peril Archives - Owl Medicine: Shamanic Healing

Watching and Waiting – Photo: L. Weikel

Accountability

I don’t know about all of you, but I’m exhausted. I’m also disillusioned. Disillusioned, but sadly, not surprised. Given a day to reflect on what I watched unfold on my television screen yesterday, I realize that what we witnessed was not a fluke. And the word that haunts me is ‘accountability.’

Sadly, both my reflection on yesterday’s events and monitoring of today’s leads me to the depressing realization that pretty much everything I’ve believed in all my life was a ruse. A fallacy. Accountability is apparently only for suckers; only applicable to people of meager means or those whose lives are so unremarkable as to be unconnected to those who wield power and influence.

I’m sure most of you know exactly what I’m feeling in the pit of my stomach right now simply by reading that one word title of this post. I bet most of you are feeling it too. That’s because most of us believe in there being consequences to our actions. And I am not talking about the potential long-term consequences that undoubtedly exist (I’m looking at you, karma), because I don’t actually doubt the inevitability of those.

No, I’m talking about direct, foreseeable, inescapable consequences to our choices, actions, and behavior. Accountability – being held responsible or answerable – in the present moment.

Stunned

Were you, like me, rendered nearly speechless when the masses of mostly maskless rioters were simply herded out of the Capitol building and allowed to walk away? Did you see anyone being arrested? Did you feel nauseated by the impunity with which these insurrectionists desecrated the House and Senate chambers, sitting in the seats of power with their feet up, rifling through papers, scrolling through laptops in lawmakers’ offices, destroying wooden nameplates, smashing windows and doors, even carting off the Speaker of the House’s lectern?

These acts were conducted without consequence. Sure, some of these people will be tracked down and arrested – eventually. But let’s face it: what we witnessed yesterday was an unprecedented violation of personal and public space by marauders intent upon disrupting the work of our democratic government – and there was essentially no accountability. In fact, it sure looks as though there was aiding and abetting going on by those tasked with the exact opposite. That, my friends, should scare the hell out of all of us.

Not only were the insurrectionists allowed to storm the Capitol with very little resistance, it appears that those who stoked this may get away without being held accountable as well. And the reason this took place in the first place is because there has been a lack of accountability for at least the last four years.

There is a gross disparity in our nation regarding accountability. Compare this activity with what we saw yesterday. We talk a lot about accountability in this country, but it is rarely applied to those in power or in the favor of those who are in power. Is that really what our country has come to stand for?

Failure to hold to account results in emboldened action.

We are in great peril.

Photo: L. Weikel

(T-323)

Stuff Happens

Sometimes ‘stuff happens.’ And sometimes ‘nothin’ happens.’

Usually, on the nights that ‘nothin’ happens,’ there’s a reason for the nothin’ coming into being.

Tonight, however, I can tell you exactly what happened: I fell asleep.

I guess the past couple of days caught up to me. That’s probably the best guess I can make.

Primary Night

I suppose I could talk about the results of the New Hampshire primary. But actually, I figure my regular (thank you!) readers would prefer I write nothing at all. Ugh! Boring.

I know, I should probably care who wins, and I do care, to an extent. But honestly? Until the primaries start happening in states that are more representative of the actual demographic composition of our country, I’m just going to have to respond with a hearty, “Meh.”

Department of Justice

The other major story tonight is the horrific events unfolding in the Department of Justice. The bedrock of our country is our system of justice and the fundamental belief that it is essentially a fair system. Our current president, recently acquitted by a Senate whose Republican majority is a profile in cowardice and calumny, has succeeded in finally getting an Attorney General who will bring the wheels of justice to a halt – in his favor.

Our country is in peril.

I think I would rather go back to sleep. This is exhausting and depressing.

(T-654)