Which Path To Take?
Nonviolence is not the magic pill
We are on the horns of a critical dilemma. Should we continue non-violent marches as our path of resistance, along with contacting our electeds, showing up at town hall meetings, writing postcards, etc.? Or should we take direct action? I don’t mean firebombing or acts of mayhem. I mean, putting our discomfort front and center.
I saw a video today of a town hall where a Marine in dress uniform was protesting via catcalling at Senator Tim Sheehy's (R-Montana) town hall meeting in his state. The Senator aided the police in physically dragging the man out - real macho. Sadly, the Marine grabbed a door jam, and his hand got caught. As the Senator pulled him forcefully, the Marine’s hand broke. You could hear it. I was flooded with January 6th visions of our Capitol Police being crushed in doorways.
I saw that Sheriffs in Minneapolis violently arrested a bunch of protesters on March 1 outside the Whipple Federal detention facility because they were told to disperse, and they were blocking a road. I suspect there were fewer than 50 protesters. What if there were 500 or 5000? Would that be enough to inhibit arrests and get attention? What if 200 protesters were at that Senator’s town hall? Would they try to eject them all?
I have subscribed to a romantic notion of peaceful protest, singing We Shall Overcome, following the guidance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Well, the Civil Rights era was not nonviolent. PEOPLE DIED. MLK, Jr. was arrested. John Louis was beaten severely. Fannie Lou Hamer was beaten in jail in MS, involuntarily sterilized in MS, and rejected as a delegate on the Democratic convention floor by white supremacists in 1964. Countless everyday citizens were lynched, beaten, fired, and threatened at lunch counters, bus terminals, during bus boycotts, and at courthouses trying to register to vote. It took a lot of blood, bodies, and pain to get that legislation passed. It’s not just on the battlefield in another country that we fight for freedom.
So, now, we must choose. What will we do? How far will we go to get our country back? I’m not advocating for an assault on the Capitol. But, clearly, what we are doing may not be enough. We started two wars this week - Iran and Ecuador. We have a completely lawless and dysfunctional DOJ and House. I’ll be at No Kings III. Maybe the 3rd time is the charm?
There is a statistic that claims if a certain percentage of people protest, the government regime will be undercut. Another study found that nonviolent protest at a certain level could lead to government capitulation. Sadly, that one seems to be null and void. It worked during the Cold War, but we are in a different era now. The success rate has plummeted since the early 2000s. Sigh. (See Tad Stoermer’s review on March 3 of Chenowith’s study).
The passing of Jesse Jackson last week and his funeral this week, which will be attended by 3 living former US Presidents (guess which ones), gives me pause. I marched with him in 2000 to protest the Florida ballot counting. I saw him march in Chicago with MLK, Jr. when I was a kid. I was in Chicago in 1968 when the police beat up protesters. At some point, I came to believe that protests were sufficient. I began to believe that the days of repressive violence towards protests were over. But they aren’t over. The George Floyd protests demonstrated that. The ICE protests are demonstrating that every day, as people are killed, beaten, and arrested.
I got my primary ballot in the mail today. I’ve never not voted. I’m wondering today if it matters. I’ll vote, but the two parties are so impotent. It’s quite demoralizing. But the country was far more demoralizing for slaves, for immigrants, for women across hundreds of years. Surely, this rogue administration can be stopped, and a government for good can be re-established. That’s my hope. I believe that good government is possible. I realize that sounds terribly naive in this moment. Maybe it’s because I’m a product of the crucible of the 1960s and 1970s, when good legislation was passed, and a rogue President and his administration were brought to justice.
I have no pronouncements or admonitions to recommend you follow. I’m struggling with this like many others. The fact that there continues to be resistance on many fronts gives me hope. That’s enough to keep going today.
Keep hope alive. Sí, se puede.