Systems or Individuals?

 This month there's a theme coming up I'm clearly meant to reflect on. It's called Systems v. Individuals. 

Right now we're finding the balance between allowing individuals to define themselves and been seen in the truth of who they are as well as defining ourselves and understanding ourselves as a collective. 

All of that is actually fairly easy to navigate. When someone is racist, bigoted, xenophobic, etc... you believe them. When someone is trans, has mental health issues, is an assault survivor, etc... you believe them. 

What we haven't shifted towards that will be a greater struggle is how to approach the Systems and Individuals in oppressive positions of power. 

I finished watching The Trial of Gabriel Fernandez, which is about the torture, abuse, and murder of a boy. The over lapping issues in that case included:  

-How extensive the issue of child abuse and neglect is

-Gang violence in a community

-Families in Poverty

-Child Protective Services failing to protect children 

-Police and Law Enforcement ignoring or failing to address crimes 

-Homophobia and how it can bleed into the lives of children -in some cases being used as an excuse to kill them 

In the end the question is posed: How do you address all of these overlapping issues? 

There were negligent individuals in positions of power who did not do as they should have. The system of child services and overburdened. there was also corruption within it. And that was just 1 system. Not a culture. Not poverty. Not everything else that went in hand. 

The documentary said that over 150 children had died or been killed since Gabriel's murder. 

The you look at things like sexual abuse of powerful men and the #MeToo Movement. Yes Weinstein was arrested, but has enough changed? Same with religious abuse scandals -Yes the issue has been made public, but has the abuse ended? 

Having also watched the 3rd season documentary Scientology, you come across an interesting concept: That one of the tactics used by Scientology is to never go after a system -only individuals within it. Like when they publicly targeted ongoing harassment towards members of the IRS to gain tax exempt status.  

You can also see that historically black communities have been targeted by sectors of the government (particularly police force and judicial branches) to subjugate whole communities. They attack individuals, but it terrorizes whole groups of people. 

This is the approach evil has taken. It's systematically targeted women, LGBT people, people of various races and religions... And it effects whole demographics by this ongoing and consistent approach to the individual. 

But what approach does light take? Part of me wishes we could say, "Hey Scientology, why don't you put your efforts towards Bill Clinton, Trump, and Prince Andrew? Or Westboro Baptist or those who are in the KKK? 

But normal, compassionate people who have independent lives to lead that don't impede upon the welfare of others don't take that path and won't. It just won't happen on the side of light.  

We denounce the system. 

We call out individuals and demand accountability. 

And little changes. 

Rioting is taken more seriously than marching. And even the voices of many still get ignored. Class actions can make headway, but not always. 

We haven't truly ventured into whatever pathway we're meant for to genuinely take on a system and systemic issues. 

It's important to continue holding individuals accountable for their actions, but because of the inactions and abuses of whole systems -individuals like that keep being produced like a vending machine. 

I honestly thought Maxwell might walk free and not be found guilty of anything. That's how little faith I have in our "injustice system". The fact that there's some obscure legal note that shouldn't exist is barring Prince Andrew from trial right now doesn't help. As many people have said, "These girls were trafficked... apparently to no one." 

The other issue up for debate is Reformation verses Dismantling/Completely Taking Down/Replacing Systems. 

This one is a little less confusing for me, I passed up "reformation" a long time ago when I came to terms with the understanding there are fundamental and unchangeable flaws within these systems that intend for them to function as they do now. If you're out of that loop, you must not be in a position to have your rights taken away and impeded by a whim of the government. Let me speak on your behalf if you were: These systems will always fail and were never to your benefit or anyone else's. Let go of the way we do business. Ignore the economics. Forget the "culture" we're in. Abandoned government. Evade religious institution. 

As for where things go from here -I don't know. 

It's interesting all of this is coming up on the eve of the anniversary of the Jan. 6th Capitol Riots. Those were a strange and startling spectacle. On the one hand it was hard to take them seriously given the way some were dressed and the fact they were outlandish right-wingers. On the other hand: people died, they had weapons, they wanted to kill and threatened the lives of specific people, and they stormed one of the most well founded government buildings. 

So again, we've seen how evil moves. How will light move?