Tuesday, February 18, 2025

Communism (Dedicated to Frida Kahlo) by Devi Nina Bingham




It is not progressive to be wasteful, nor is it conservative to be cruel.
This is where labels get humanity into trouble.
One calls himself a liberal, and the next, a nationalist.
Labels are simply calling yourself a name and the other a name until both choose sides against each other, refuse to compromise, and cannot agree on anything.
Communism was a politically naive ideal.
To believe one human would care about all the others, enough to share,
was only a dream. When put to the test, it faltered due to greed.
It is still used as a hammer with which to verbally bash another: "They are a Communist!"
It has devolved into an insult meaning: enemy of the state.
Originally Communism was a high ideal before it was spoiled,
and I was a young and enthusiastic supporter.
The harm which labels can inflict has cost innocent people
their very lives, and wrongfully imprisoned others.
It has torn families apart, it has divided once peace-loving, sane people
and turned them into monsters who followed leaders
until grave harm is done to so many guiltless people
that the gravity of their cruelty cannot not be denied anymore.

When you see a country, a society squaring off into us vs. them
and using labels to divide, be certain that what the future holds
is not freedom or justice, for those happen when groups become people again.
When each man, woman, and child is respected, freedom and justice will return.
Until that golden age, if division is emphasized and if differences are not tolerated,
violence will be used liberally and without conscience.
And that society will not hang together but will be fragmented into ragged pieces.
Such a republic shall not stand.
In the final summation, we are all simple, erroneous people
made of the same frail flesh and blood.
Until we see past the labels and see the human, we are not seeing reality.
We are caught in erroneous ideas of right vs. wrong.
Only ask yourself: am I willing to drop my political sword, if peace will come by it?
Peace begins with you.

With Love,
Frida

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