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| Activist Nostalgia |
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| an anniversary of an event of almost no importance whatever |
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This is Dark Cloud on Wednesday, April 29, 1998. One notes with some horror the recent gathering of what are called Rocky Flats activists to celebrate twenty years of activism in Golden. Activism, what a weasel word. Newspapers that pander to the Left and/or college students, who used to support and were able to spell the Left, have been unashamed in their hagiographies. Photographs of the early 1980’s attempt to ‘surround’ Rocky Flats with handholding were devoid of mention that the organizing activists lied through their teeth and claimed the facility was indeed encompassed. This, despite extensive helicopter coverage by the media that revealed large gaps. So what? Well, on the one hand it is unimportant. Certainly, thousands of people showed up and introduced themselves and held hands for miles. Certainly, some of them really cared about nuclear proliferation and were not just there because their babysitters were and it was fun. But it was a non-event of no actual importance except that it fluffed up the reputation for organization of the “activists.” It was marginally more impressive than the previous and subsequent events of homosexual pedophiles, other poets, and their students sitting on railroad tracks in protest, or a bunch of potheads picketing Rockwell with the same razor sharp logic that frequently inspired them to demand free access to sold out concerts because other people should labor for free to provide them with good times. It was more important than that. So why break these butterflies of the wheel for inconsequence? Because of the hypocrisy, because of the self congratulations for non-accomplishments in conveniently and newly defined fields of endeavor that fit their immediate abilities, and – my favorite – debasement of language for producing a seemingly neutral proto-word like ‘activist’ to mean furrowed brow self-worship under the guise of species atonement. No doubt, when the rabid right usurped the term ‘activist’ for its anti-abortion clinic stance and bombings, left wing activists had to be revived for the gall of their enemies. It was fitting, though; it is the penalty paid once modest social rebellion is transmogrified into a job description. But it may not even be that. It is often less a job than a social gathering. Much as the rich in years past were ridiculed for traveling in predictable patterns and with their peers, so do social activists. As the Edwardians spent winters in Southern France, activists gathered – perhaps, still do – at predictable locations at predictable times. Spring? Time to picket Rocky Flats. See you there, Babe. Peace! |
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