Peace be with you.
A funny thing happened to me on the way to an anarchy the other day. I had sent away to this “anarchy” group for a pamphlet that I believed did an excellent job of explaining to someone who had never experienced anarchy what it is. This group offered two bundles of free pamphlets to those who couldn’t pay. As you know I get my food, clothing and shelter out of garbage cans so I felt I qualified for the program.
I filled out as much of the “form” as I am able to do – no phone, no street address, no last name; you know the shit that always gives us away as houseless peoples. I hit send on the e-mail, told the owner of the P.O. box to keep on the lookout, and started making a mental list of people who, if given the pamphlet, would create maximum distribution. I really never thought that my brothers and sisters would ever consider rejecting my request because I didn’t fit the correct class.
Imagine my chagrin when I check my e-mail and see a title from the anarchists that says; “order (some Babylon number) has been cancelled.” The e-mail basically claimed that they had some type of “class filter” in place and well I’m just not good enough to be an anarchist. So I sent them back my typical “fuck you fascist” reply and asked that they leave me alone.
I told that story because often I am invited to see a brother’s or sister’s show, or event, or talk, or class, or whatever and I arrive and am turned away because the person at the door thinks I’m “homeless.” (No I got a fucking home; it’s shelter I lack!) It isn’t “more common than not;” it’s every time! The only time it doesn’t happen is with people who recognize me.
Having studied the theories of governments for myself, having learned histories from multi-divergent-points of view, having lived and failed in a capitalistic society, while watching the communistic society crash to the ground, having been raised on the stolen land of numerous anarchical peoples, having recognized the original peoples rich truths, naturally I would question why people so like to prejudge me. Though I would never give a shit, I would wonder for the knowledge of it.
So here’s my thought on it. Everyone wants a spot on the pecking order. Those anarchists probably thought “Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber.” They probably think I got a bottle of mad dog in one hand and a bible in the other. No my friends, I can’t keep my fist raised in solidarity with mad dog in my hand. Let us face it, it’s easy to judge those less than yourself as such.
Does this mean anarchy won’t work? No; it just means these people aren’t anarchists. Power to the people!
love eternal
tad
tad
1 comment:
Tad, if that pamphlet is really good you ought to try again. Use somebody else's phone and street address, and make up a last name.
This group is probably trying to avoid people taking advantage of them, people who would try to waste their limited resources. They might be thinking that if people leave no phone, street address or last name that they might be kids playing a joke, or any sort of people who are not serious because they're relatively anonymous and seem unaccountable.
If you look at it from their point of view, they can't see you or know anything about you -- all they see is a few words on a screen, and a lot of form boxes left blank, and it doesn't look like a serious request to them. If they've set an automated filter to make that decision it's for the same reason.
It might not be class prejudice that is motivating them. They might be fully sympathetic to you if they met you in person, but on the internet you're just another faceless, unknown person to them.
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