My father told me, “Fine – if you’re sure you have a better way then work for it, get involved. But, if all you do is complain” – which is how he viewed protest – “I have no use for it.”
In 2004 I worked on Democratic campaigns (but voting green in California) and after Bush was elected, I protested the Iraq war. But later it was just the occasional vigil and letter to the editor.
What I felt happening was a growing uselessness, especially with the tendency of the media to marginalize our actions – and play up the violence of anarchists (I sympathize with their ideas, if not their methods – they would say I miss the point) and I tired of being apart of the division politics, the “I’m right - you’re stupid!” mentality, and so lately I’d withdrawn.
I often worried, as I do now, that these actions can have regrettable results – memories of the 1968 Democratic National Convention come to mind. The Democratic party was torn asunder, Nixon was elected – twice! – and our country devolved into a conservative, even fundamentalist bastion of idiocy!
The politics of division have been used to weaken us all ever since and the wars we protest today are the direct result of our wrong action and wrong thought then and since!
I respect President Obama’s attempts to balance his actions within the tides of opinions. He wants to be a uniter and that is a good place to come from. But, like Johnson before him, he is beset with experts telling him that we cannot fail in Afghanistan (eventually those same experts will tell him it can’t be won), and those that say we can not afford to fundamentally change health care or impede the profits of insurers and banks.
And so, like many of us, he has lost sight of his purpose and meaning. He is, in this time, the agent of change – but does not trust himself, his party or the people, to make that change.
We must help him to rediscover, himself – and we must rediscover ourselves!
To effect lasting change we must make commitments, we must all pledge to think and act with love and compassion. We must not allow our mission to be undermined by negativity, anger, violence or character assassination.
We must not be a party to the politics of division – we must be party to a great turning, of minds and hearts – we must demonstrate a better way, we must be better and we must act with truth, love and intelligence!
Please join us in San Francisco this Wednesday afternoon and evening for a candlelight vigil at Nancy Pelosi’s office or other events – as you can find them. I will be at the 29/53 intersection in Lower Lake, leaving at 1 p.m. and can bring two to three people, maybe others could bring their vehicles and carpool. You will also need BART money – about $10 I think – if we run late, we may head into SF and split the parking charge.
Tim Williams lives in Clearlake.
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