Fiatlux Redux

September 15, 2005

Editorial

Holding On

In his preface to General S. L. A. Marshall’s fine book about the American Airborne Invasion of Normany (Night Drop, Little, Brown; Boston, 1962) Carl Sandburg related a story that circulated in Illinois country towns when he was a boy:

A farmer opened a pasture gate to let a cow go through so he could take her to a nearby village and sell her. Near the gate the cow started to run. The farmer caught her by the tail. She ran fast along the road to the nearby village. Along the village main street, men on the sidewalks hollered to the farmer, “Why don’t you let go? Why don’t you let go?” Outside the village the cow slowed down, and soon the farmer came back through the village leading her nice and quiet. From the sidewalks men hollered to him, “Why didn’t you let go when we told you to?” and the farmer hollered back, “How the hell could I let go when it was all I could do to hold on?”

Sandburg continued “. . . sometimes in the crazy, wild fury of battle action a soldier will do exactly the right thing because he can’t think of anything else than just what he is doing . . . .”

Right now, simultaneously beset by the crazy, wild fury of arrogance and ignorance in the White House, a U.S.-manufactured disaster in Iraq and tragedy and unbelievable and unacceptable incompetence in the Southland, many of us metaphorically find ourselves desperately clinging to the runaway cow’s tail, i.e., the remaining fragments of democracy.

How the hell can we let go, when it’s all we can do to hold on?

We can’t let go. As Sandburg wrote, “sometimes . . . a soldier will do exactly the right thing because he can’t think of anything else than what he is doing . . ....” By holding on, even desperately, to the fibers of democracy that are so deeply embedded in us, we are, as Sandburg’s soldiers, doing exactly the right thing. Holding on is the most essential factor in eventually winning the battle. But simply holding on is not enough. Actively recruiting others to help us is the second requirement.

How do we do that?

1. Become informed on the issues of the day. Stop relying on your daily newspaper and TV sound bites for information. Get on the internet and subscribe (free) to sources of news and opinion such as this one ( Fiatlux.info). To start, try Truthout.org, TomPaine.com, InformationClearingHouse.info, SmirkingChimp.com and OldAmericanCentury.org.

2. Once informed, help others get informed. Talk with your friends and aquaintances about the information you’ve learned. Get your courage up and contribute your new knowledge to conversations. Don’t let others get by with disseminating information that you know is not true.

3. Take an active role in communicating your feelings about democracy and how it is being abused to your local media and your senators and representatives. You are probably aware that many people’s opinions (and votes) are easily swayed by them seeing that the majority of people feel a certain way. Become part of the majority by making your opinions known. If enough people are seen by others as holding a given position, they will drift to that position, particularly if it involves electing politicians. Many people are “driven” to vote for those they perceive will be winners. .

4. Hang on to the cow’s tail and don’t let go. When you voice your opinion or call someone’s attention to a particular issue, let others know. Make up a contact group mailing list in your e-mail address book. When an important issue is coming up for vote in the Senate or House, for example, you can urge your entire mailing list simultaneously to write to their congressmen on the issue. Be sure to add a note to the mailing explaining the importance of the issue and telling the    recipient that you would understand if they would prefer not being on your list. Many people appreciate being informed and will act on issues as long as you keep track of the issues for them.

5. Learn to fight back. The more you fight back, the more the rightwing bullies will resort to acts of desperation. They will get angry and mean and nasty and start bungling even more in their fury. They start to say weird, untenable things. They get flustered. That’s when they are most vulnerable. But keep your cool. There’s nothing that makes a bully more furious than when the person being bullied keeps a smiling demeanor. Reasonable people who may share opinions or even values with bullies may become aware of the shortcomings of the bully’s arguments (values) or their own when the bullies start to rant and rave. That’s how some people’s minds can be changed.

6. Be angry strategically. Random anger doesn’t work. But standing up before a group and explaining how much you value democracy and how enraged you are that it is being taken away from you in bits and pieces with every act of this administration is good. Learn to sound enraged without sounding like a nutcase. And above all, make sure that you are informed about the topic you are enraged about, at least enough informed to cite a number of examples in reasonably     detailed fashion. Random raving leaves you vulnerable.

7. Participate in the political process. It’s very difficult to participate sometimes when you perceive that the very people who should be fighting for what you stand for, i.e., your senators and representatives, appear to have let go of the cow’s tail a             long time ago. Let them know exactly how strongly you feel. Better than an e-mail, sit down and write them a letter. Don’t spare the details. If you convey that you are an informed, reasonable person who is very upset, that may get some attention. If many people write, that will get more attention. And if you are solicited for campaign funds and you do not agree with the politician’s          position(s), don’t send money but reply and tell them why you can’t support them anymore. If enough people do that, believe me, it will be effective.

I’m sure that you can think of many other effective means of fighting back. The important thing is not to let go of the tail. Hold on. It’s those relatively few courageous people who do so who ultimately decide the outcome of the battle.

			September 15, 2005 Editorial Holding On In his preface to General S. L. A. Marshall’s fine book about the American Airborne Invasion of Normany (Night Drop, Little, Brown; Boston, 1962) Carl Sandburg related a story that circulated in Illinois country towns when he was a boy: A farmer opened a pasture gate to let a cow go through so he could take her to a nearby village and sell her. Near the gate the cow started to run. The farmer caught her by the tail. She ran fast along the road to the nearby village. Along the village main street, men on the sidewalks hollered to the farmer, “Why don’t you let go? Why don’t you let go?” Outside the village the cow slowed down, and soon the farmer came back through the village leading her nice and quiet. From the sidewalks men hollered to him, “Why didn’t you let go when we told you to?” and the farmer hollered back, “How the hell could I let go when it was all I could do to hold on?” Sandburg continued “. . . sometimes in the crazy, wild fury of battle action a soldier will do exactly the right thing because he can’t think of anything else than just what he is doing . . . .” Right now, simultaneously beset by the crazy, wild fury of arrogance and ignorance in the White House, a U.S.-manufactured disaster in Iraq and tragedy and unbelievable and unacceptable incompetence in the Southland, many of us metaphorically find ourselves desperately clinging to the runaway cow’s tail, i.e., the remaining fragments of democracy. How the hell can we let go, when it’s all we can do to hold on? We can’t let go. As Sandburg wrote, “sometimes . . . a soldier will do exactly the right thing because he can’t think of anything else than what he is doing . . ....” By holding on, even desperately, to the fibers of democracy that are so deeply embedded in us, we are, as Sandburg’s soldiers, doing exactly the right thing. Holding on is the most essential factor in eventually winning the battle. But simply holding on is not enough. Actively recruiting others to help us is the second requirement. How do we do that? 1. Become informed on the issues of the day. Stop relying on your daily newspaper and TV sound bites for information. Get on the internet and subscribe (free) to sources of news and opinion such as this one ( Fiatlux.info). To start, try Truthout.org, TomPaine.com, InformationClearingHouse.info, SmirkingChimp.com and OldAmericanCentury.org. 2. Once informed, help others get informed. Talk with your friends and aquaintances about the information you’ve learned. Get your courage up and contribute your new knowledge to conversations. Don’t let others get by with disseminating information that you know is not true. 3. Take an active role in communicating your feelings about democracy and how it is being abused to your local media and your senators and representatives. You are probably aware that many people’s opinions (and votes) are easily swayed by them seeing that the majority of people feel a certain way. Become part of the majority by making your opinions known. If enough people are seen by others as holding a given position, they will drift to that position, particularly if it involves electing politicians. Many people are “driven” to vote for those they perceive will be winners. . 4. Hang on to the cow’s tail and don’t let go. When you voice your opinion or call someone’s attention to a particular issue, let others know. Make up a contact group mailing list in your e-mail address book. When an important issue is coming up for vote in the Senate or House, for example, you can urge your entire mailing list simultaneously to write to their congressmen on the issue. Be sure to add a note to the mailing explaining the importance of the issue and telling the recipient that you would understand if they would prefer not being on your list. Many people appreciate being informed and will act on issues as long as you keep track of the issues for them. 5. Learn to fight back. The more you fight back, the more the rightwing bullies will resort to acts of desperation. They will get angry and mean and nasty and start bungling even more in their fury. They start to say weird, untenable things. They get flustered. That’s when they are most vulnerable. But keep your cool. There’s nothing that makes a bully more furious than when the person being bullied keeps a smiling demeanor. Reasonable people who may share opinions or even values with bullies may become aware of the shortcomings of the bully’s arguments (values) or their own when the bullies start to rant and rave. That’s how some people’s minds can be changed. 6. Be angry strategically. Random anger doesn’t work. But standing up before a group and explaining how much you value democracy and how enraged you are that it is being taken away from you in bits and pieces with every act of this administration is good. Learn to sound enraged without sounding like a nutcase. And above all, make sure that you are informed about the topic you are enraged about, at least enough informed to cite a number of examples in reasonably detailed fashion. Random raving leaves you vulnerable. 7. Participate in the political process. It’s very difficult to participate sometimes when you perceive that the very people who should be fighting for what you stand for, i.e., your senators and representatives, appear to have let go of the cow’s tail a long time ago. Let them know exactly how strongly you feel. Better than an e-mail, sit down and write them a letter. Don’t spare the details. If you convey that you are an informed, reasonable person who is very upset, that may get some attention. If many people write, that will get more attention. And if you are solicited for campaign funds and you do not agree with the politician’s position(s), don’t send money but reply and tell them why you can’t support them anymore. If enough people do that, believe me, it will be effective. I’m sure that you can think of many other effective means of fighting back. The important thing is not to let go of the tail. Hold on. It’s those relatively few courageous people who do so who ultimately decide the outcome of the battle.
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