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WEEKLY
TRIPS TO THE STREET PROVE
ANTIDOTE TO DESPAIR AND FEUDALISM
Bruce
K. Gagnon, Coordinator, October 10, 2003
Global Network
Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
I was back out on
the street again today in Brunswick, Maine leafleting and petitioning
about the USA Patriot Act. For the past couple of months I've gone out
at least once a week in our local effort to educate and activate citizens
around protecting the tattered and torn constitution of the United States.
Not much of the public is aware of the Patriot Act but every now and
then someone will come along who knows about it and is delighted to
see another like mind working to hang onto our sacred founding document.
Today a friend and I were at the public library. When I went there a
couple of weeks ago they ran me off saying that a town ordinance forbade
setting up an ironing board and a clip board for petitioning. I challenged
the town authorities by talking with the chief of police, (who knew
nothing of such an ordinance), and town clerk. I told them I had been
talking to a lawyer. Within a couple of days the town lawyer called
to tell me I was free to do my thing. Today, the very head librarian
who ran me off before, signed our petition.
Yesterday I was in Portland (30 minutes south) handing out leaflets
about the role of the Aegis destroyer in the Pentagon's Theatre Missile
Defense system and its economic costs. For two hours about eight of
us held signs, banners, and handed out 300 leaflets to the lunch crowd
at the downtown farmers market as part of Keep Space for Peace Week.
You've got to learn to handle rejection when you do this kind of street
work. The majority of people don't want to be bothered. I work hard
to get a clue about why and what they fear. Some things I've heard from
folks is that they don't care, they don't want to be bothered, they've
had enough "doom and gloom", they are afraid to get labeled
a "liberal", they want the right wing to succeed, and they
don't like to get involved in political issues. The most often used
excuse of those not wanting to take a leaflet is "I'm all set."
I don't know what that really means and on a couple of occassions have
asked the person to explain. I didn't get a very good answer.
I guess when you think about medieval times, there were peasants even
then who did not want to deal with the fact that feudalism's power over
their lives made for some rough living. Still folks finally got rid
of the supreme rule of the king though it looks like we are heading
in that direction again. To me it speaks to the need for constant vigilance
on the part of the citizens. Tennis and bingo are fine, but we've got
to leave time for dealing with the things that effect our lives. Some
folks just say, "I'll let someone else take care of making sure
I have the right to free speech."
I've learned to look for the light in some folks eyes. Just when I start
to get a bit discouraged someone with bright, alive, and loving eyes
will come along and happily engage me, take a leaflet and give a kind
word of appreciation for my efforts. You also begin to realize that
being there strengthens them as well, so it's a mutually beneficial
deal.
I figure that our side can't afford the high-tech media manipulation
that gets movie stars and Texas cowboys
elected these days. For now, we still have the right to go out and speak
to folks on the street. Today one woman asked me to send her all the
materials that it would take to get her started leafleting and petitioning
in her community. That made my day.
You don't always know the results of your work on the streets. But I
am confident that my presence unleashes a ripple effect that touches
many more lives as the conversation moves from the street, to the office,
and to the dinner table at night.
I remember how I became an activist. I was in college, after having
done my time in the military during the Vietnam war. I was close to
graduation at the University of Florida and got invited to join the
United Farmworkers Union (UFW) lettuce boycott campaign on my campus.
I had a test coming up so I gratefully declined the invitation. But
the next day I skipped class and went and handed out leaflets in front
of the campus cafeteria. I had such a good time that the next day I
went again, skipping my test. Soon the UFW offered me a job and I quit
school to become an organizer. You never know what getting out on the
street talking with folks can do to you.
Try it some time. You might like it. Next week I'm going to the post
office for the lunch crowd.
Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 729-0517
(352) 871-7554 (Cell phone)
http://www.space4peace.org
globalnet@mindspring.com
