https://www.mobilize.us/holyokevolunteers/event/1046341/Why Problematic?
Well, the first elephant in the room- let's call him Pedro- Protests, stand outs, banner drops, and other visibility events are performative. They are. That doesn't mean they're not useful as a litmus test for who will show up when the shit really hits the fan, or as a networking and community building opportunity, but by and large we are preaching to the choir. There is an undeniable degree of back patting with folks who need to feel like they're doing something; the same sort of something that gives a person satisfaction from dutifully sorting the recycling so it can go to the landfill anyway.
Then there's the gate keeping. The platforming of the platformed. The policing of protesters (stay in this area, please, and don't interact with the racist Magas but don't stand there- no! keep off the grass and keep the aisles open). The chants that more and more feel like brainwashing.
The theme of 'No Kings' this October is 'Early Voting'
Next Elephant: let's call her Cheryl.
The subtext of 'no kings' is if we can just get tRump out of power everything will be better. Identifying the would-be king as the whole problem ignores historic systemic realities. tRump is a SYMPTOM not the illness. The "illness" is that this entire country is built on exploitation and white supremacy. Full stop. So when we think in terms of just removing tRump from power, we are saying we just want all the pain and oppression to be hidden enough to ignore. Democrats are committing genocide along with is.real and every corrupt corporation they are beholden to. No Kings: get rid of the obvious harm so white people can be comfortable enough to cosign their own demise with the blood of the oppressed.
Third Elephant: Jamie
The official theme 'early voting' implies that the midterms are going to fix everything as if the regime that tested the waters on Jan 6 hasn't been blatantly gerrymandering and calling election results into question. We're all going to vote if we are safe to do so- but to expect that the results will just be honored is naïve (the fact that many will not feel safe to do so speaks volumes). There are many who, neglected by all US politicians regardless of "side", do not see the point in voting. They have screamed themselves hoarse and no one would listen. And there are many a comfortable stranger to tell them they should. The system that was DESIGNED to create the current situation can not be used to "fix" anything.
So we're all just gonna carry on believing that the midterm election is going to be fair and that the results will be gracefully accepted as the will of the people? PROBLEMATIC Don't then be all surprised when authoritarians act authoritarian.
Oh we're gonna vote. Apparently the ways the current administration has undermined our "democracy" just isn't enough and we need more. We are going to choose our fighters- or choose the path of less harm as the case usually is- and then when they get sidelined maybe we'll all be shocked into collective action. Blood spilled to gain many of us the right to enter the ballot box and we honor the efforts of those who came before when we do. Our hope in doing so is not a free and fair election- it's a set up for this regime to do something else stupid and maybe, just maybe, the people will be mad enough to come together and stop being so polite about it. At the same time- those who don't feel safe to vote and those who understandably don't much see the point are valid in their perspectives- many things can be true at once.
The history of the United States is littered with co-opted revolutions.
The revolutionary war saw rich men get richer while soldiers like Daniel Shay faced crushing debts and foreclosure. When Shay took up arms against the government he helped to establish, the Massachusetts Riot Act was established which permitted sheriffs to K*ll rioters who did not disperse.
After the Civil War, a presidential stalemate lead to backdoor deals- the Republican (then the party in the north with more liberal ideas) got the presidency in return for pulling federal troops out of the south (basically permission to establish jim crow). This is called the Compromise of 1877 and the recently emancipated Black Americans in the south were abruptly sold out by political elites to protect the status quo.
During the Great Depression, revolutionary sentiment was strong and the threat of big bad socialism was popular- so we got the new deal. The new deal was great but it also was just enough to satisfy enough people to quell the revolutionary momentum and keep power structures in place.
Right now we are at another impasse and our own history tells us that we need to be aware of people who seek to maintain the power structures. If we are being honest- No Kings does just that.
So WTF are we doing hosting a No Kings Rally after all this criticism?
Well first and most obviously, we are using the No Kings moniker as a vehicle for having these conversations and on the 17th we will be creating conditions for these conversations to continue if possible.
We mentioned early on that these rallies are useful as a litmus test of sorts- how many people will show up in defense of their community. Right now New Bedford is under siege by Immigration Enforcement. ICE has been detaining people in Chicopee, Springfield, and West Springfield. The truth is not everyone who goes to a rally is actually willing to put themselves in danger or sacrifice their comfort but when we show up and see how many other people are willing to show up, we gain a little more courage. There is absolutely no chance of fighting anything without strong networks and communities and these rallies give people an opportunity to build solidarity across different lived experiences. A rally also functions as a resource fair with information on hotlines like LUCE, trainings, and local advocacy groups. The main reason we ever did standouts was to show people they aren't alone.
We need to exercise our right to assemble. Exercise- as in practice it repeatedly to gain the muscle to assemble when it really matters. Call it calisthenics or the self normalization of showing up.
Besides, who doesn't love a good performance?
Get comfortable being uncomfortable, we aim to be problematic
....and maybe sing some songs. :)
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Holyoke City Hall, 240 High St, Holyoke, MA 01040-6515, United States
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