It's been a busy week around here for gadflies and troublemakers. On Wednesday evening I took my eleven year old daughter to see Vermont's legendary Bread and Puppet Theater performing the Everything Is Fine Circus. I saw them once before a few years ago -- back in the halcyon days when Bill Clinton was president. Remember those? As I was leaving this show, I was trying to remember what was so important in 1998 that needed to be protested and satirized. Everything is so much worse now ... I mean, Everything is fine! Really. Really. Fine.If I was a top-drawer gadfly and troublemaker, I'd be going out tonight to hear Amy Goodman and Jeremy Scahill. But I'm a top-notch mom, and I'm going to see my luminiferous daughter performing in The Red Shoes instead.
9 comments:
Gadfly's and trouble makers don't go to the Barrymore and preach to the choir.......nor should Bread and Puppet theater. This troubles me. Yes, we need to hear our heroes, we need the inspiration. I'm not ignoring this and I need it, too. Its a long haul. But there's too much preaching to the choir......time for more adventure....??? Risks? I guess I'm just frustrated and troubled by this..........lack of risk-taking. I am wondering: why hasn't his Holiness, the Dalai Lama returned to Tibet? Think of the power of such a move! Think of the inspiration to people all over the world. I don't mean to impune his character, far from it, but what if?
The Red Shoes. Wow! I remember that story!
Poodledoc asks some interesting questions. I think hearing likeminded others is a good reinforcement but it's also good to hear those who think differently than we do so that we get a sense of their strategies and methods. "Always know what the enemy is doing." :)
Peace,
~Chani
Hi Space Goo
When was this "Bill Clinton" allegedly president? I dare not speak of this memory of a Son of Adam, lest the Ice Queen hear me.
You know, on the topic of Bread and Puppets in Madison.... First of all: COOL!
Second, one of my fears about moving to Madison is the homogeneity of the culture there. I actually really like rubbing elbows with Republican security guards from working class towns and exchanging words with obscenely rich Conservatives. It gets on my nerves, but it also feels so true and healthy somehow. I'm not being sarcastic.
Am I over-stating the case? Are my fears grounded? Can you get me in touch with some knee-jerk reactionary Republicans there?
Break a leg to the Red Shoes.
In response to Potatoe (note knee-jerk reactionary republican spelling) Print:
Madison is a completely different city than it was when you last lived here. It undoubdtedly lacks the diversity of a New York, but you will most likely be surprised.
Also, I worked for some knee-jerk reactionary republican employers for a few years and was quite distressed by the discovery that there are so many of them here in Madison, Wisconsin, but they seem to travel in their own circles. They are here, though, if you want them.
Looking forward to having you back!
Goldendaze Ginnie has a really thought provoking post about longevity, and one of the things that all these people who lived past 100 had in common was not being afraid to speak out. We need to rub elbows with all kinds. We also have nothing to be ashamed of in expressing our thoughts, if done in a thoughtful and nonviolent manner.
Preaching to the choir is something that troubles me too.
The Red Shoes -- It's actually a hideous story in its original form, as most H.C. Anderson stories are. This version is brightened up a little. Nobody dies a hideous death. It's all acted by kids and they do a great job.
Caroline -- don't worry, I can introduce you to some "regular folks." And you can always take a day trip to Fondulac.
Oh come on Ed, Dick & Dave were kind of cute.
Thanks Ed, that kind of frames the experience for me. I didn't realize that our town has been sullied so badly. And just so you know, that's the correct and original spelling. Bill Clinton changed it to "Potato" when he and Hillary took office.
Suzie, I think I'll need some de-sensitizing therapy before a field trip. Maybe I'll just look at pictures of Fond du Lac daily for a month before going.
One thing that bothers me about we progressives is that we preach tolerating diversity --- except for any views that differ from our own. I really like your take on speaking out without violence. I avoid conflict of almost any kind. Now you really give me something to think about.
"One thing that bothers me about we progressives is that we preach tolerating diversity --- except for any views that differ from our own. "
Potato Princess, I have pondered this and I think it is important to be respectful of people, period.
In speaking out though, people with progressive views are often gagged, marginalized, etc. while people with extremist -- or even mainstream -- views frequently have no compunction about sharing their opinions loudly and forcefully, and in fact are often given space to do so. Maybe that is why we progressives are so prone to preaching to the choir.
Here is a personal anecdote. When my nephew was being deployed to Kuwait 2 summers ago and my sister was organizing a going away party for him, she called specific people and warned them that they were NOT to talk about their anti-war sentiments.(For some reason, she didn't call me! Maybe I intimidate her.) But my aunt and uncle were allowed to show up with all of these t-shirts to give away with the worst kind of patriotic schlock on them -- eagles wrapped in the flag holding yellow ribbons in their talons, etc. etc. And my yahoo cousin from Fort Atkinson stood around telling raghead jokes.
And my sister WAS/IS against the war, and she was devastated that her son had enlisted in the Guard, but she felt it was important to silence that voice.
That's the way it is all the time.
Hi Luminif (if I may call you that)
You have a point about the progressive voice being silenced, or even defined as the outsider's voice. Your story about the nephew is so universal as to read like a parable. I love reading your blog because it challenges me to go deeper into the complexity of things.
Also
Also, what?
Post a Comment