The crime I recently witnessed wasn't caused by the system. It was caused by bad individual choices. But the system was largely responsible for determining the options available to the shooter. And the crowd of militarized police that responded to the event wasn't exactly comforting ... But it did feel much more like occupied territory than like a free land.

A powerful set of observations! And yes... despite how dark and bleak society looks from this viewpoint, it's a breath of fresh air to see you coming back time and time again to remind people of what we've lost that we didn't even know we've lost. When I look around, the deprogramming that needs to happen seems to be one where we learn how to face our fears. Fear is the best way to divide, control, and keep us feeling so small and powerlessness without us even knowing it. It's making us blind to the deeper issues affecting our lives beyond Trump and who's in office. It's now affecting our kids with this new era of overprotection and helicopter parenting. We can start with our own lives to heal our fears, yet also begin turning our attention to the collective. They are two sides of the same coin.