Amidst the election rhetoric and name-calling, I am thinking that more reflection on values and critical thinking would be a good place to start for some chilling.
Sometime ago, I was discussing violence in and around dysfunctional parts of our communities with a friend in the Indigenous health governance business and I asked him what is the proper response to “lateral violence.”
Lateral violence is displaced violence; that is anger and rage is directed towards members within a marginalised or oppressed community rather than towards the oppressors of the community – one's peers rather than adversaries.(Wikipedia)
His response was immediate: lateral kindness.
Lateral kindness is an approach to addressing lateral violence. It is based on Indigenous values that promote social harmony and healthy relationships. Lateral kindness uses First Nations teachings about respect, fairness, and the importance of relationships to create an environment built on a foundation of kindness. (First Nations Health Authority.)
I am appalled by the picking on minority (immigrant) groups in the US election and the spread of this almost violent treatment at the hands of elites trying to disguise their hate and anger as fair political comment. It is not free speech but rather psychological violence.
People who are subjected to it may not be able to respond by turning the other cheek. It takes a spiritually strong person to respond with kindness. A tall order that!
Often the underdogs subjected to any kind of violence will deflect it across (lateral) to others in their communities and not attack those perpetrators from above and outside their communities.
These comments are meant to set the stage for what we need more of and that is (positive)relationship building amongst and between various users of the land: ranchers, First nations traditional users, industrial developers, members of the public, and other civil society groups.
Our civil society value of caring for our neighbours but asking in return that they respect our rights is a better approach than responding in anger. A small apt example is that of livestock owner’s cattle left on the public roads. Due diligence of care by the owner would have them get them off the road and behind a fence if there is one.
If a road is posted with a sign indicating that there may be cattle on the road, then a civil response by a driver would be to slow down and avoid an accident.
Recently, my wife and I were taking some cattle that had strayed home via the road right of way. Most traffic was wonderful, but it seems that some of the industrial truckers were tired of other cattle which were not removed from the road for months! The inconvenienced motorist should attempt to find the owners and send them message that their cattle are on the road.
I thought about the log truckers and those hauling biosolids from the Lower Mainland to fields and mines in the Interior. I reflected on how much time we all spend behind slow trucks especially loaded going up hills. In return then I expect that they will slow for our cattle inconveniencing them at times. Sharing the road is what we call it.
