Hold On, Hold On, Hold The Vision, That's Being Born

• Published in: Earth first! (1991) 2001-12, Vol.22 (1), p.5
• Main Author: Starhawk
• Format: Magazinearticle
• Language: English
• Subjects: Civil disobedience; Demonstrations & protests; Disasters; Environment; Industry; Riots
• ISSN: 1055-8411

The attacks of September 11 could undermine all of our work, at least in the short term. They are the perfect excuse for the state to intensify its repression, restrict civil liberties and for anyone who speaks out against blind retaliation to be demonized. The mood of the country is ugly. People are scared. They're angry. Their sense of power and invulnerability has been badly shaken, and in the US, they're not used to it. They're grasping at anything which can restore their sense of power over their lives. In a violent society that means punishment, retaliation, war. We need to acknowledge our fears, but not act out of fear. Fear leads to bad decisions and constricted vision, just when we need to see most clearly. "Hold on, hold on, hold the vision, that's being born," our cluster chanted in Quebec City at the FTAA protests. It may be that the most radical thing we can do right now is to act from our vision, not our fear, and to believe in the possibility of its realization. Every force around us is pushing us to close down, insulate, retreat. Instead, we need to advance, but in a different way. We're called to take a leap into the unknown. Finally, "faith" and "religion" are being thrown around and served up to us in ways that are at the moment rather sickening. Religion of any denomination can motivate the worst acts and be a rationale for hate. And yet it's hard to get through times like these without faith in something. I don't generally like to inflict my spirituality on people who might not want it. But I feel moved to tell you what's getting me through the night, along with the love and support of my community. It's the faith that there is a great, creative power that works through the living world toward life, diversity, healing and regeneration--that power works in us, in our human love, in our work for justice, in our courage and our visions. We don't need priests or ministers or even witches to contact that power for us: We each have our own direct line. It exists within us, infinite, unlimited. Ultimately, it is stronger than fear, stronger than violence, stronger than hate.