve found this suggestion to be almost impossible to accomplish.
I really could care less what your political preferences are and to be quite honest I am temporarily unable to vote due to some less than favorable choices in my past life.
No matter what religion, culture, or even moral code you choose to participate in - human life is human life.
My heart is undoubtedly aching for every single active and veteran servicemember that has voluntarily served our country and every single family member and friend. The recent, irresponsible decision to withdraw American troops in such a manner that placed billions of dollars of our military equipment in the hands of terrorists and left thousands of Americans and Afghan allies stranded is deplorable at best.
I was reflecting today on everything that is taking place and I think it would be fair to say that it makes more sense to assume there is some other agenda behind this move rather than to believe that our elected officials “just made a mistake”.
I’m no expert on anything related to combat and strategy but I do believe it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that you do not withdrawal troops before removing all equipment, ensure the safety of all the American people, and confirm a secure exit strategy with the members of the military that have dedicated years of their lives to fight this 20-year war on the ground.
I have yet to escape the radio call-in from Rylee McCollum’s mother who was noticeably angry and distraught as she spoke about the lack of accountability from our said leadership as she went on to discuss the recent loss of her son due to the Taliban’s attack in Kabul.
Before writing this installment I was fighting off some second thoughts as I reflected on who “might be offended” when they read this or which family member will comment something erroneous on this post.
But then came Stuart Scheller - (Google him, you won’t be disappointed)
“What you believe in can only be defined by what you are willing to risk.”
This US Marine officer spoke up and simply asked for accountability for what is currently going on in Afghanistan. However, Scheller was completely aware of the possible repercussions that could follow his bold inquiry into the decisions and actions of our top military leaders. Nevertheless, he persisted.
It wasn’t long before I felt compelled to stay true to why I love writing so much and why I appreciate true journalism. You see, this is the space where I get to share my unadulterated, unfiltered thoughts, perceptions, and creative rants. I have maintained a pledge to stick to gutting transparency on this platform and I believe it is a far greater risk to shoot for appeasement over holding up the truth in love.
I am sad, pissed off, and utterly terrified by the lack of leadership, accountability, and compassion when it comes to issues such as what we are facing in Afghanistan and throughout our country down to its very core.
As a mother, I am fearful of what my kids’ future will look like if we don’t start asking ourselves some very tough questions and begin making some bold moves.
As a nation, we are handing over our constitutional rights as we allow our politicians and the media to politicize every issue that arises. We have been slowly trading in freedom of speech for censorship. I have personally experienced being labeled as “anti-vax” and “stupid” for challenging policies and mandates that conflict with my rights as an American citizen. We are living in a nation that deems questioning the actions of our leaders “mental illness”.
At what point is enough, enough?
When do we objectively look at what is going on in our country and get back to the basic fundamentals of why we are the greatest nation in the world?
Divide and conquer has been the agenda for every communist, fascist, and terrorist organization that has ever existed throughout history. Just talk to some of the citizens of Cuba and ask them if the new climate they are living in happened overnight. I challenge you to do some research on the Taliban, if your memory is a little rusty, and review how they came to be who they are today.
We have an obligation, a duty to challenge our elected leaders and to hold them accountable when they fall short - after all, isn’t that an essential component of an effective democracy?
My heart aches for the families of the victims of the Taliban’s attack and my heart also aches for every serviceman and woman who feels the deaths of their brothers and sisters were in vain. Grief is an unstoppable force and I can’t offer a solution for the pain you are experiencing. But at the very least, I hope you find solace in knowing that there are many Americans, like me, that stand with you, pray for you, and are challenging the nonsensical policies and actions of our elected officials.
As we inch closer to the 20 year anniversary of September 11th, I pray that we can dig within ourselves and stop giving into the agenda of segregating and dismantling the communities we live in. I pray that we all take some time to truly reflect on how we can make ourselves available to be of service to the people within our communities.
If one part of our tribe is suffering, we all suffer.
Thanks for letting me rant and if you aren’t too keen on this installment - feel free to unsubscribe.