Q. How many liberals does it take to ward off a potential attacker in a dark alley?
A. Ten
One to blame Fox News; one to chant or meditate; one to blame the anarchists; one to build a website; one to blame patriarchy; one to recognize the attacker is a human and tell him that we all love him; one to blame Ralph Nader; one to remember that excellent saying about non-violence we got from our Pilates teacher; one to blame the Republicans; and finally: One to draw his attention downward and promptly whip out a finger jab to his eyes. When he brings his hands up (too late) to protect himself, kick him in his balls, doubling him over. Then follow-up by grabbing him by the hair and bringing his face down into a powerful knee blow before getting the fuck out of there as fast as you can.
We don’t need more conferences, subcommittees, elections, etc. We need bold steps and drastic measures.
Derrick Jensen sez: “One of the good things about everything being so fucked up-about the culture being so ubiquitously destructive-is that no matter where you look-no matter what your gifts, no matter where your heart lies-there’s good and desperately important work to be done.”
If you don’t like what’s going on, do something serious about it. Those who profit most from this corrupt and inhuman system are standing on our shoulders. If we squirm and shrug and flail our arms, it could get mighty wobbly up there. But make no mistake about it, the system as it stands must change or be brought down…and that will require an incredible commitment on our part. More than most of us have been willing to do so far.
As you prepare for your fifth (sic) anniversary protests, remember this: This “war” didn’t begin in 2003. It began when the US told the Security Council to impose sanctions against Iraq on Aug. 6, 1990, 4 days after Iraq invaded Kuwait-and has continued unabated since…thanks to Bush and Clinton. So, if we want to be part of a movement with the potential to provoke social change, we must remember that “anti-war” doesn’t just mean “anti-this-war” or “anti-Republican.”
Che Guevara sez: “Let me say, at the risk of seeming ridiculous, that the true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love.” If Che was right, comrades: It’s time to start showing the world some radical love.
When asked why he performed at a concert just two days after an attempt was made on his life, Bob Marley explained: “The bad people trying to make the world worse never take a day off, so why should I?”
This kind of focus and persistence and perception is what we desperately need. If you choose this path, you may find yourself called a “radical”-as if it were an insult. I say: Wear that label with pride. The Latin origin of “radical” is the same as the word “root.” A radical is one who gets to the root of things.
Plus, as MLK sez: “When you’re right, you can never be too radical.”
Mickey Z. is the author of the forthcoming novel, CPR for Dummies (Raw Dog Screaming Press). He can be found on the Web at http://www.mickeyz.net.
