Regardless of the chaotic state of the nation, it is important that we each take time this holiday season to truly appreciate the goodness in our lives, and the people that we love. It can be easy to become completely immersed in the day-to-day events of the world and forget to step back and actually enjoy a given moment. Many of us in the alternative media see what we do as a moral imperative; we simply would not allow ourselves to do anything else. In many ways it begins to feel like the fate of the world rests on our shoulders, and if one moment is missed, if one story goes unchecked by those of us fighting to inform, that all the hard work will be lost. To some degree, that is true, if not a slight delusion of grandeur.
The truth of the matter is that the United States has taken a dark turn in recent years. It has been on this path for some time, but only in recent years has it become easily seen by those attempting to maintain their apathetic atrophy. With every passing day, there are far too many false and intentionally misleading stories being thrown around by those in positions of power, for any one of us to effectively combat, so naturally, much falls through the cracks. This can make the job of fighting to wake up those lost in the lies seem almost insurmountable, and it probably is. But we will not stop trying to bring the truth to the forefront of the discussion. The independent media will never stop fighting to free minds from the controlling grip of the-powers-that-shouldn’t-be. That is just the fact of the matter.
Regardless, we must remind ourselves what it is we are fighting for. Be it our families, our friends, or even those unwilling to see the truth we are fighting to show them; we fight for them most of all. We must remember that without the love, compassion and camaraderie that truly fuels this battle, and the independent media, we have nothing. So to lose oneself to this fight, is to lose the fight entirely. This is why it is so very important for each of us to reflect on this day–regardless of what it is you celebrate–and realize that what the holiday season is meant to embody, is exactly that which guides our choices all year long: Love, Compassion, and Camaraderie. We are the change, and we will stay the course, with the righteous knowledge that we are on the right side of history.
Follow the change. Be the change.
Merry Christmas from Ryan Cristián and the TLAV team
