May 15 Blog: Staying Positive Takes Perspective

Dear Friends:

With the twin gut punches of the destruction of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the Virginia Supreme Court ruling that our vote last month on redistricting doesn’t mean anything; and with all the general destruction of our nation, which Timothy Snyder calls great power suicide…..it can be difficult to stay positive. Even for a naturally positive person like myself.

I’m finding that for me perspective keeps me positive. There is a local perspective, which I was privileged to get at the Abundance Fellows Conference in Denver last week. Fellows and their mentors came together from around the country. The group is very diverse. Jurisdiction size varies from well over a million people to well under fifty thousand. Some fellows are paid a real salary; some get a few dollars for every meeting. Some are first generation Americans. Several have difficult life experiences from homelessness to losing a family member to police violence. They are all a lot younger than I. They all are focused on serving their constituents and getting things done for them. They are smart and eager to learn from and support each other. We had top quality speakers who engaged the group in discussion. It was such a privilege to be there and so reassuring to see what our future can be.

There is the national perspective, which I continue to get from my Visibility Brigade and Indivisible involvement. These two movements show me continuously growing determination to save our democracy and to rebuild it in a stronger form that is more true to our nation’s values. As LaTosha Brown put it on this week’s Indivisible call, we need to block [fascism] and build [democracy]. There will be a large event tomorrow (Saturday) in Montgomery Alabama to protest the Jim Crow 2.0 efforts of white supremacist courts and governments, with a number of supportive events around the country: All Roads Lead to the South.

If you can get to “All Roads Lead to the South” actions in Selma or Montgomery this weekend, or live in one of the states where other actions are popping up, we strongly encourage you to show up in person this Saturday, May 16 for the National Day of Action for Voting Rights! Learn more and find an event at: https://blackpowerwarroom.com/dayofaction/

People are organizing to fight back quickly and broadly. Our bridge group will be out on the Fairlington Bridge tomorrow from 1:00 to 2:30 pm, with banners saying “NO JIM CROW 2.0.” Please join us if you can.

There is the large historic perspective of human change. I highly recommend this piece by Rebecca Solnit. She sees this moment as a total break from what we are used to, describing it as a  chrysalis stage for a caterpillar. We are in the “gooey” stage in her metaphor. Or, if you have read the Fourth Turning is Now, we are at the extreme stage of the cyclical pattern of human history: an 80-100 year cycle that is more severe every 500 years or so. The last time humans experienced this much change was about 500 years ago when the printing press was new in Europe and helped bring about the Reformation which broke the powerful hold of the Catholic Church in Europe. These are all just theories and Rebecca’s optimistic view of where we are headed could be wrong, but they make sense to me. With the rapid technological change we are experiencing and the relatively new ability of many women to be independent, the changes we are experiencing are huge. It’s good to understand how humans have survived and thrived through times like this in the past, and to have a positive vision of the future as we navigate these difficult times. 

And, of course, there is the personal perspective. I continue to be lucky in my personal life. However uncertain is the future, those close to me are generally happy and healthy at the moment. My mother was just “graduated” from Hospice Care because they’ve decided she’s not likely to die in the next 6 months. I’m not sure that is true, and it is unfortunate because Hospice was a reassurance that my mother would not end up in a hospital at the end of her life. However, I’m still hopeful to avoid that and lucky to be able to provide the care my mother needs. The burden of caregiving is born by millions of Americans who are far less resourced than my family. When we get to the building of our nation again after blocking fascism, we’ll get good affordable health care for everyone. That’s part of my positive vision for the future. And, at-home support for aging will be part of that. You may want to read the AARP report here: https://www.aarp.org/press/releases/2025-07-24-new-report-reveals-crisis-point-for-americas-63-million-family-caregivers.html

If any of my readers would like to share how they stay positive in these times, I would be happy to know of it!

Yours in positivity and peaceful resistance,  

Libby