Saturday, July 28, 2007

Imagine: Healing the Border

Photo of child, found in the desert
Town hall meetings south of Tucson are addressing Homeland Security's plans to erect permanent Border Patrol checkpoints in our area. The more we learn about the government's plans, the more people become opposed to the idea of permanent checkpoints in their backyards; checkpoints that have been proven to be historically ineffective.

The meetings are good, grassroots and productive. It's interesting though, how the public discourse has changed since 9/11. The discussion focuses solely on security. The economic root causes for migration are not brought up nor are human rights, and there is very little discussion of civil rights (ours or theirs). We learn instead about Border Patrol strategy and how to speak their "Boots on the Ground" language to better articulate our position and mitigate the militarization.

There are many voices not represented in the meetings. Few brown people come.

How is it that we as a people have surrendered so much power to the government in recent years? It's as if we've been opiated for a very long time; asleep in a Wizard of Oz field of Poppies. Ah, but there is stirring in the center of the field, the beginning of what deep ecologist Joanna Macy calls "The Great Turning." The people are slowly waking.

Our grassroots coalition of local residents are doing everything they can to raise the consciousness of communities near the border and we will in turn follow through with emails and phone calls to every one of our representatives in Congress and the Senate. Yet and still, I believe that a much greater magic is called for at this time.

Imagine a huge circle of people, surrounding the existing checkpoint on Interstate 19 south of Tucson, standing in ritual, raising the energy and generating a powerful clarifying cone of light that defuses thick militarization. Imagine a circle with women in white at its center - healers, visionaries, musicians, artists and writers, teachers and ranchers - a medicine circle that draws healing energy from the earth itself and radiates love and peace...Imagine moving beyond the level of ordinary protest into a magical realm of healing, singing a new world into being. Imagine all the people...joining in Healing the Border, a soothing balm for the wounding between self and other; a mass prayer, healing the separation between self and God that we've incurred in walling out our neighbors.

Imagine how a large circle of people would appear from the air and how that could play out in the world media. Such a rare and unusual sight would be broadcast internationally. Imagine what good will we would generate around the world! Call me naive or crazy but a spiritual solution such as this is the only solution that will work at this time.

A new paradigm - 'power with' rather than 'power over' - is called for on all fronts - social, economic and environmental - in every country at this time in history, as never before. All we lack is the vision and the belief that such bold and radical acts can truly make a difference, individually and collectively.

Intention; a powerful word. In my meditations now, I set the intention. The vision of mass healing is strong. Join with me in the world of imagination. Place flowers in the barrels of guns. Envision and dream. Imagine and it will be!

1 comment:

Bette Mulley said...

Val. Thanks for your words. Come to the West Center in the morning at 9:30. Many of the Samaritans will be there, and maybe you can tell them about your idea of circling the check point with light.