85 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 26 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H4'ed 3/16/17

Postcard from the End of America: Ann Arbor

By       (Page 2 of 4 pages) Become a premium member to see this article and all articles as one long page.   2 comments
Message Linh Dinh
Become a Fan
  (73 fans)
With two friends threatening suicide, I brought up the topic to this just-arrived, incipient man who's already mourning his lost youth. "Don't do it before you're 50!" I joked.

Outside the Federal Building on Liberty Street, I ran into two people protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline. Their signs, "I STAND WITH STANDING ROCK," "CAN'T DRINK OIL / WATER IS LIFE / #NODAPL" and "BE A TSUNAMI," among others.

Jeff's a retired lawyer, and Mary's a former elementary school teacher who worked at Crazy Wisdom, a tea room and bookstore. This month's book picks include Mediumship: An Introductory Guide to Developing Spiritual Awareness and Intuition, Magicians of the Gods: Fingerprints of the Gods, Rest in Power: The Enduring Life of Trayvon Martin and The Education of Will: a Mutual Memoir of a Woman and her Dog.

I asked what they were about. Jeff, "If you feel connected to Mother Earth, then you're going to protect Mother Earth, and you're going to relate to the Native Americans, and what they stand for. We don't own any of this. We think we own it, but that's an illusion."

Ellen, "People will say I'm not doing it, but we're all one, so we are all doing it. We live in homes that use electricity and gas. The America first mindset has been going on for a while. Not enough of us realize that we are one with the rest of the world. If they starve, so do we. Our hearts do, even if our bodies are not. I feel responsible for the world."

"So what are you doing personally to help?" I asked.

"Personally, I am keeping my temperature lower. I'm using less water. I am signing every petition that comes my way that I believe in. I'm contributing money to the bigger organizations that I feel can, perhaps, get their voice heard more than I can.

"So many people don't know any different, and so they assume that everything they're doing is fine. Many people don't know that a lot of people in the world are suffering. They just don't understand, and if they do know, they don't care. It's not their own family.

"My own stepson and his family, they work at home, they love their children, they're good people, but he says, 'This is my world.' It's his home and his family."

Jeff, "I think the culture is so isolating. You get in your car and you drive around. You look at your phone all day. We do things that separate us, you know.

"Look where we are, close to Detroit, where they make automobiles. For me, I don't particularly enjoy driving around in a car all day."

I brought up the election. Ellen, "What happened is a huge amount of people who felt like they didn't have a voice, and it was a contemptuous voice, were given it by he who should not be president. And, they feel really good now, but nothing is really going to happen for them, but they were heard. To be heard is going to be enough for them for a while.

"I do yoga with a quite introspective man, and he thinks something went wrong with America this time. It's been building up, and I'll admit that Hillary was a part of it too, but this election is proof positive that we are fucked!"

Jeff, "People need to speak up, and not be afraid to speak up, you know, whatever their conscience is. I'm not a fan of the media at all. People will try to steer you in their direction. You need the courage to stand alone and be a voice, a different voice. It takes courage to do it."

Ellen, "It does, it does, and courage isn't something Americans have in huge, ah, commodity."

College towns proliferate in approved political statements, so in Ann Arbor, I saw a "Black Lives Matter" banner at a church, "Black Lives Matter" signs outside homes, a rainbow flag in front of a church with "God is still speaking" and a "WITH ISRAEL WE STAND" sign at a liquor store, etc. A house displayed a "PEACE" rainbow flag and a bed sheet painted with "WE SUPPORT OUR MUSLIM NEIGHBORS."

Next Page  1  |  2  |  3  |  4

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Well Said 3   Must Read 2   Supported 2  
Rate It | View Ratings

Linh Dinh Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in


Linh Dinh's Postcards from the End of America has just been published by Seven Stories Press. Tracking our deteriorating socialscape, he maintains a photo blog.


Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter
Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Deranging America

Striking Russia through Syria

Common Dreaming

Postcard from the End of America: Lancaster County, PA

National Nervous Breakdown

Cui Bono After Orlando Pulse Club Shooting?

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend