Wake up and smell the bitter coffee

I just wanted to put out there my support for the Aboriginal community's National Day of Action. Today, many major highways and train routes have been blocked, just as the city gears up for summer's first long weekend. What a huge strategic step this is...hitting Canadians where it hurts the most: their wallets. How many people are going to be left stuck in traffic or immobilized by this mass organization of protest? How many people are going to be stranded from their cottages or weekend getaways because of this? How many trucks are going to be idling with their million dollar Wal-Mart goods? How many government officials does it take to fuck up what's good about a country? Think about the inconvenience that the average Canadian may feel having their getaway interrupted. Then, stop to think about how desperate a people must be in order to act in such drastic ways. Having had a semi heated conversation with a co-worker, I am inspired to air my opinions even further. Yes, we live pretty cushy lives. The inconvenience of gridlock on the way to the cottage or getting out of town, would not necessarily appeal to the intelligence of otherwise well-educated Canadians. It's just going to anger them. What is wrong with this argument? Well, first of all, not all intelligent people out there really care about what happens outside of their own comfortable lives. I mean, if intelligence were the sole predictor of sympathy to important causes, then why the fuck do we continue to abuse the earth, privatize health care, and do little to eradicate poverty? Let's face it, so many so-called intelligent people are too busy being complacent and comfy in their cushy jobs and suburban homes and driving their SUV's!!!! How many intelligent people feel helpless to help themselves, much less take on the task of looking at their lives and how it impacts the larger community? What will it take for them to open their eyes to what's going on beyond their bubble? All these are questions after all and are meant to stimulate discussion and dialogue. This is my beef. Am I living the perfectly conscious life? Am I as active in giving back to my community that I want to be? Am I contributing energy to sustain the lifestyle that I lead? The answer is not always. I struggle with that daily. I struggle with it inside myself and I am judgemental of those who don't ask these questions. But, I'm being honest about that and I want to inspire others to get comfortable with asking those uncomfortable questions to themselves. At the end of the day, those people stuck on the highways today will eventually end up at their destinations (albeit late and frustrated). They will go back to their comfy lives while those who are trying to get their voices heard continue to face the harsh realities that they do. I am not a professional in Aboriginal affairs, but I feel compelled to express my support, my solidarity and my positive vibes because once in a while, we need to get out of our comfort zone. Comfort breeds complacency. Complacency equals a slow and painful death because anything that isn't growing and being challenged is dying.