WHAT TO DO?

What can one person do? It's a perennial question, and one that's surely eating at the heart of everyone who is watching the world fall apart today, and feeling impotent in the face of widespread chaos and violence. Since the murder of yet another clearly unarmed and defenseless black American at the hands of police, nation-wide protests have continued to escalate. The voices of well-intentioned, peaceful demonstrators have been hijacked by the action of arsonists and looters who have no agenda other than wreaking wanton destruction or taking advantage of the situation to plunder vulnerable stores; or--and I have read reports of this too--by politically motivated activists intent on promoting social unrest.

It's impossible, immoral even, for me to bury my head in the sand and pretend this is not happening. One path, I suppose, would be to join the peaceful protestors on the streets and add my voice to theirs. I am discouraged from such action, though, by the knowledge that I am of an age that is particularly vulnerable to the pandemic that is creating its own, concurrent pall of chaos and uncertainly that hangs over our cities. So I have settled for allowing the young and healthy to assume the risks that accompany social action and, quite possibly, disobedience to the ubiquitous curfew laws. 

I can use my "pen." It's supposedly "mightier than the sword." I spend some time each day on social media, reposting articles that seem pertinent and useful and sharing my own opinions with those who'll listen to them. I do this in the realization that my audience is not only small, it consists almost entirely of people who already share my own persuasions. I do think it serves to hearten readers, perhaps to stimulate further "right thought" amongst my friends, and to help keep the fires of electoral zeal burning in anticipation of the coming election in November.

While it seems tame beside the courage required of so many on the streets, the Buddhist answer to my original question is perhaps the best that I can do: practice goodwill, empathy, compassion. Send out thoughts of goodwill and wishes for happiness even to those whose opinions I do not share and those whose actions I consider reprehensible. I scheduled a special session of my Wednesday group the other day precisely for this purpose, and I think we all felt better for the effort.