What Cannot Be Seen, Cannot Be Healed

Arda Itez
Dec 21, 2016
4 min read

The Winter Solstice is upon us...the time when one cycle ends and another begins. A time for purification and renewal. Yet for some, this seems to be the antithesis of what they are experiencing. Many feel left in the dark, wondering if the sun will ever shine again.

Some say a Trump presidency is a nightmare come to fruition. His was a campaign that fed on the fears of many Americans, without regard for potential repercussions. However, there is something that needs to be said and needs to be heard. Not every Trump supporter was a “non college educated white male”. I have quite a few friends, more than you would imagine, that voted for him. These are educated (some Ivy League), rational, kind, articulate people.

If you are anti - Trump, I beseech you to hear me out.

Yes, Donald Trump has given a voice to the misogynists, xenophobes, racists, and homophobes in this country. However, most of us should look upon this as a huge blessing and favor. There is no denial that this exists in the US. Many of them lay quietly hidden, under the pretense of being egalitarian, but have now sprung to their feet in joyous bigotry.

Some of them have sat directly across from me at a dinner table. Many using the face of their religion as justification for their behavior.

They know exactly who they are.

It is no surprise that David Duke, the KKK, or the Alt-Right support Mr. Trump. But this is not all of them. On the other end of the spectrum are the Trump supporters who are tired of the status quo. The media’s bias and BS. An incredibly corrupt internal system that has been grinding away at the expense of the American people for far too long. And although for many Hillary was the logical choice, she was the face of that system.

Let me also say, that the Bernie supporters were not so much different than the Trump supporters. Their wants were very similar- better lives for their families, a desire to be seen, heard, acknowledged and understood….and to stand up against a system that they felt was working against them. They were both the anti – establishment.

Hillary Clinton on paper was by far, the most qualified candidate to become POTUS. An incredible political track record since college, she has proven what she is capable of accomplishing. Yet, her campaign was marred with scandal, whether just or unjust. She was attacked over emails, women’s rights, Benghazi, Wall Street connections, the list goes on and on.

Remember Iran-Contra? The 22 million emails deleted during the Bush era? We tend to have very short memories when it comes to our personal preferences. And yes, as a woman, she was held to a much, much different standard.

However, now we seem to be a nation divided in a way that has never been seen or vocalized before... not in my lifetime. Yet, quite frankly, it was always there, just never acknowledged. I ask you sincerely, who but Donald Trump could have exposed this so effortlessly and succinctly? These pockets of hatred, bigotry, discrimination? A frighteningly biased media that doesn't always concern themselves with fact or objectivity?

At least now we know what we are dealing with. He has unveiled the shadow side of this country and in doing so, has opened the door to healing.

This is how it begins.

I am not a Trump supporter. I was not a Hillary supporter by choice. I am a supporter of my human family. I love my country, I love this planet and all who reside within it. We are a society, a world at a crossroads. Where we go from here is dependent on us.

Yes, you and I.

We have entered the time of unveiling. A time when we must choose whether we will allow our differences to divide and destroy us, or allow our collective humanity to unite us. to As I’ve said so many times before, what cannot be seen, cannot be healed. Amidst all of this, we are being given an opportunity to evolve and thrive in a way that has never been done before.

Great change is always preceded by great chaos.

Remember my friends, my beautiful human family, we are in this together, and yes, we are stronger united. We will not always agree, but we all want the same thing. Peace, joy, stability, prosperity and freedom. We can only achieve this through compassion, understanding and most importantly, HEARING one another. There is no leader that can do this for us. We must take responsibility for our individual behavior.

We must look after one other- our neighbors, brethren, community - especially strangers, no matter what our political differences. Now, more than ever, the future is in our very own hands.

Let the return of sunlight with the Winter Solstice remind us that faith in ourselves, our natural instinct for love and compassion, our humanity, is what will determine how history defines our legacy.

Even more importantly, live your life in the way that you'd like history to define yours.

With Infinite Love,

Arda