Peace

[H2O Man]

“ In those days, I identified with the ideas of Malcolm X, his philosophy of 'by any means necessary,' rather than what I misinterpreted as the passivity of Dr. Martin Luther King.” – Rubin “Hurricane” Carter


I will start by suggesting that we not engage in this conflict on the playing field of our opposition's turf. I will advocate that we raise it to a higher level of militant non-violence than they are able to understand. And it requires that it be organized at the grass roots level, in coordination with our elected representatives who demonstrate with us.

I note the obvious: Stephen Miller is looking to spark violence that will lead to a specific population that Miller and the felon plan to target with a vicious ICE/Border Patrol attack. They are willing, even eager, for some spark to ignite violence …... even having a damaged man in a uniform shell murder a woman in cold blood. Under the cover of the current protests across the country, we can count on the opposition to send agent provocateurs to create chaos. For they are mechanical, in both thinking and behavior, over and over in our nation's history.

Just as the para-military police fronting for the felon operate on the lowest level, we have several higher levels that are available to us. They require a level of self-discipline that is demanded today, if we are to win. Though my children are convinced otherwise, I was young once, and I understand that in general, young adults process anger and outrage differently than those my age. For whatever reason, I was never afraid in tense situations (hence I still have a part of a board a gentleman broke over my head in a march decades ago). But as Dr. King taught, one cannot drive out darkness with darkness.

I am not opposed to, say, the Berrigan brothers & plowshares activities. I also respect the “Citizens Commission to Investigate the FBI” that picked the date of The Fight of the Century's Ali versus Frazier to break into the FBI to borrow documents proving the agencies' illegal tactics while investigating the left. Despite the FBI's efforts, their identities remained unknown for 43 years, until they went public. Though I could tell some stories about those days, it is not what I am advocating now. So be careful.

King's activities required non-violence, even if attacked. That's hard. When Dr. King asked Rubin to join him in Selma, Rubin declined because he could not meet Martin's standards. Dr. King's followers were either silent in payer or meditation, or sang. The brutes they confronted did not know any way to react other than violence. But films of that violence changed the minds of the undecided. While all forms of exercising Amendment 1 rights are good, King's way was the most just and powerful.
That is the higher ground we need to rise to today. We need to rise above rage and hatred, because they are the stumbling blocks on the path that prevent us from moving ahead towards social justice. It is not easy. We must recognize that anyone who told us that we cannot do that, that we are chained to destructive emotions, lied to us. And sometimes that includes our lying to ourselves, convincing ourselves we are somehow incapable of answering Dr. King's most urgent call. The truth is that if we fail to put forth our best efforts, coming from our internal higher level, that the future will definitely be much harsher and more painful.

Thank you to anyone who has read this far.
H2O Man