キノ・マクレガ―のインスタグラム(kinoyoga) - 8月6日 07時37分
Our culture engineers violence. We inflict it on ourselves, sell it movies and export it to other countries. There are more guns than people in the US, and more civilian firearms than military. Violence is so prevalent that we are conditioned to expect it and desensitized when it hits. The normalization of violence continues as the heartbreaking tragedies bombard us, leaving a mixture of shock, apathy, trauma and helplessness. I am sure someone will tell me to “stick to yoga” but I just keep thinking that this is yoga.
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Ahimsa.
Non-violence.
Are these just words or are they actual values we are meant to live by? I want to live in a society built on the principles of kindness and love, not one built on hate and greed.
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We are at war with ourselves, individually in our minds and hearts, and socially, on the internet, in angry comment threads and in manifestos. Where can we find peace? Real, true lasting peace that leads to liberation. There is suffering in every direction. Anxiety in every headline. Heartbreak in every family. I believe we are all wounded people searching for peace, for God, for love. When I want to quit and I feel like my life isn’t making a difference I remember that what I do helps people be more peaceful, and that by changing people’s lives I can impact the world.
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But, there is more to do than just practicing and breathing. Wallowing lost in the doldrums of pain can seem eternal. Feeling powerless breeds a certain kind of learned helplessness. Thoughts and prayers are useless without change and action.
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We can end gun violence in the US. It’s on us. We have to be willing to take difficult stances and to use the tools of civic engagement. Here are three things you can do today if you want to help end gun violence in the US.
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1. Sign this form and urge your senator to pass background checks—
https://momsdemandaction.org
2. Donate or volunteer for a grassroots organization committed to ending gun violence. The link above and this one below are examples. If you know of other organizations share it in the comments below—
https://everytown.org/
3. Register to vote.
https://www.usa.gov/register-to-vote
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ritsumei_babysteps
@helen_pascale Realistically, the gun wouldn’t be at all likely to be on the mat for a number of reasons, the biggest being that our concealed carry laws require the guns to be *concealed*: if you can see it, they’re doing it wrong and it may not be legal. I’ve seen a concealed gun only once in my life, when someone wasn’t doing as well hiding it as they should have been. The fact that I actually saw it was the most notable part of the event. Yoga clothes conceal nothing, and a gun would interfere with movement more than a little, so the exact scenario simply wouldn’t happen. The thing to remember is that, while each shooting is news, and we all rightly grieve these deaths, all the crimes that are stopped, all the attacks prevented, these things are *not* news, and so they’re easily overlooked and easily discounted, though they should not be. .
Also of not in the hypothetical situation offered, I’d be done with yoga as soon as I saw it in Kino’s hand: my practice of non-aggression allows the defense of myself and others. But Kino says she’s non*violent* and anything that moves her to bring a gun to class, I’d want to know what has shaken her so severely, and I’m going to ask her if I can have the gun, because I don’t want to see her violate her principles when I am there and can help.
ritsumei_babysteps
@helen_pascale Well, it’s true: I practice non-aggression, rather than non-violence. But I doubt that a gun by my mat would bother me much: guns don’t kill; people do. All by itself, that gun will sit there and do ...nothing. It’s the darkness in the hearts of people that’s the problem. And there’s people all around all the time. So the presence or absence of a gun by my mat really makes little difference: the person next to me is doing whatever they’re doing. If they are evil and intent on mayhem, a yoga strap can easily be as lethal as a gun. Or bare hands, for that matter. No gun present doesn’t mean you’re safe, and a gun present doesn’t mean you’re in danger, because it all hinges on what’s in the heart of the person controlling the weapon. Just remember, as you’re choosing how you advocate: laws affect victims much more than they affect criminals. So you have to ask yourself: “I am making it harder for a stalker’s victim?” “Will some woman be unable to fight off a rapist because I helped make legal guns hard to get, so he was stronger and overpowered her?” “Will the abusive ex-husband break in, and because she has no gun, he kills her?” Because what we do to keep guns away from criminals will also affect their intended victims.
ritsumei_babysteps
@helen_pascale It’s true that the US, as a whole, does not have strict gun control. But we have areas, such as Baltimore and Chicago, where local laws are very strict. These places are consistently among the hardest hit. We also, even in areas where gun laws are less restrictive, have zones where guns are strictly banned. I saw statistics and commentary from our shootings just the other day: 94% of mass shootings take place in gun-free zones. If that statistic leaves any doubt that it’s not random, the commentary from the shooters clears it right up: they are deliberately choosing places where their victims are unarmed victims. (See crimeresearch.org) Seems foolish to me to increase the areas where they know the law-abiding -the innocent victims- are going to disarm themselves. I’ve looked at the business end of a gun; I’ve *been* the unarmed victim. That experience is not one I’m anxious to repeat; it’s not something I’d wish on anybody. I was very fortunate; I escaped with no more than a bad scare. But it gave me a taste of what it’s like, as an unarmed victim, entirely at the bad guy’s mercy. I won’t be part of putting anyone else in that position.
spacekarma
I believe that we are all responsible for doing the best that we can in our sphere of influence. Your sphere of influence happens to be large, so it is only natural that you are trying to do good within it. Statements like "keep to yoga" (hypothetical though this one was) are controlling, p/matronizing and infuriating. Out of all the things you said this got to me the most. Keep toxic energies at bay and keep doing you 🙌
jennybeeyogini
I grew up on a farm shooting coke cans with a rifle as a kid. My family owns firearms and there is a lot of respect for the weapon. Gun legislation only hurts those that abide by the law. Did you know there was a federal ban on AR’s when Columbine happpened? Criminals will always find a way. Meanwhile we need to talk about mental illness, pharmaceutical drugs and extreme ideologies. Just my opinion. Peace.🙏🏼
helen_pascale
@ritsumei_babysteps I’m sorry you experienced that it must have been terrifying. Presumably if your intent is to kill people local laws aren’t going to concern you but it sounds like you advocate more people being armed rather than no-one which seems awful!? Can you imagine Kino wandering around class armed in case someone wanted to harm her students, putting her gun down by your mat to assist?! 🤯
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