My friend asked me tonight whether I’d gone over to the Supreme Court to see if there were any more heart-shaped clouds during the oral arguments today. I was occupied mostly by errands on my too brief lunch time walk (work was very busy) and didn’t get all the way over to the Supreme Court, but yes, there were more today when I was within a few blocks of the Court:
Having just returned from Arizona (yes, Sedona is in Arizona, as hard as that may be to believe from any perspective other than cartographically) from a meditation retreat, and having two more scheduled with my teacher at the same location during the year, I have pondered with my usual degree of self-questioning about the potential impact of my choices the suggestions to boycott Arizona.
I had decided — perhaps because continuing to study with my teacher, including on retreat is so important to me now — that as I pretty much go straight from the airport to the meditation retreat and back without shopping, I am probably supporting people who did not support the immigration law. On previous trips, in addition to paying for the food and lodging at the retreat (my teacher lives in California, so the tuition goes to California), we ate at a Mexican family-owned restaurant and a raw foods restaurant and bought some supplies at the natural foods store (eschewing the Whole Foods in favor of the local natural foods store). I’ve decided it is OK — perhaps even a good thing — to support those who clearly were not in favor of the immigration law.
What does it mean to engage in a boycott? Who does it hurt and help? What impact could the Arizona boycott have? Have you thought about whether to boycott Arizona?
My own reflections will come at some point. Here is a thoughtful interview with John Friend on the decisions by Darren Rhodes, Christina Sell, and Elena Bower no longer to hold themselves out as certified Anusara instructors.
