**[There may be some spoilers about the movie, Avatar, if you haven’t seen it yet. Just a warning. No one likes a spoiler! ha.]**

Lately, I’ve been thinking about “we”.
When I say “we”, I include community - who we belong to and more importantly, who we stand with and support.

I’ve been having a lot of weight on me lately - about things I’ve been writing on; namely, homosexuality. But, this is not about that and at the same time, I can’t talk about “we” without including the people in my life who happen to also be a part of the GLBT community.

First off. Avatar. Wow. What an amazing movie portraying the acts of violence against nature, humanity and the terrible aftermath of consumerist imperialism. At least, that’s what I got out of it.
It was a stunning movie that no doubt had so much work put into it. 

Second of all, it’s a bit racist. [though it’s kind of hidden by special effects and action scenes]
I wouldn’t immediately admit to it, because some would say that I’m just perpetuating racism, but hear my thoughts, and the conversation I’ve been having with others. 
It’s the same theory behind Pocahontas - the “white messiah” complex. 

Granted, the main protagonist becomes one of the natives in the end - he is still a white man who is still….the hero. I wonder why he couldn’t be a part of the solution with a bit of humbleness and humility, not THE solution. not THE hero. After all, he did bring the war to their home.

But, with that being said, he did become one of them and he did change his “we”.
Previously, his “we” was part of the marine corps. A Jarhead; smart-ass with a big attitude and a sarcastic tongue. It’s also what makes his transition so powerful.

He changes his “we” as he becomes more involved in their way of life. He understands their connection to their world and to the Spirit that guides them. He is transformed.
When your “we” changes to include the ones you once hated, you come into a monumental shift -but it also turns your old “we” against you.

There’s this scene in “Remember the Titans”, where the two original coaches (Yoast and his partner) of the Titans were sitting at a diner discussing how the times were changing and they needed to change with it. Yoast exclaimed how he trusts Coach Boone with the team and with his daughter in which his partner muttered angrily under his breath, “You go to hell!”

Yoast was confused as to what happened. His long time friend and assistant coach abandoned him in the midst of a perfect season. Why?
Because Yoast’s “we” had changed.
Hannah looked at me and said, “See, he changed his ‘we’.. “
[Yeah - she’s way more aware of those things than I am…]

He could no longer advocate an all-white team or the affects of the hatred that is racism. As he changed his views on the ones society told him to hate, his world changed. Of course, his old “we” abandoned him, cursed him and took away what he had worked so hard to achieve, because he could not watch his new “we” suffer at the hands of racist politics. 

So, beyond the overlying themes of Avatar - our consumption is destroying culture and we’ll stop at nothing to be safe from losing our comfortable lifestyles; even if that means destroying an entire civilization. 
Reminiscent of Native American culture, as the Empire came to live here, we pushed everyone out to the fringes of America’s new Empire- creating poverty and a loss of a beautiful culture with such a rich and important history of spirituality. 

How beautiful it would be to experience such direct relations with nature, animals and other humans. It is possible…maybe..if we’re quiet.
Maybe..if I put down this thing I’m typing on, it’ll help. 

I mourn the loss of such spirit driven life. 
Of honoring the food we eat, to believing all of life is connected to one another. 

Maybe we’re more alien than we’d like to admit. 
I believe the Creator knew what She was doing when the earth came into being. 
We were supposed to take care of it. Not push people out. 

May God have mercy on us and may God forgive us for consuming more than we require. 

Here’s to the new “we”…
…to the shift taking place inside our hearts.