Wednesday, June 20, 2012

MARCH!

Do you read Richard (RJ) Eskow at the Huffington Post?  I recommend his articles.  Today, he invites us all to join him in a march to protest the power of moony in politics, due to take place in Washington, DC.  I was tempted to get on a plane immediately.

I met Eskow last year at one of the Marymount College sponsored "Intentional Conversation" sessions. A former punk rocker, he also hosts The Breakdown, an activist radio station "for Washington DC, the United States and the World.  I'm sure you know his blog, Crooks & Liars.

I'm not sure whether I'm just getting more information in my email about Eskow's commentaries, but it seems to me that he's making his voice heard more frequently and more insistently than ever these days. I certainly welcome it.

In today's entry, he writes about the power of marching--which sometimes feels like such a futile and silly gesture in the face of entrenched political powers.  It seems that Dr. Spock, who made Vietnam protests respectable to the American middle class, we inspired to join the protest by a young woman who joined an early protest outside the White House along with just two or three other "mothers for peace."  She felt silly at the time, standing there with her protest sign.  But later the good doctor told the story of how he had seen this handful of women on their lonely vigil, and had "got to wondering why they felt so strongly."  As one who often wonders whether such lonely work is worth the time I put into it, I found this a particularly moving story.

I'll join this march in spirit at least.  And am writing about it now, to those who follow The Buddha Dairies.  We must all do what we can.

(A great "One Hour/One Painting" session, by the way, last night at Lora Schlesinger Gallery.  A small group, with a Michael Beck painting that turned out to have endless fascination.  You'll find an image at the gallery's website.  We all agreed that an hour was not enough...)

2 comments:

CHI SPHERE said...

Hypertrophication, is the ecosystem response to the addition of artificial or natural substances, such as nitrates and phosphates, through fertilizers or sewage, to an aquatic system. Negative environmental effects include hypoxia, the depletion of oxygen in the water, which induces reductions in specific fish and other animal populations.

The Super Pac phenomena produced by the Supreme Court's decision and the resultant Citizens United response along with the Koch brothers leveraged contributions act like sewage that produces social hypoxia. Even if WE could expose the sources and magnitude of THEIR abuses I suspect little could be done after the fact to stop THEIR effect.

Just knowing that the Machiavellian methods of Koch, CU , Boehner, Rove and their minions are at work is enough to refer to in upcoming debates between Obama and Romney with some leveraging power.

Election years are a time to examine the ability of the voting population to fend off false information. Occupy can have as profound an effect as the Tea Party if THEY stop occupying and get voters to the polls, set up calling banks, use social media tactics that Egyptians and other Arab Spring populations now deploy and organize a march on the Supreme Court steps.

Peter Clothier said...

Thanks for this comment, Gary, and the previous one. As usual, we think alike. I wish I knew better how to speak to those who don't!