One of the biggest things my tongue cancer taught me was that I have a voice. It took me awhile to come to understand this. As I child I believed there was no need to speak up about what was important to me, or state my own needs, or to be a verbal advocate for another, because no one would really listen to me. Those days are gone. I was wrong. I always have had a voice, I just didn’t know it. Even as a young adult and later into my life it took me awhile to understand that having a voice is a part of who I am, and to speak up on things that mattered to me is very appropriate. Years ago Al-Anon, the twelve step program for families of alcoholics, taught me to, “Say what you mean, mean what you say, and don’t be mean when you say it.” And I was wrong about the belief that my own needs were not important, and that others should be allowed to shut me down. Everyone is a very important person with something very important to say.
So today I sit and write because my voice will not let me be quiet. When I chose to create a blog, to have my own website, I decided I would not write about “political” topics. Well, those days are gone too. At least for today.
I am referring to the tragic killing of a young woman named Renee Good, the thirty-seven year young American woman with a wife and three children. Shot three times while she was slowly driving away from federal ICE ( Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents. She had just said to them, ” That’s fine, Dude. I’m not mad at you.” She was smiling at them, trying to move her car out of their vehicle’s way on a neighborhood street. On the video one can clearly hear her say this, clearly see her smiling at them. Watch the video for yourself.
It is not lost on me her last name happened to be Good, as in Good versus all the meanness that is showing up in parts of America. And I feel so powerless. I love America: our melting pot that forms our heritage, the Statue of Liberty, the land of plenty. For all of us. And I do not understand why some of us do not see that all conflicts can be settled without violence. Nothing is resolved by using the same mind, the same negative thoughts, that views something as a problem. We all must open our minds. And now it is more important than ever to see one another as the global family that we are. We really are that connected.
So watch the video if you will. I chose to watch a recording with the political analyst Jen Psaki reviewing the segments of that video. Open your mind. Decide for yourself what the question mark means for you in Good vs. ?. Understand that it is O.K. for each of us to open our minds when these challenging times are placed in front of us. Sometimes it is a good thing to actually change our minds. We can operate from a place of love rather than fear. We can choose to really listen to someone and what they have to say without rushing in and making sure they hear what we have to say. And please don’t let your own ego get in the way because ultimately we are talking about world peace here. And that peace has to begin in your own self, in your own home, in your own neighborhood.
There was a Persian poet, known as a mystic, named Rumi, born in 1207, yes, a long time ago, speaking a truth in one of his poems:
“Out beyond wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.
Ideas, language, even the phrase “each other” doesn’t make any sense.”
So perhaps this post really isn’t so much about our politics. It’s about choosing to love one another, and believing that Love is always the answer.
It’s unfortunate & heartbreaking for her family & there are dozens of videos that show her as a threat as well. I vowed for 2026 to keep
My eyes on the prize & not be a part of this evil division we are in. Idk what happened I wasn’t there but I do know what happened to Charlie Kirk & I cried for days & all kinds of lies were spread about him & his beautiful family . Many People are dark broken & lost today. I refuse to let them enter into my thoughts or disturb my peace ❤️
Thank you for your thoughts beautiful Lady. I love that word “peace”.
The murder of Renee Good by masked ice agents is not only tragic, it has many Americans questioning the qualifications and training of these agents. She was fired on three times at close range from the side. Her last words were “ that’s fine,dude. I’m not mad at you”. Very sad days.
I have wondered the same thing my dear friend, Bob. Thank you.
Good Morning Beautiful, Powerful Prayer Warrior Joan.
Thank you for your wisdom and courage addressing this. It simply must be dealt with, and I believe the path through it is individuals doing the work in unity with each other through community. This post, and the opportunity for discussion through this post is a part of how that happens. Praise the Presence!
Love Vicky
Thank you beautiful Lady! I hope we all can listen to one another.
Joan, we all are Spiritual Beings having a Human experience. As Spiritual Beings, we were created by Divine Love to express that unconditional love through our lives here on earth. I believe this and I know this is my mission in life – to express unconditional love. It is all a spiritual practice for me. I call it a practice because, yes, to times I let my ego jump in and direct my actions… Then I have the opportunity to forgive myself and get back to my practice of loving unconditionally. Oh, what a journey. I appreciate your writings and how they help remind me of who I am! Blessings, Peace and Joy to you!
Thank you Rev. Rick! The practice of unconditional Love does exist in our world thanks to people like you!
Good morning, Joan. Thank you for your entry regarding this horrible tragedy that is still unfolding. I appreciate your wisdom, noting that the your piece does not point fingers of anger and blame at anyone, but rather opens a dialogue and invites the opportunity for honest contemplation of who we are and where we are in this world, individually and collectively as a species on this planet. Personally, I have compassion for all participants in this mess….Ms. Good, her family, the man pulling the trigger, his family, the bystanders watching it unfold, the ICE entourage, the protesters. We have no true knowledge of the emotions and thoughts of these people, nor the energy coursing through the entire scene. We can only guess.
I also have to say thank you for the absolute gem you wrote: “We can choose to really listen to someone and what they have to say without rushing in and making sure they hear what we have to say.” Wow! Now that is an aspiration! It leads to true understanding, forgiveness, compassion, peace….it opens the door to the fact that WE ARE ALL ONE. Thank you, Joan.
Thank you, George! I have also been thinking of everyone that you mentioned in your note. Compassion is the key. “We can only guess.” So true. Yes, we are all in this together, all One.
These are challenging times for lovers of Peace. Love is the answer, I believe it. I also know that we are beings of light, having a human experience. Further, I know that what we focus on becomes stronger in our experience, filling our senses, and moving us closer to that vibration. I have tried to steer clear of the hate and the fear, to avoid the anger that comes with watching what is happening in our country. I am living in the now, trying to be a loving presence in my interactions with people. I know it’s the right thing to do.
But
Part of me is scared, sad and deeply disturbed. And questioning what I ought to do, what I am responsible for, what, if anything, can a 61 year old hospice nurse living in Florida do? We are witnessing the rise of violence against unarmed civilians perpetrated by agents empowered by a government that has gone off the rails. Not for the first time in human history. But certainly it is like nothing I have ever seen in the United States of America.
Someone mentioned another tragedy where a civilian was killed, Charlie Kirk. But he was killed by an unhinged individual. There was no question of the criminal nature of that killing. But this woman’s family has to deal with not just losing her. No, they have had to listen to a president of this country and other government officials claim she was a terrorist who deserved to die. A young woman with children. With her dog in the car, in her own community.
There was a time when the idea, the suggestion, of armed agents in the street harassing teenagers and shooting down suburban Mom’s would have been ridiculous. That couldn’t happen in America! But it is happening. And our leaders are celebrating it.
Something is terribly wrong.
May God, or whatever you call the Eternal One, have mercy on us. Please guide our footsteps. Lead us to the Light.
Hi beautiful Lady! How eloquently you describe your feelings and thoughts. Thank you so much for sharing them. Blessings on you and your life in Florida. I am positive you are a bright light for your hospice patients!