A response to Mike Balson’s letter, Upper Wilsons Creek (November 29). I hear your heart is breaking and how else can one respond when bearing witness to the brutality of genocide upon our brothers and sisters, from Palestine, to the Congo, to Sudan and beyond…
Some days are dark, so dark, and I feel broken by the suffering of others and the cruelty of humanity. All I can do is collapse upon the Earth in grief as she drinks from our tears and we drink from hers. The Great Mother is calling us home. She yearns for us as we yearn for her.
Then dawn breaks and I am reminded by my ancestors, by my beating heart, and those like-hearted ones amongst us, of my purpose here and reason for being.
But I urge you, from one heart to another, do not lose heart and do not lose hope, for you are not alone. Millions across the globe feel as you do. You are needed. We are all needed. Find courage in those freedom fighters and truth speakers who have walked before us, alongside us, and emerging.
Every single human has an important part to play in this movement. Everything is connected. And you never know who is watching and learning from you. So let’s speak up in everyday conversations about injustices near and far. From here, to Gaza and beyond.
We live in a world that renders each one of us complicit in the most horrific crimes against humanity! So yes, we have an obligation to demonstrate our solidarity and there is work to be done. We must remember, there is not a system, no matter how entrenched, no matter how evil or corrupt with power and greed, that can withstand the force of the people rising!
For me personally, I have found great solace in finding others in the community that feel as I do by joining Northern Rivers Friends of Palestine, attending rallies, supporting direct action, writing to our so-called ‘representatives’ and becoming informed. All these actions give me a sense of hope, which is resistance. And resistance is hope!
Some might say, what difference do these actions make? This may not be for us to know. We just keep showing up for humanity knowing that one action leads to another and that the tipping point will come. It is not for us to know when but to keep our eyes on the prize – our collective liberation.
Yes, the road to liberation is long but let’s walk it together. We all know that the liberation of one cannot come from the oppression of another. Our liberation is collective and so is the struggle for it!
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
