“This time it’s all of us or none.”

“This Time” by By Aurora Levins Morales, Artwork by Ricardo Levins Morales, Photo by Nylda Dieppa

The results of the US elections have the whole nation in a tizzy for one reason or another. I’m sure you can feel it in your bones as much as I do.

After getting everybody all riled up, now the media outlets are telling us what we need to do to relax: meditate, exercise, sleep, pet your dog, listen to music, write, etc. In order for me to stay sane, I will not delve further into the subject except to write that I am learning that comments that we make in public or post online often do not have the results we intended.

I am profoundly committed to listening to and working with others who disagree with me in order to make progress in this vulnerable situation in which we find ourselves. I appreciate your gentle efforts to point out my failures to me in this respect and apologize for my mistakes.

Although I am accepting the results of the elections, I must confront the reality that if we don't take drastic measures to improve our political dialogue, we will end up saying and doing things that will result in the demise of our common dreams for a healthy, strong, peaceful, and generous nation. We will tear our familial and friendship bonds apart.

I hope we can partner in building bridges and support each other at this delicate time in our lives. We must continue to seek help from those who are better informed and learn to use our critical thinking skills. We must not be afraid to learn new facts or admit when we are mistaken. Humility will take us where pride won’t.

I have a poster in my home with this poem by Aurora Levins Morales, a Jewish Puerto Rican poet. The artwork is by her brother Ricardo Levins Morales. It is a very pertinent exhortation for all of us. It’s a source of hope for me.

They say that other country over there, dim blue in the twilight, farther than the orange stars exploding over our roofs, is called peace, but who can find the way?

This time we cannot cross until we carry each other. All of us refugees, all of us prophets.

No more taking turns on history’s wheel, trying to collect old debts no one can pay.

The sea will not open that way,

This time that country is what we promise each other, our rage pressed cheek to cheek until tears flood the space between, until there are no enemies left, because this time no one will be left to drown and all of us must be chosen.

This time it’s all of us or none.

I invite you to embrace these challenging times and work with me to find solutions to our common problems. If we don’t, we won’t be able to relax again and we’ll become part of the problem. Please repeat Aurora’s words after me: “This time it’s all of us or none.”