tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-140632622024-03-07T12:04:00.512-07:00Jim's Eclectic World- Jim's Anti-Authoritarian / Yellowstone / Philosophy Eclectic World -
I'm an anti-authoritarian activist and organizer, obsessed with Yellowstone, with an academic and teaching background in philosophyJim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-91197086627645295552024-02-06T09:11:00.001-07:002024-02-06T09:11:12.041-07:00Chakradance Classes in Bozeman starting February 17<p>Check out my revamped Chakradance website at <a href="https://dance.intimacycadre.org">https://dance.intimacycadre.org</a> for details and to register. I am very happy to be offering this in Bozeman again. Classes start February 17, 2024 and run for nine weeks. It is a pay what you can model (suggested $200 for the course). Some drop ins may be available. Full details on the site :).</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://dance.intimacycadre.org" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1650" data-original-width="1275" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpTeleVbrARYRWM0juQ4Pf_Wt47vzHjhm1xFUfyz_UA4NsSNZO21yqSQENC4dFoZW4G6YK1bTX9enQyaxjxIFBQSn8QtcKxc-Fo6YS1tdHssxa2QazgOqbFZ0LBDZyFn8FvIK6ulY8E7UeloXVG4zrOvbgw91zjkkiZ9kf6xggV6SQKLbIq4oA2A/s320/Chakradance-class.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-88898852459396323662024-01-09T07:47:00.004-07:002024-01-09T08:00:00.369-07:00The BAD PODCAST - Dance with Us (Like, Right Now)!<p><center><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vlYPjuuy7m0?si=CAXwZNYzn91Fjw7T" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></center></p>
<p>This is the podcast to watch and dance to (not simply to listen to). Aly and I (Jim) show an hour of us dancing in public so you can see what it looks and feels like. Between sets, we talk about dancing, how you can dance with us, and just what goes on in the Bozeman streets. We are dancing Wednesday, January 10, 2024 at Soroptomist Park (at Main and Rouse) in Bozeman from 5-6 PM (and probably again on January 17 same time and place). If you are watching this after those dates and want to dance, contact us at <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org">https://www.bozemanantifadance.org</a> or by email at bozemanantifa@gmail.com.</p>
<p>We had so much fun dancing (and had a dancer join us briefly). Please consider getting out of your chair and dancing along with us!</p>
<p>We’d love for you to check out the musical artists that make up the playlist we were dancing to. For the entire playlist in order (and a half dozen bonus tunes), check out <a href="https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2xqhYWBxnwww8DGICvQxlU?si=5c9fda15565e4766">our podcast playlist on Spotify</a>. Unfortunately, because of some copyright claims that some of the artists put on some of our songs, five of the songs had to be cut down significantly and muted, but you still get about 45 minutes of us dancing. The tunes that appear in this podcast in order (artist – song):</p>
<p>Set 1
<br>1. Girl and Girl – “Dance Now” (trimmed down to about 15 seconds and muted)
<br>2. Ella Andall – “Rhythm of a People”
<br>3. Car Seat Headrest – “Fill in the Blank” (trimmed down to about 15 seconds and muted)</p>
<p>Set 2
<br>4. Madison Cunningham – “Hospital (One Man Down)” (Featuring Remi Wolf) (trimmed down to about 15 seconds and muted)
<br>5. Talking Heads – “Blind” (trimmed down to about 15 seconds and muted)
<br>6. deep tan – “diamond horsetail”
<br>7. Delores Forever – “Why Are You Not Scared Yet?”
<br>8. Melody Angel – “Blues In My Hands”</p>
<p>Set 3
<br>9. Too Many Zooz – “Funky Christmas” (Featuring Big Freedia)
<br>10. The National – “The System Only Dreams in Total Darkness” (trimmed down to about 15 seconds and mutued)
<br>11. David Byrne – “Help Me Somebody”
<br>12. Propaganda – “Gentrify”
<br>13. Dj Farrapo – “Marcianito” (Cristina Renzetti Vocal Version)</p>
<p>Set 4
<br>14. Shungudzo – “It’s a good day (to fight the system)”
<br>15. Sir Woman – “Party City”
<br>16. Bully – “Every Tradition”</p>
<p>Finally, we do have an audio-only version of the podcast, though for once, we don’t recommend it since the entire point of this podcast is to see and or get a fuller experience of what street dancing looks like. Even if for some reason, you are vision impaired, only the video-only version contains full music that you can dance along with. However, if you really just want to hear us talk for 35 minutes, here you go – we do have very short musical interludes in this version.</p>
<p><center><div id="buzzsprout-player-14264759"></div><script src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1902047/14264759-the-bad-podcast-dance-with-us-like-right-now.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-14264759&player=small" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script></center></p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-34324407022961209402023-12-06T11:10:00.001-07:002023-12-06T11:10:34.751-07:00Dance with Us Every Wednesday!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6WN0ECO4iyOm9Ypz6mLyIi5e66GEZ1Y7bFokrbc3ub8vc7m6YNryfF_-Wu55gY5x_J74SsBSASgGIsf1OQG4Fk8puRH5cY63ICJWPJ3YmUcB2pT9xnKRTjI9_1yR7_j8mIBTFPDmi3sYQ8YGN23eVo7_mD2O_1MQH5NdrQdD0jIjqZ-GrqCfQYg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="1967" height="621" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg6WN0ECO4iyOm9Ypz6mLyIi5e66GEZ1Y7bFokrbc3ub8vc7m6YNryfF_-Wu55gY5x_J74SsBSASgGIsf1OQG4Fk8puRH5cY63ICJWPJ3YmUcB2pT9xnKRTjI9_1yR7_j8mIBTFPDmi3sYQ8YGN23eVo7_mD2O_1MQH5NdrQdD0jIjqZ-GrqCfQYg=w476-h621" width="476" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p>(download <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dance-with-Us-Every-Wednesday-flyer-copy.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">pdf flyer</a>; download <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Dance-with-Us-Every-Wednesday-flyer-scaled.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">hi-res image</a>) BAD is dancing every Wednesday over the next four weeks (11/29, 12/6/, 12/13, 12/20)! Join us at these free dances. You don’t need to know how to dance. We just dance. ALL DANCING IS GOOD DANCING! There are some things you should know or some questions you might have, and so check out our <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/dance-with-us-qa/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">FAQ</a> for more information. The dancing keeps us hot! However, you should still dress for the weather :).</p><p>Here we are dancing recently just to give you an idea of what it’s like to dance with us :).</p><p><iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/N6Tuy3idPqY?si=fgZAjOaE2klZYazl" style="background-color: #f7f3f3; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p></div><br /><p></p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-27673282340820012762023-10-16T13:37:00.002-06:002023-10-18T12:32:13.625-06:00Backyard Community Theater with Warmth from The 408<p><img alt="" class="wp-image-643 alignleft" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="252" sizes="(max-width: 336px) 100vw, 336px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-300x225.jpeg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-250x188.jpeg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-550x413.jpeg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-240x180.jpeg 240w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-667x500.jpeg 667w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1.jpeg 1008w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="336" /></p><p>October 13, 2023, was such a frigid night on the remarkable backyard stage/skate ramp – christened “The 408” – hosted by Phaidra and Ryan, and yet I could not feel warmer in my heart to be performing with my friends.</p><p>Many people have this idea that artistic performance is only for those who can do it well. As an example, when my best friend Aly and I dance in public, we frequently hear some variation from passersby of “I can’t dance.” And when I perform improv on stage, I hear, “I could never do that.” Not immune to this idea myself, it is common for me to cringe at the pitchy sound of my voice singing.</p><p>Moreover, not only do the performers need to meet some standard of being good enough to perform, but also we assume that we must go to specific places for performance. We spend a lot of money to go to the movies, the playhouse, or the dance club. The idea that we can just break out into a song and dance routine anywhere sounds ludicrous, and it is even more so if you don’t have some special talent to pull it off.</p><p><img alt="" class="wp-image-646 alignright" decoding="async" height="250" sizes="(max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-300x225.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-250x188.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-550x413.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-800x600.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-240x180.jpg 240w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-400x300.jpg 400w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204127-667x500.jpg 667w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: right; height: auto; margin-left: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="333" />The biggest reason why seems to be an overwhelming fear of judgment and humiliation from others or even perhaps oneself. We are so trained as to what is acceptable both in terms of societal behavior as well as the standard of acceptable quality that we are beyond hesitant to put ourselves on the line. If we do put ourselves publicly out there, it is usually in places considered safer for it, probably supplemented by a few drinks. On the dance floor, I often see it fill up only when dozens of people join at the very same time.</p><p>I would argue that this fear that keeps us back is an incredibly significant detriment to our quality of life. Break through the fear, and you will feel happier and more empowered regardless of who joins you. But if more did join us, society would see profound shifts across the board. At a minimum, we will feel much more joyful.</p><p>For some time, Aly and I have been involved in a community project – a two-person group – that we have called the Bozeman Antifa Dance (& Theatre Collective) – shortened to the cheeky acronym BAD. People’s eyes fixate on “Antifa;” obviously we know that they will. We know what a trigger word that is for right wingers, and just having that name in our group has been enough for people to give us death threats. While we are satirizing the idea that antifa needs to look and feel a certain way, of course we are stridently antifascist and have no tolerance for it in our community. We support anyone who acts against fascists and fascism. Yet, we are a dance and theatre collective. By tying dance and theatre to antifascism, we are making a further commentary about fascism and its dangers to our society. Fascism to us does not simply mean the racism and bigotry of neo-Nazis; it also refers to the radical conformity to particular norms that dominate our society. That conformity by itself is not fascist, but it lays the groundwork for a fundamentally fascist, unfree society. It leads us to limit our beliefs in what is possible for ourselves and for other people. BAD believes that if we publicly open ourselves up to free and creative expression without thought of how well it conforms to any particular societal standard while also opening up more spaces for that expression within society, we shall remove the ground that fascism needs for standing. Moreover, we will have a lot more fun, friendship, and connection.</p><p><img alt="" class="wp-image-655 alignleft" decoding="async" height="315" sizes="(max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-300x300.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-300x300.jpg 300w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-150x150.jpg 150w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-48x48.jpg 48w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-250x250.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-550x550.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-180x180.jpg 180w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n-500x500.jpg 500w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/386465584_843333827251419_579160047841893637_n.jpg 1440w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="315" />Over time, as Aly and I have continued to free dance in public spaces, we have made more friends who want to play with us. One of these friends is a remarkable woman named Phaidra. Aly and Phaidra were in a show together at The Verge, and I met Phaidra through Aly. While BAD was doing our thing dancing everywhere in our colorful outfits, Phaidra and her partner Ryan were building a skate ramp in the backyard of their home. Only, it was not just a skate ramp; Phaidra, ever the free thinker, could see that the skate ramp could also serve as a perfect stage. With Ryan’s support, they figured out how to light the ramp at night. Their space allows for multiple angles to view any staging and includes various ways to enter and exit. Moreover, Phaidra had a vision where the community could come together in a judgment-free zone to perform. Basically, she shared BAD’s vision to radically democratize performance both in terms of accessibility of who can perform and where they can perform.</p><p>We obviously have all become fast friends, and so also including our larger set of friends, we have all decided to dance and put on shows together while also really connecting intentionally as friends who care deeply about each other. It has become infectious, and we have met others who feel the delight in doing something that is way outside the box and fills us each with incredible joy.</p><p>Last Friday, Phaidra and Ryan hosted the first open stage night. While it was cold, we stayed physically warm with a fire that Ryan built and some hot apple cider and tea. What really kept us warm, though, was performing with and for each other on this beautiful stage. Phaidra opened “The 408” with a beautiful and intimate speech thanking us for our part in making this happen and outlining the same vision I have outlined in this essay.</p><p>Then, a few of us did a little experimental skit that I won’t explain here because we don’t want to ruin the surprise of you seeing us on the streets of town doing it. Let’s just say that it mixes ragtime music and hacker Anonymous (that is, Guy Fawkes) masks.</p><p>Also, The 408 open stage featured remarkable poem readings, both original and unoriginal, all meaning a lot to the performer. One reading, by our newest and incredibly delightful friend Clara, came with some lovely performative flourishes.</p><p><img alt="" class="wp-image-647 alignright" decoding="async" height="253" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 337px) 100vw, 337px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-300x225.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-300x225.jpg 300w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-768x576.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-250x188.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-550x413.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-800x600.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-240x180.jpg 240w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-400x300.jpg 400w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/20231013_204149-667x500.jpg 667w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: right; height: auto; margin-left: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="337" />Aly sang beautifully while I interpretively danced behind her, not knowing what she was singing prior to her singing it. This was not easy for me. Aly trained in her youth as an opera singer and meets the societally objective standards of a “good” singer, while I only started dancing at all in my late 30s. Besides a few swing dancing classes, no one ever trained me to dance. My body is terribly inflexible, and I don’t even like to keep the beat a good chunk of the time, inventing beats out of each melodic note. I love to dance, but I still found it difficult to go out there to a song I had never heard before behind someone as incredibly talented as Aly. Yet, I chose to live my principle, and I felt good supporting her knowing she wanted me to dance as she sang. It felt good just trying it out knowing that we were in a space attempting to create a culture of support. And while people said I did a good job, what really matters is that I chose to show up and be me on that stage with my friends.</p><p><img alt="" class="wp-image-652 alignleft" decoding="async" height="273" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-226x300.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-226x300.jpg 226w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-771x1024.jpg 771w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-768x1021.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-1156x1536.jpg 1156w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-250x332.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-550x731.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-800x1063.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-135x180.jpg 135w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-376x500.jpg 376w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002.jpg 1204w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="206" />We also did some improv, which put Aly outside of her comfort zone. But just as I supported her, she supported something I enjoy doing and had just done on stage the previous night at Last Best Comedy.</p><p>Performing continued after everyone left, too, when Aly, Phaidra, and I did some incredibly moving improvisational dance, much of it to Alanis Morissette.</p><p>Was any of it any good? Who can say? But I can say definitively that it was good to be there with people who really wanted to be there and present with each other. It was so cold, hiding beneath blankets. Yet, in the power of the sharing, in the earnestness of witnessing each other, in just the audacity of performing for ourselves and for each other, I became so overwhelmed with joyful emotion.</p><p>After we left, apparently a neighbor had called the police, though we were done by 10 pm on a Friday night, were not using a sound system except a Bluetooth speaker to play some music, and apparently were not as loud as nearby neighbors sometimes are at later hours. Honestly, I could barely hear what people were saying from the stage mere feet in front of me. I am not sure why this neighbor could not have just come over. If they are reading it, it is not our intention to violate any boundaries. Let us just talk so that we can make it work for everyone. Just as we do not need to resort to the authority of society to tell us where we can and cannot dance, we surely can work out our issues over what can and cannot happen from each other’s backyards. As an antifascist, it tells me we have a long ways to go before we can undo the ways we have become alienated from each other in a radically conformist society.</p><p>We are going to keep dancing in public, and we are going to keep doing theatrical productions in backyards and on Bozeman streets. Whether it is Aly and I doing BAD or whether it is friends just tap dancing in the rain, we are determined to make our lives much more interesting and performative. We want to free our bodies to reclaim the entirety of our human nature. With free bodies in free spaces and with a growing community of support, we make it that much easier to inspire others to create a freely embodied culture – one where we are no longer limited by the fears that keep us conformed to a rather uninteresting set of societally acceptable options.</p><p>If this resonates with you, <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/contact-us/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">contact me</a>, and we would love to have you join us dancing, singing, performing, writing, painting, screaming, crawling, or whatever your heart fancies. And if you only want at this point to witness, we could all use more friends. Let us all make beautiful art … together. Even on literally cold nights, we can dramatically thrive in a much warmer space.</p><p>***Click on picture to see full image***</p><p><a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910.jpeg" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-642 alignleft" decoding="async" height="236" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910-300x225.jpeg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910-250x188.jpeg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910-550x413.jpeg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910-240x180.jpeg 240w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910-667x500.jpeg 667w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110910.jpeg 1008w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="315" /></a><a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1.jpeg" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-643" decoding="async" height="237" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 315px) 100vw, 315px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-300x225.jpeg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-300x225.jpeg 300w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-768x576.jpeg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-250x188.jpeg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-550x413.jpeg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-800x600.jpeg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-240x180.jpeg 240w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-400x300.jpeg 400w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1-667x500.jpeg 667w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/110915-1.jpeg 1008w" style="border: 0px; 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box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="315" /></a><a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-650 alignleft" decoding="async" height="341" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000-226x300.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000-226x300.jpg 226w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000-771x1024.jpg 771w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000-768x1021.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000-1156x1536.jpg 1156w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000-250x332.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000-550x731.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000-800x1063.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000-135x180.jpg 135w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000-376x500.jpg 376w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0000.jpg 1204w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="257" /></a><a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-651" decoding="async" height="341" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001-226x300.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001-226x300.jpg 226w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001-771x1024.jpg 771w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001-768x1021.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001-1156x1536.jpg 1156w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001-250x332.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001-550x731.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001-800x1063.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001-135x180.jpg 135w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001-376x500.jpg 376w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0001.jpg 1204w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="257" /></a><a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-652" decoding="async" height="342" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-226x300.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-226x300.jpg 226w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-771x1024.jpg 771w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-768x1021.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-1156x1536.jpg 1156w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-250x332.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-550x731.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-800x1063.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-135x180.jpg 135w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002-376x500.jpg 376w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0002.jpg 1204w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="257" /></a><a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;"><img alt="" class="alignnone wp-image-653 alignleft" decoding="async" height="341" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003-226x300.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003-226x300.jpg 226w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003-771x1024.jpg 771w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003-768x1020.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003-1157x1536.jpg 1157w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003-250x332.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003-550x730.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003-800x1063.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003-136x180.jpg 136w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003-376x500.jpg 376w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/IMG-20231013-WA0003.jpg 1536w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="257" /></a><a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256.jpeg" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;"><img alt="" class="alignleft wp-image-654" decoding="async" height="341" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 257px) 100vw, 257px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256-226x300.jpeg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256-226x300.jpeg 226w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256-771x1024.jpeg 771w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256-768x1020.jpeg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256-1157x1536.jpeg 1157w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256-250x332.jpeg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256-550x730.jpeg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256-800x1063.jpeg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256-136x180.jpeg 136w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256-376x500.jpeg 376w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/received_130216240176256.jpeg 1536w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="257" /></a></p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-33300511231356627542023-09-25T22:09:00.003-06:002023-09-25T22:09:30.679-06:00Anarchism Is a Social, not a Political Movement<p> When I ask most people how they define the word “anarchy,” they inevitably tell me that it means “chaos.”</p><p>However, anarchy doesn’t mean chaos; it literally means “without rulers.” We anarchists believe in a society without rulers, but that’s a broader idea than simply “without government.” That is because there are many ways some people rule over others than simply through presidents, prime ministers, and kings. Business owners and managers rule over their workers, and we anarchists are against that. Landlords rule over their tenants, and we anarchists are against that. Men in our world have traditionally ruled over women (whether that be husbands over wives, or just in the advantages and privileges that men have had over women), and we anarchists are against that. White people have ruled over people of color, and we anarchists are against that. Because of rules and social advantages, straight people have ruled over queer people, and we anarchists are against that. Able-bodied people have also ruled over disabled people, and we anarchists are against that. In most societies, people of particular religious beliefs have ruled over those with other religious beliefs, and we anarchists are also against that.</p><p>There are so many other power relationships, but I will define it in those broad terms right now.</p><p>As a result, being an anarchist is to be against hierarchies of power wherever they may be. Anarchism as a movement is anti-government, anti-nationalist, anti-capitalist, anti-property rights, anti-patriarchal, anti-racist, anti-heteronormative, anti-ableist, and anti-theocratic.</p><p>I suspect that many who read this would probably also be against many – though not all – of those things. If I had to venture a guess about society, most of us aspire not to discriminate based on gender, race, sexual orientation, ability, or religious beliefs. We clearly know of people who don’t believe in or want these ideals, but I suspect most do. However, I also suspect that most people in the world are, unlike anarchists, for representative democracy, are proud of their country, support some form of capitalism, and certainly believe in a right to property.</p><p>Wherever you are on the spectrum from anarchist to whatever the opposite of anarchism is, what is important to note here is that anarchism isn’t simply about being against all government. Rather, it is a critique on the nature of power relationships. We who are anarchists do not believe there is any just society structured around hierarchical relationships of power, and we have called for a social revolution to dismantle them.</p><p>How does anarchism propose to dismantle hierarchies of power and bring on a social revolution? Do anarchists imagine a rebellion of the repressed people to lead a mass uprising over the many ruling classes? Or perhaps, anarchists plan to use the existing levers of power to take power themselves and then cede it? Or maybe anarchists hope to disengage from political life altogether and convince people also to disengage, bringing about social revolution apart from society? Or maybe a particular class of the oppressed are best positioned, such as the working class and poor, to rise up and lead us all to social revolution?</p><p>Over history, some anarchists have tried some of these approaches, and others, such as using the levers of the system, have typically been rejected. Historically, a few anarchists have tried military solutions or other forms of militancy. Others have set up radical education systems, and still others have focused on organizing the working class not simply for better conditions for workers but principally to be a catalyst of social revolution for the benefit of everyone. There is no one anarchist approach to social revolution. However, what has typically been rejected has been running for office, forming political parties, or voting. Anarchists have feared that using the levers of power will only lead to new rulers, and anarchist rulers are not anarchists at all.</p><p>When I talk about anarchism with people, one of the common responses I get is that they, she, or he does not want to talk about politics. An anarchist does not want to talk about politics, either. However, it can seem like we do because it is impossible to talk about a ruling class without critiquing the politics that creates a ruling class. And yet, when I meet those who have no interest in politics, I often admire them. I wish we all could be so lucky and privileged as to be able to ignore the question. In most of our lives, we deal with and want to deal with each other as equals worthy of the same respect. However, in a society where we are not all so privileged, we must admit that we live in a system where some rule and others do not. That is, we live in a world where politics is a reality. What makes anarchism different from other social movements that critique our society is that we do not believe in a political solution to the problem of politics.</p><p>What do I mean?</p><p>I mean that politics is essentially about power. To know how to gain power over others is to practice politics. As I have defined it, anarchism is a critique of systems of power themselves. That is, we can say that at essence, anarchism is anti-political. Yet, I admit that we live in a political world where politics is a reality. Are anarchists also, therefore, anti-reality? Certainly, many critics have indeed argued that, but this is a fallacy.</p><p>Politics is a reality, but it does not mean that it must necessarily be real or that all of reality is politics. That is, we can also observe in our world many instances where we do not engage with each other through a power relationship. When I say “Hi” to my best friend Aly, and she says “Hi” back, are we engaging in politics? Yes, I identify as male; and she, female. I also have more money, and she has less. However, does she reply to me with a kind hello because I am empowered over her? That would be an extremely cynical understanding of the world, and I would be hard pressed to believe it. In most of life, none of us acts on the basis of any political relationships that exist in society. We know that those that do can be very dominating, whether it be a police or military force, the tax collector, one’s boss or landlord, etc. However, most of the time, whatever relationships exist, we do not act on the basis of our power. Those relationships and privileges are there, but we would be silly to the point of absurdity to think that even a fraction of what we do is because of politics.</p><p>Therefore, politics is a reality, but so are many other ways of relating to each other. Anarchism is therefore not anti-real just because it is anti-politics. What anarchists are strongly urging is that the greater the degree to which politics is in our life, the more it is keeping us from fully exercising all the other relationships that are or can be real in our society. That is, anarchism urges that if we lean into those non-political ways of relating, we will find that we can make politics irrelevant. As I noted previously, almost everyone agrees that at least in some ways we have political relationships with each other (between genders, races, etc.) that most people agree should ideally not be political relationships. Yet, the most common way that people in society have used to deal with these social issues is to engage in other political solutions, usually to change laws or to create economic incentives for change. However, what if we did not need to do these things this way at all? What if there were other ways of living and being that make politics irrelevant? Since we agree that a man and a woman can have a non-political way of relating even though we live in a world where men politically rule over women, we must admit at least that anarchism should not be dismissed out of hand for suggesting that a social revolution requires a non-political response to politics as a way to free us from it.</p><p>In this essay, I am not here to discuss how that’s supposed to come about. Ultimately, I’d love to give full expression to what that means, though I am doubtful I would most likely do that in writing. I am much more likely to express it through non-political lived experience that demonstrates anarchist ways of being. However, that is not to say that anarchism cannot be articulated. I just am not sure how much appetite I have to do it.</p><p>What I am here to do is simply argue for viewing the world through a lens that doesn’t automatically assume that there are political solutions to political problems. And because of that, I don’t want people to assume that when I talk or write about anarchism that I am writing principally about politics. Yes, it is about politics in that it is a critique of politics, but ultimately, anarchism is a social movement that aims to free us from politics. It’s about people and how they relate to each other in all ways and at all levels. It’s, yes, about dismantling the politics that keep people from free and equal relationships, but the ways to get there have nothing to do with the usual means people use. And I’d love to talk about my way of being an anarchist because I suspect it will be delightful and inspiring.</p><p>Yes, I realize we will need to discuss all we disagree about; there is much talking to do. However, if we can see through the usual tunnel vision in which we look at most social problems, perhaps there is a deluge of art and creativity to swim in as we demonstrate the social revolution envisioned by anarchism.</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-51439833677004753212023-09-21T10:12:00.001-06:002023-09-21T10:12:17.200-06:00I Hate the Police (September 2021)<i>I wrote this poem in September 2021, reading it at an open mic poetry night over at the Steep Mountain Tea House. It was in response to police brutality here in Bozeman.</i><p p=""></p><div style="text-align: left;">I hate the police</div><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">I hate police passionately<br />Never met a cop I liked<br />Hate how they beat black men in the streets<br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">With my own eyes, I once witnessed<br /></span>More than a dozen DC police<br />Beating one black man</div><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Now they also hog tie women<br /></span>Here in our town<br />Here in Bozeman</div><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">But what I hate more than police<br /></span>I hate that we think we need them<br />I hate that we think we have no power<br />To take care of each other<br />To protect each other<br />To stand for justice together</div><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">I hate the radical disempowerment<br /></span>The powerlessness that people feel</div><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">And I hate that when another cop<br /></span>Assaults another person<br />We think there are just a few bad apples<br />Not that the system is rotten<br />Not that we have given up our power<br />To them<br />To these abusive monsters</div><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">I hate the police<br /></span>And I hate that we think<br />That collectively<br />We can’t do anything about them</div><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">I hate that I will share this poem<br /></span>And you, you who sit there<br />If you’re even listening<br />Will think my radical words<br />Unrealistic</div><div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Somehow, humans lived 150,000 years<br /></span>And only dreamed up police<br />In the 1800s to protect property in the North<br />To protect slaveholders in the South</div><p></p><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">And we think this is normal</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">That we can’t live without them</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">That we need them to protect us!</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Less than 200 years wipes out 150,000</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Just like that</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">That I’m the radical one</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">When there’s nothing normal</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Sane, or conservative about a</span><div><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Militarized police force</span></div><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><div><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"><br /></span></div>And sadder still, you’ll think that</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">We are powerless</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">That solidarity is useless</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">That we can’t possibly do anything</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Such a self-fulfilling prophecy</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Or you’ll vote</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">You’ll vote for someone else</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">To take the power from you</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">And hopefully do the right thing</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">And when they don’t</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">You’ll vote again</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">And again</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">And again</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">And what will ever change</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">When did any significant change</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Happen by voting?</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">What if MLK and Gandhi had decided</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">To wait for someone else</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">To make change and simply vote</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">So, I hate the police</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">And I hate that so few of us</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Believe in us</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">In all we can do together</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">But I still believe</span><br /><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">So, if you still believe</span><div><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">Find me, and let’s get to work</span><div><div class="col-md-7 col-sm-12 col-xs-12 col-lg-7" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: left; max-width: 100%; min-height: 30px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px; position: relative; width: 646.562px;"><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit;">-jsm 9/24/2021</span></p></div><p><img alt="" class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-404" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="300" sizes="(max-width: 225px) 100vw, 225px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-225x300.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-225x300.jpg 225w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-768x1024.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-250x333.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-550x733.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-800x1067.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-135x180.jpg 135w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-375x500.jpg 375w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-scaled-305x407.jpg 305w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/20211110_135711-scaled.jpg 1920w" style="background-color: #f7f3f3; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="225" /> </p></div></div>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-31848884197151481012023-09-20T08:11:00.002-06:002023-09-20T08:11:37.213-06:00The BAD PODCAST – Antifa as Revolutionary Nonconformity in Dance, Theater, and Respect for Unhoused Neighbor<div id="buzzsprout-player-13566530"></div><script src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1902047/13566530-the-bad-podcast-antifa-as-revolutionary-nonconformity-in-dance-theater-and-respect-for-unhoused-neighbors.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-13566530&player=small" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This is our 10th episode, and we (Aly and Jim) go into our roots as an antifa dance (& theatre) collective, discussing why we believe what we do in street dancing, art, and theater are revolutionary antifascist activities just as vital to a revolutionary movement as other forms of direct action. We play around with surrealism, too, but we also discuss our broader interests. As full humans, movement and expression is vital to us, but just as we rebel against limiting forms of activist expression, we do not limit our activism to art. In that light, we discuss a recent essay that Jim wrote against an urban camping ordinance proposed here and the general lack of respect people who don’t have homes receive. The thread of all our discussion is breaking patterns of conformity in all aspects of our existence.</p><p>If you listen to this episode in the week it is published, we invite you to a public street dance (no cost, no dancing experience, no fascists) at Bozeman’s Soroptomist Park on Saturday, September 16, 2023, at 11 AM. If you can’t make it, contact us and suggest times that may work for you (or organize a dance and invite us!)</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-43374316475839953832023-09-19T21:53:00.005-06:002023-09-19T21:54:15.253-06:00U.S. Militarism on the Mall - protest while outreaching for alternatives (originally published May 8, 2005)<p><i>I wrote this on May 8, 2005 (slightly modified on May 9). It really is a typical report of small actions we in the DC Anti-War Network would do and the kind of reports I would write about them. - jsm September 19, 2023</i></p><p>***</p><p>A report by on DC Anti-War Network's (DAWN)'s action at the Department of Defense's military display on the National Mall. At these displays, young children actually played with unloaded military weapons. Also, a brief report from DAWN's and MGJ's action honoring the successful hunger strike by students in Georgetown fighting for a living wage for school workers.</p><p>Today, we had an intense little action on the Mall, where the government was celebrating public servant's week, and where the Department of Defense set up shop to show its toys to the world.</p><p>We caused a stir out there today, and I want to thank Jose for suggesting this idea. It was well worth it.</p><p>About a dozen of us (counting comers and goers) were out on the Mall today for DAWN's action, which was in part a protest against U.S. militarism, in part an outreach and education opportunity, and in part a working group meeting of the Draft, Counter-Recruiting, End Stop Loss (DCRESL) group. We came equipped with flyers that John graciously supplied us with as well as signs directed against the military displays on the Mall.</p><p>At about 1:30 PM on this very sunny day, we headed from the Smithsonian Metro to the tents on the Mall across from the Air and Space Museum. After chatting a bit with Jose, we did our best to get into the exhibits and display our messages, while talking with people.</p><p>The exhibits themselves were fenced in, and so to enter them, we needed to pass through metal detectors. As we started to go through, some of the security began noticing the signs. At first, they let us enter. Genevieve got through, but we started having troubles once Eric and David tried to go through. Then, security let us through, but immediately after going through, another police officer stopped us and said that we would have to take the signs outside. We discussed with him a minute why he was doing this, and he claimed it was because this was a "DoD (Department of Defense) event." Unsatisfied, I asked him if he had written confirmation of the rule. The reason I asked him this was because I was sure there wasn't since the signs became a part of an informal conversation between the security people. They let people through, and then they didn't, and then they did again. I suspected it was an "on the spot" decision. Naturally, he said there wasn't a rule.</p><p>Dave and Eric decided to abide by the rule, and they set up with their signs right at the entrance. In the meantime, I wasn't carrying a sign (apparently a shirt that said "No War" was okay...Luke was also able to get through with a Bush chickenhawk shirt was also okay). It's not clear why or why not; these things are pretty arbitrary.</p><p>I quickly walked to try to catch up with Genevieve (who had her sign) and with Malachy. As I walked briskly, I noticed an incredible montage of military displays from all the branches of the service. There were military bands, military displays, military weapons. In some cases, young children were being encouraged to play with the guns. As I made my way through this maze of militarism, I finally found myself outside where there were all kinds of military heavy machinery, including heavy artillery and armored personnel carriers. My eyes finally caught sight of Malachy and Genevieve. I got to them, and no sooner did I tell them what had happened than a security personnel came to Genevieve and told her she needed to leave her sign with him.</p><p>"I'm not leaving my sign with you!" She moved away from him. He said that if she didn't leave her sign, she would have to leave. She went over to an armored personnel carrier where I took a couple pictures. At that point, five troops around the carrier began to mock her and tried to get in the picture (which I was happy to oblige). The security person again approached her as Genevieve began to have a very heated exchange with the five troops. The security person came up, and Genevieve agreed to be escorted to the exit as I continued to flash photographs.</p><p>We exited, stood there for a short time (noticing that some tourists entered through the exit, thus avoiding the metal detectors when sometimes as many as five troops weren't paying attention). We soon joined our friends and spent the next couple of hours in front of the entrance.</p><p>There, we felt a great deal of obvious animosity, but you'd be very surprised what happened in small private moments. One man wearing a badge that said "DoD Exhibitor" came up to Genevieve and said in her ear, "Thank God you all are out here." A soldier at one point whispered quietly into Malachy's ear, "You're right, you know? I just can't say anything out loud or I will get into a lot of trouble." We had our pictures taken with high school students from Baltimore, and several passersby expressed sympathy. Nevertheless, more often than not, the scene was tense and hostile. At least one or two men threatened violence, but no one backed away.</p><p>Most of the flyers ultimately disappeared as we handed them out to those who were interested. Some from Codepink also came and joined us.</p><p>We only decided to meet when people decided they needed to get going, the reason being that an action seemed a lot more effective than another meeting.</p><p>Personally, I sometimes think in heated exchanges that we don't always show much discipline, shouting down and bullying those who disagree with us, and sinking our arguments to the lowest common denominator. We shouldn't always be as quick witted as we are, practiced in talking. I think, though, on the other hand, that people need to see our passion. And, I resent the implication that we are crazy. We spend billions and billions of dollars on killing machines, glorifying it to our kids, and treating them like toys, and we're supposed to be the ones who are insane because we carry a couple signs and make a little bit of noise?! Something is hopelessly out of whack, and I'll take our craziness over the craziness of these death machines any day.</p><p>Good actions arouse passions, whether they be anger or sympathy. I think we can do more to raise the relationship with our opponents to a higher level, but no one can deny that this action was provocative. We were able to interact with real soldiers, real supporters of militarism, and find people willing to feel and care for something, even if they found what we were doing dispicable. Others were inspired by us, like the young couple from Palestine that we met.</p><p>Seeing the disgusting display of militarism on the Mall aroused passions in me. Seeing children playing with weapons aroused something in me. It made the cycle of destruction that we are perpetuating all the more tangible inside of me. It was empowering for me, not just because I could participate, but to witness the courage of our friends. Some expressed openly to the police that they were willing to face arrest, and as Genevieve put it, that our belief in this is that strong.</p><p>Later at the student networking session honoring the Georgetown Living Wage activists one young woman from the Friends Committee on National Legislation said to Malachy and I that during the Nuremburg trials that there were experiments carried out which showed that people don't so much go to war and obey the law so much because they are told or because they are scared not to but because they had been habituated to carry out those kinds of actions. I quipped back to her that we suffer from a bad national habit, then. And, indeed we do. It will take a lot of resistance to change the culture of that habit. We can only hope to make a dent by being in places like we were today, challenging the military might right in its face. It won't be pretty at first, but over time, through our commitment, through our suffering, we can break this horrible national habit.</p><p>That's all for now.</p><p>Jim Macdonald</p><p>PS The student networking session honoring the Georgetown Living Wage activists was a wonderful event put together by DAWN and MGJ, and I think Chris did a fantastic job. Malachy and I met so many student activists from groups I had no idea existed. They've compiled these names and groups, and we'll be staying in touch. That action was equally important to our ends even though the vibe was completely different than the vibe on the Mall.</p><p>It was a fantastic start in movement building. Without relationships, there can be no solidarity. Without solidarity, we have no movement. While hardly as dramatic as this afternoon, I hope that we appreciate the hard work that goes into making the relationships that will make direct actions like the one reported above more effective.</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-31665106475874006262023-09-19T21:23:00.008-06:002023-09-21T10:23:43.822-06:00UFPJ (in DC)...That Horrible Sinking Feeling (originally published August 30, 2005)<p><i>This piece was published in DC Indymedia on August 30, 2005. Here you see me maturing in my anarchism and deep in a fight against national organizations like UFPJ stepping on local grassroots organizing. By this point, I am fed up with the national anti-war movement. Ever since this experience, I have been an anarchist not only against the state and capital but also against the governance and hierarchies that develop to co-opt social movements. UFPJ was a prime example of a national organization that was a state within the anti-war movement, supported in part because they were better than the Stalinists down the street and certainly better than American imperial government. But it gave me a hard lesson as to why anarchists only run into trouble when they build coalitions with statists. - jsm September 19, 2023 P.S. And, you should read the internet archive of the comments - quite the freaking discussion! - </i><i><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080517104843/http://dc.indymedia.org/newswire/display/128995/index.php">DC Indymedia Archived Article</a></i></p><p>***</p><p>Have you ever been in a place where everyone seemed happy and engaged, and the happier and more engaged they seemed, the more you felt like oozing into the center of the earth never to be seen from again? That's the way I felt last night at the UFPJ DC organizing meeting.</p><p>On the face of things, it was a great meeting. Over 70 people came to organize and listen to Ray McGovern and Tia Steele. I can't say that Ray or Tia were disappointing speakers at all, and they not only meant well, they spoke well. But, you see, by that point, I was already feeling way off.</p><p>The meeting was in the Communication Workers of America building. The room was set up in a large square with seats at a square table with another row of seats outlining three corners of the square around the perimeter. Besides being cold, the room felt something like a board room. It was pretty clear where the front of the room was and where the hotshots would be sitting.</p><p>In my own strange characteristic defiance, I came straight from work wearing shirt and tie. Usually, I stick out like a sore thumb, which often amuses me, since in the activist setting I’m accustomed to, there’s an air of rebellion in wearing the tie. I don’t always wear the tie, and it’s not my costume of choice, but I resent the thought that I should have to change after I leave work and that I can’t feel comfortable in any skin I find myself. Well, last night, while no one else was wearing a tie, I somehow felt a lot more like my clothes fit the occasion. That’s not really so bad. And, that’s not the point. Yes, the demographic was different, a little wealthier, but so what? If people are themselves, let them be themselves. What I think it was really was the context of it all in terms of UFPJ. Over and over, those of us who have been working on opening up UFPJ’s process and making it more democratic have been criticized relentlessly for not being diverse enough as a group, lacking a significant number of people of color, especially, and the veiled suggestion that UFPJ needs its hierarchical structure in order to make sure that voices that have been traditionally silenced have a chance to step up to the plate. If you open up the process, the assumption is that you only open up the process for people who have been traditionally empowered. Yet, looking around, I didn’t see a lot of diversity except that at the front of the room, you had two people of color leading the meeting. While by some definition, that’s diversity and re-balancing the power equation, I think many would simply call that tokenism. And, looking in this room, knowing the criticisms that have been levied against efforts that I and others have been a part of, I no longer felt comfortable in my own clothes.</p><p>If numbers are any indication, UFPJ’s organizing should be a success, but at the cost of movement empowerment. The meeting after the presentations, which I will reiterate were pretty good, consisted of a series of report backs, a call for volunteers, and a pitch for donations. At a few moments, people edged in with clarifying questions. However, there was nothing to decide, no way to plug in creatively, and no sense of ownership. The people who spoke in some ways owned the event, and even some of them were less owners than others.</p><p>People seemed genuinely energized by this, perhaps sensing the numbers, sensing that Cindy Sheehan’s vigil had given people a sense that a turning point was near, but I continued to feel a real sense of distress. Here a local movement had been co-opted effectively by the promise of bigger numbers, by the celebrities, by the name recognition. It promised little slices of pie to people, often in the name of an endless series of tents, if only we can come together to stop the war, which now seemingly must come to an end. The big problem with this big tent was that voices were lost in the process. There is a horrible contradiction in working toward lifting up the voices who haven’t been heard when there is no process in place that guarantees that those voices will be heard. So, what you end up having are the dominant patriarchal (patriotic) sections of society wreaking a kind of unwitting havoc on anyone who dares to be different.</p><p>What do I mean by that last sentence? Let’s look at some concrete examples. UFPJ, through a long and arduous process, had promised legal support for nonviolent direct action planned for the weekend of September 23-26, even if it wasn’t part of the action that UFPJ was organizing. That was all fiction last night. When the question of legal came up, it was clear that UFPJ was providing for legal support only for actions on September 26. Those who had rebelled had been quietly pushed aside when the sham process reached a sham decision (much like many of the decisions of UFPJ’s national assembly in St. Louis). What about a convergence center as a means of supporting and showing solidarity with those actions? UFPJ’s stock answer was that it was likely that the tents would serve as a convergence center. Under whose control? UFPJ’s. Would housing be allowed there? Absolutely not. Would UFPJ then help provide money? Probably not. Talk with Leslie Cagan. Okay, what about Operation Ceasefire, that great event that is being put together to support UFPJ and DAWN. Well, don’t look now but DAWN isn’t mentioned much anymore in Operation Ceasefire. I guess money talks. And, capitalism is alive and well in the peace movement, where return for investment must correlate to amount of investment a group can offer, and any attempt to rectify the power dynamics to something more equitable and more in line with grassroots organizing is out the door whenever it is convenient. Expect the peace groups with resources to have even more, and those who don’t to have the nothing but human volunteer power that they started with. But, damn it, after all of this, volunteer! Give money from deep inside your pockets! Stop the war (in Iraq)! Put the Palestinians off in Farragut Square…sounds like a winner! In other words, daring to stand up against the hierarchies of decision-making leads you to be pushed aside, ignored, dropped away, tokenized, or highlighted somewhere else. Who can stop this (anti-)war machine?</p><p>I’m really glad I went last night, but I won’t be coming back. I’m angry. I’m mad. I’m mad because I find myself having to work for the movement, and right now working for that movement means supporting all the options possible, and that means helping bring people to this event. Since people coming don’t give a damn about UFPJ, ANSWER, MGJ, DAWN, or anyone else, and are (to use Ray McGovern’s talk last night “unreasonably patient” with the voices in the movement) looking for a voice, I’m going to have to work like mad to give them that opportunity. I have to help them find housing, help getting around, the best information on actions, the best anti-war and global justice literature that I can find. But, I’m mad as hell because the big lie is that all this is not even close to what it should be, and we are propping up hierarchical, disempowering processes in order to fight them. The contradiction is maddening.</p><p>The evening finished with breakouts into working groups. Many of us harassed our friend Jose about the issue of a convergence space. It was comedy of the absurd. Jose has no power over the issue and no influence on it. But, we let our poor friend have it because there was nothing else to be done. To get stuff done you have to schmooze the right person, and I think all of us going there knew that in advance. But, we don’t have endless hours of the day to play political games. These meetings are billed as organizing meetings, and that’s when we can come. We can’t go to New York, can’t be on the phone all day, and many of us are increasingly disgusted with dealing with the feudal lords who are in power.</p><p>This is not sustainable.</p><p><So, I felt sunk, and I left early, wanting to get home as soon as possible.</p><p>This weekend I will go to New York, and we will be talking about the weekend and working on the alternatives, not just in terms of action, but in terms of organizing and empowerment. I hope we consider this seriously, and consider not allowing ourselves to be co-opted ever again.</p><p>Frustrated,</p><p>Jim</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-89754978002834932312023-09-19T20:53:00.001-06:002023-09-19T20:53:13.124-06:00A Call for Anti-War Actions in Washington, DC, January 20, 2005 (originally published November 30, 2004)<p>This call to action I wrote for DAWN in November 2004 (published in DC Indymedia on November 30, 2004)</p><p>It makes me cringe now, but this ended up being a significant action in a beautiful decentralized protest that brought out between 10-15,000 people. It was the model of the organizing we wanted to do that was different from what the big national organizations did (UFPJ and ANSWER), who were both Communist front organizations, one more liberal and more Stalinist, but both different than our anarchist-inspired approach. I wish the Call to Action were a bit more anarchist, but it definitely reflected the diversity of our network in DAWN. My own radicalism was still in process.</p><p>-jsm September 19, 2023</p><p><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></p><p><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><big><span style="color: red;">RISE </span><span>Against Bush</span></big></b></p><b style="color: #111111; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><big>SHINE <span style="color: red;">For A Peaceful Tomorrow</span></big></b>
<div><b style="color: #111111; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><big><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></big></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><big><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><p><b>A Call for Anti-War Actions in Washington, DC, January 20, 2005</b><br /><span style="font-size: small;">Every morning, the sun rises up, penetrating and overcoming the darkness of night. What once was dark becomes bright, changed by the force of the sun's rays.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">Our world is in darkness tonight, plagued with war, poverty, environmental destruction, and attacks on many of the liberties that so many of us hold dear. The darkness over our world has grown yet darker with the election of George W. Bush to another 4 years in office.<br />In the dark of the night, we need only wait for the sun. However, in the dark of our world, we cannot wait. If we are to see a new dawn, we must take action now. The DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) calls on the people of the world to RISE Against Bush and SHINE For A Peaceful Tomorrow.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">We RISE<br /></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Against the needless slaughter in and occupation of Iraq;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Against the assault on civil liberties, as represented by such acts as the Patriot Act and the immoral detentions at Guantanamo Bay;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Against US support of the Israeli government's denial of human rights against the Palestinian people;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Against U.S. overthrow of Aristide in Haiti;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Against U.S. attempts to overthrow any other democratically elected leader, including Hugo Chavez in Venezuela;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Against any U.S. military action in Iran.</span></span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">We SHINE<br /></span></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a world that embraces peaceful dialogue instead of war;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a world where we respect the liberty of all beings;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a world that looks out for all those who are now oppressed, including the poor, women, racial minorities, workers, the disabled, gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered, as well as the earth and its creatures;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">For a world that embraces social justice;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">For democracy and the autonomy of all people to have a full say in how they are governed;</span></span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">For each other.</span></span></li></ul><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><b>The Call</b><br />DAWN calls for people all over the nation and world to converge on Washington, DC, on the day of George W. Bush's Inauguration, January 20, 2005, for peaceful anti-war actions.<br />While DAWN is coordinating with many groups for a day of actions, DAWN calls additionally for these specific actions:</span></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: small;">A permitted nonviolent anti-war rally followed by a march to Bush's inaugural parade route;</span></li><li><span style="font-size: small;">A nonviolent civil disobedience die-in, following the rally, in memorial to the dead at the hands of Bush and his Administration.</span></li></ol><p></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">DAWN also calls for organizations, affinity groups, and individuals to partner with us in organizing these two actions.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><b>Next Steps<br /></b>If you or your group or organization wants to endorse DAWN's call to action, please send an e-mail to info@dawndc.net. Write also if you wish to collaborate in the planning or offer financial donations or other material support.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;">Find out more information about DAWN's and other groups' actions at http://www.counter-inaugural.org, by participating in the DC Cluster Spokescouncil meetings (refer to website), or by participating in DAWN's weekly meetings. Check our website, http://www.dawndc.net for more details. Housing boards, events boards, working group information, and (soon) ride boards can be found at http://www.counter-inaugural.org. We will post updates of our actions, as they become available, to that website.</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">The new dawn begins with our rising up. It will take a lot of light to break through such darkness, but we can do it. We have no other choice. Join us on J20!</span></div><p></p></span></big></span></div>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-22305516134803576652023-09-19T19:30:00.005-06:002023-09-19T19:39:07.749-06:00The Boston S--storm: Report of DC Anti-War Network’s Trip to the Democratic National Convention in Boston, July 2004 (originally published July 29, 2004)<p>by Jim Macdonald</p><p>29 Jul 2004</p><p>Modified: 01 Aug 2004</p><p><i>A detailed report with introspection and analysis of DAWN's trip to the Boston Social Forum and the Democratic National Convention 2004.</i></p><p><b>Prelude</b></p><p>One day in June, I was searching the internet seeing if anything had been written about me in connection with the anti-war movement. After searching through a fair number of articles written by me or quoting me, I came upon a site that surprised me. The site, run by a company called ICI Companies, International Consultants and Investigations, Inc., had a page on terror alerts (see <a href="http://web.archive.org/web/20040719080441/https://icicompanies.com/ICI_terror_alerts01.htm">http://www.icicompanies.com/ICI_terror_alerts01.htm</a>). There, I saw a meeting announcement that I had written for the DC Conventions Coalition, a network of organizations that I and others in the DC Anti-War Network (DAWN) had put together to protest the 2004 Democratic and Republican National Conventions. The mundane announcement listed our next meeting, my name and email, and the groups involved. Somehow, this innocent announcement ended up on a page entitled “Terror Alerts.” The people at ICI gave a title to our announcement. It said: “Boston: ‘S—storm’ in the making.”</p><p>I don’t know how a small group of DC activists planning public meetings for nonviolent protest in Boston became listed on a private company’s terror alert list, but I do know that they give us far too much credit. Organizing for Boston was a struggle right down to the end. Despite months of planning, only 25 DC activists made the trip with us to Boston. Buses became car pools, and I was profoundly discouraged by the fruits of our efforts. We didn’t aspire to be any kind of terror threat; all we aspired to do was to let the Democrats in Boston know that we in the anti-war movement were not happy with John Kerry’s support of the war in Iraq and with the pro-war platform written by the Democratic Party. In a year where “Anyone but Bush” is the winning argument for so many people even within our own group, many of us believed that at the very least we should express our resentment for the choices before us. “S—storm” my ass!</p><p>Yet, in the end, those of us from DC that went to Boston had an important time and even an effective time during our trip. While we discovered that the problems organizing for Boston were nationwide and that DC actually outperformed other cities in turnout, we had some surprising success that none of us anticipated in some of our actions. When coupled with the weekend Boston Social Forum prior to the Democratic National Convention (DNC), I doubt many of us regret going at all.</p><p>Here I will report on our trip to Boston, hoping that others still at the DNC will add their own accounts. We learned some lessons about the possibilities of action and about never selling yourself short. Even with low numbers, important actions are possible. In the face of so much injustice in our world, we must continue to remember that.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Day 1, Friday, July 23: “A Long Day from DC to Boston”</b></p><p>Lacking the numbers for a bus to Boston, we made due with Pete's hurting van, and two other cars. Others in our group planned on traveling separately, many of them coming on Sunday evening. However, numbers or no, those of us who went believed very much in our mission to let the Democratic Party know that we in the anti-war movement are not happy with a party that has called for 40,000 more recruits to the military, that has called for a modernization of the military, which refuses to speak out against the war in Iraq, and which refuses to acknowledge that peace comes through social justice and not security. Among us was Paul the Peacewalker, a man blinded 17 years ago by Ku Klux Klan members during a demonstration in Georgia, who had pleaded with people, “Please come to Boston! Please come to Boston! If I can do it, with blindness and gangrene, you can do it.”</p><p>Few joined us on our cloudy and rainy drive to Boston whether for lack of resources, lack of time off, lack of interest in protesting the Democrats, sheer opposition to protesting the Democrats, or for myriad other reasons. Those few who joined us were a motley bunch. We had a naturalist (the politically correct way of calling someone a nudist) named Elijah (or as he also called himself, “Nature Boy”). There was Luke and his particular health needs (which included a special concoction of lemon yogurt). Of course, there was Paul. Then, there was Dave of “Bush mask” fame.</p><p>I drove Genevieve’s car all the way to Boston, along with Dave and Quinlan. Of the four, only Quinlan was someone I didn’t know very well. Genevieve is my beloved girlfriend, my driving force, who did so much to help me out with the organizing—you have no idea how difficult it is to arrange a car pool of even just 20 people until you try dealing with all the personalities and requests that people have. And, Dave is a great friend. On so many cold winter days, he would join Genevieve and I as we protested at the White House. Quinlan, here for the summer, is a bright young college student from Oberlin. We deeply enjoyed getting to know him as we drove to and from Boston.</p><p>The drive up was eventful in some respects. At the Joyce Kilmer Service Station in New Jersey, I called into WPFW, DC’s Pacifica Radio Station, to talk live on the air about our trip to Boston. The interview lasted a couple minutes, and I remember urging the people in the DC area to vote their conscience but regardless, to continue with social activism because no matter who wins the White House, we in the anti-war movement will have to deal with a pro-war President. Besides the interview, the first I had ever done for radio, we had heavy traffic that set us back for hours. Along the way, we looked for bumper stickers and noticed alarmingly few. However, we did see one that intrigued us. It read, “I’m hung like Einstein and smart as a horse.” These sorts of things lead to all kinds of silly conversations. We talked of how people in New Hampshire call people from Massachusetts “Massholes.” We started trying to imitate people from Maine; our car hopping with the phrase, “You can’t get there from here.” Then, we thought about the Boston Shitstorm. Genevieve dubbed us, “The Boston Shitstorm.” If the people at a private security firm were going to falsely accuse us of terrorism, then we should at least wear the name as some kind of badge of honor much like “Yankee Doodle” and “American Indian,” and things of that sort. Throughout the week, we continually joked about ourselves as being the Boston Shitstorm, and by Monday evening, the Shitstorm hit the proverbial fan, and the Democratic delegates took the brunt of it.</p><p>Eventually, we arrived at the home many of our friends stayed at in Canton, which is southwest of Boston. Without housing, this trip would have been impossible. While Genevieve and I were staying with Dave and while Quinlan was staying with a friend, many of the others had to stay with 50 people in a house. I wondered how 50 people could stay in a house, but when I saw how big it was, my worries went away. Our friends stayed with people from the Beehive Collective in Maine, who came on a bus powered by vegetable oil. In any event, eventually we dropped Quinlan off and made our way to Marblehead, where Dave’s relatives graciously allowed us to stay.</p><p>Little did we know that the home in Marblehead was right on the ocean on Peach’s Point and that there were multiple homes in this complex. Genevieve and I had expected to sleep in sleeping bags on the floor, but we found ourselves in a bed in a room to ourselves. I felt many pangs of guilt about how good she and I had it. Yet, in the end, one should be gracious with the gifts of friends, and I was so very thankful that Dave’s family allowed us to stay there. The shelter and sustenance were no small part in giving us the strength to protest.</p><p>We went to sleep wondering what our days might bring.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Day 2, Saturday, July 24: “Socializing at the Boston Social Forum”</b></p><p>The day began with heavy, heavy rain. I had to run to the car, mere feet from the house to get something, and came back drenched. In the course of a couple hours, more than 2 inches had fallen. The wind from the ocean made it seem like more. I wondered if we would ever leave our luxurious confines in such a downpour. It would have been easy to stay in this home, make a vacation of it, and enjoy friendly people. However, to use Paul’s words, we had a job to do.</p><p>That weekend, the big event in Boston was the Boston Social Forum at the University of Massachusetts. The social forum brought left-leaning activists of all types (anarchists, socialists, Communists, Greens, progressive Democrats) to a giant conference full of tables and workshops. Before the trip, I didn’t have a lot of interest in going to the social forum, if only because it seemed that they required a paid registration. Lacking funds, I tend to write such things off and prioritize. However, since most of our friends were going down to UMass, Genevieve and I thought we should do the same, as long as the rain let up enough for us to go back to the car.</p><p>Fortunately, the weather maps made it clear that the rain, contrary to appearances, would end. So, we made our way to Boston, starting at the Wonderland station (in Boston, called the “T”). On any road in the Boston area, you go by dozens of doughnut shops. On some blocks, you will find two Dunkin Doughnuts only to find another on the next block. It’s amazing the things one notices. In any event, we would have no doughnuts today, and there would be less and less rain.</p><p>The first thing I noticed as I approached the Boston Social Forum with a crowd of people coming from the shuttle bus was that we seemed to be moving around like a bunch of sheep. We move through halls, plod around not exactly thinking about where we are going. When you consider the irony that so many of us on the left think of ourselves as free thinkers, the thought gains more resonance. The thought of the ways we don’t think about our conformity struck me several times during the week. You’d see lots of anarchists who look pretty much the same. Perhaps, in the larger social scheme, each anarchist stuck out in her or his own world, but in a world of anarchists, the white and red t-shirts I wore made me feel just that much more like an individualist. Yet, sometimes I felt like I was going through the motions, just following the crowd in front of me.</p><p>The second thing I noticed was that my rather negative view on the situation was not shared by those I was overhearing. Excitedly, people were telling their friends that this was the greatest thing that they had ever seen. I have caught a big whiff of Washington cynicism, and I would hardly call what I saw the greatest thing I had ever seen, but the scent I caught here at the Social Forum was one of genuinely positive enthusiasm. As the day went on, I became more and more invigorated by what I was seeing.</p><p>The Social Forum itself was quite a hodgepodge of events on everything progressive under the sun, including the standard big names of the left. I’d peak my head in a room and see Dennis Kucinich on a panel. Then, around a corner, I’d walk by Daniel Ellsberg. Paul the Peacewalker found a workshop on peacewalking that he attended. To our amazement, some of the teachers knew who he was. Paul was our spiritual center, certainly the man who attracted the most interest (though Nature Boy came a close second), and throughout our time there people came up who knew Paul. Many had walked with him before. Paul is sick, is in fact dying, but the man still carries a heavy peace sign wherever he goes, and he continues to put every ounce of his being into peace.</p><p>Besides events on all things progressive, there were tables about all things progressive. Here is where I thought things were the most useful. While it is interesting to learn things at a teach-in—for instance, I learned a lot about the death penalty at one teach in—I think the real value of such events are the people you get to meet. I met an Asian man from California who worked with inner city youth on environmental projects. When I told him how sour I had become about the spirit in DC activism, he told me that in his experience he was finding just the opposite. He said that the house of cards that is American society is about to fall, and that people are hungry for new leaders and a new direction. In all his years of activism, he had never been more hopeful. The man told me that a few people can do a lot. The day was never bad from that moment on. I realized that there were others to meet, and so I met them. I met a man with an anti-death penalty group who had tried to save Steven Oken in Maryland. I also met a woman named Claryce with United for Justice with Peace (not to be confused with United for Peace and Justice). They are like the Boston version of the DC Anti-War Network, beginning at about the same time for about the same reasons. We exchanged information. All of this is the sort of thing that will build the movement over the long-term.</p><p>For our part, we helped pass out Proposition One flyers. Proposition One is the DC-based group that has worked for an end to nuclear weapons and have held vigil 24/7 outside the White House since 1981. It is because of seeing that vigil that I became an activist. I was happy that they had a chance to get the word out about their cause to some activists.</p><p>After spending the entire day at the Social Forum and learning about the wonders of vegetable oil-powered engines, we headed off to Cambridge where we ate Middle Eastern food. We had some problems with Luke, who needed to eat lemon yogurt, and that split our group up. However, those of us who stayed to eat had a great night of good food. Suzanne, Jay, and Matt even stayed long enough to see Billy Bragg perform.</p><p>The real reason we came to Boston would play out the next two days. The Boston Social Forum surprised me in how it energized me. In the meantime, I was enjoying our companions from DC, idiosyncrasies and all.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Day 3, Sunday, July 25: “Lots of Marches, Interviews, Anger and even hate in the air”</b></p><p>It seems like every day anymore I get woken up by my cell phone. Working on conventions planning has put me on that awful contraption so much that my bill last month puts me in some danger of not having a cell phone much longer. That’s quite okay because we need to find more solid ways of being connected. Too often we rely on technology to connect us, to move us hither and thither, to unite us in ways we have never been united before. In truth, these mediums of communication seem to have some very negative side effects. They keep us from the air, they keep us from the fields, and they keep us from direct contact with each other. So, as people interested in tickets to New York left a message on a phone call that woke me up on this morning connected to me in ways impossible for most generations of history, so many others stayed in their homes.</p><p>Today, we went to ANSWER’s anti-war rally on Boston Common, a rally that was originally billed as the national rally for Veterans for Peace, who were having their national conference the weekend of Boston. A large ANSWER anti-war rally used to draw tens of thousands of people. The last three I have been to have drawn 500, 1,500, and 1,500 respectively. In an age when the strength of a movement is measured by the size of the mass march, those numbers point toward trouble. Yet, I suspect they actually point toward trouble for that way of looking at success in building the movement. You cannot sustain a movement simply by calling a mass march, especially when the group calling that march is a notorious front group for the Stalinist Workers’ World Party.</p><p>Even so, we went and showed solidarity with others protesting the war and the Democratic Party that has done far too much to support it. On a sunny day in Boston Common, we rallied to angry speeches, which we and most others were not listening to, visited tables, purchased bumper stickers and t-shirts, and then marched. It’s all so formulaic, you know?</p><p>Today, though, we went on two marches. The second march was in Jamaica Plain with the Backbone Campaign, an organization founded to give a backbone to the Democratic Party. And, while the mood had a more melodic spirit and brought in some elements of the movement you don’t often get at ANSWER’s rallies, it was a mood that could not contain the irony that I shall describe further in this day’s narrative.</p><p>Even though the day consisted of two marches I found disappointing, the day had its highlights for me. While arriving at Boston Common from the “T”, I noticed another message on my cell phone. It was another message from DC about buses to New York. Whereas the first message was one hoping to help get the word out, this message was one a little more comical and a lot more hateful. The message said, “I am interested in your bus trip because I’d like to ride in a bus full of retards. You can call me back at 1-800-FUCK-YOU.” What a strange number. At least, the caller has a soft spot for the developmentally disabled. It was the first hate voice mail I had ever gotten, but I wasn’t all that bothered by it. Anyhow, soon after that message, a reporter from Mother Jones magazine conducted an extensive interview with me. Soon after, a story that features that interview was published on the internet.</p><p>For us as a group, the march itself was thoroughly uneventful until we neared the Fleet Center. The street by the Fleet Center had been the source of a dispute between ANSWER and the city. ANSWER won the right to march by the Fleet Center, but I doubt most in the crowd had much knowledge of the particulars of that fight. So, as we approached, it was a little disconcerting to see MPs on a bridge near the Fleet Center looking down on the crowd, at least one with an AK-47. Soon after that, we approached the street, and instead of a clear view of the Fleet Center was a large black steel fence, much like fences that many of us in DC saw in Lafayette Park during a peace mach in April 2003. The sight was horrible. Behind the fences were signs that said “Welcome to the Democratic National Convention.” Some welcome! Oh, the cages of democracy! Later, I saw pictures from press from inside the black fences; how lucky they must be to have access to the inside while peace protesters, PEACE protesters for crying out loud can’t get near this week’s symbol of the one political party in the United States that’s supposed to be the big tent that will include people on the left. Instead, we see police officers, MPs, and black fences.</p><p>So, on this fence, many demonstrators, including Jay and Genevieve, began banging rhythms on the fence. If they were going to put barricades in our way, barricades representing fear, then it gave me joy to witness people finding some soulful melody.</p><p>However, generally, there was a tremendous sense of outrage that came over the crowd, more outrage than I think many of the protesters expected. Soon, down the street I could hear Genevieve and others yelling through the fence, “Shame on the Democrats!” What real conversation is there in America? We are reduced to being caged like animals and our message trivialized. “Is there going to be violence?” “How big is the march?” “How many arrests?” However, the true shame is on us for allowing parties like the Democratic Party to set themselves up as alternatives while at the same time doing everything in their power to stop free expression. They are working to keep Ralph Nader off ballots in states like Arizona and Maryland, they are supporting war right in their platform, and have even dropped any mention of DC statehood from in it as well. The only argument they give in response is, “Well, don’t you think Bush is worse?” Yes, of course Bush is worse! But, how am I in good conscience going to give my vote to a party that supports state-sponsored murder and an assault on our civil liberties like we were witnessing right in front of our faces? Shame on the Democrats indeed!</p><p>Other highlights of that particular march included running into a die-in of anti-abortion activists. At first, I thought it was anti-war activists blocking a street. However, most people figured out what was going on quickly, and there were no incidents. Later, we ran into presidential candidate Vermin Supreme. You think I’m kidding, but the joke is on you. Truthfully, there is a man named Vermin Supreme, who was on the DC Democratic primary ballot for President of the United States. He called himself the friendly fascist and built his platform around dental hygiene. Well, there he was. In fact, the rest of our time in Boston, we ran into this comic character at least 6 times. Later that evening, waiting for the train, Vermin taunted the security through a bullhorn, saying, “If you see anyone who looks like me, please call security immediately!” Finally, a friendly fascist with a sense of humor who looks like a hippy with a plastic naked ass hanging off of him.</p><p>Paul the Peacewalker came along with us as well, and he attracted press like a magnet. Photo after photo I saw being taken of his gigantic peace sign. The man, as Genevieve could testify, walked extremely fast. This created problems for those of us leading him through the protest. He constantly bumped into people and nearly tripped several times. Later in Jamaica Plain, he actually fell on some stairs and required delicate medical attention due to his gangrene. The press who bothered to do more than take pictures of Paul found themselves curious about this man and his story. For his part, he was having a great time. In many ways, he was our symbol, our motivation.</p><p>While I was not witness to it, apparently Pete got into a shouting match twice with some of the ANSWER organizers, over injustices he perceived in the handling of some of their security with some people from Veterans for Peace. I do not have a good grasp of the details, but Pete says that they were on camera and that ANSWER called Pete a “provocateur.” For precise details of what happened, you will have to ask him.</p><p>When we left for Jamaica Plain, I saw a lot of MPs in the train station. The vision was so telling of the world we now lived, I thought I would take a picture. Before I could get it off, however, several of them moved toward me and warned me not to take a picture or that I would be arrested. I didn’t take the picture. They explained that there are no pictures allowed in subways because of homeland security. I’m not exactly sure how that kind of rabid surveillance is making anyone safer, but it sure is irritating. I figured, though, that they could not stop me from writing about the experience. Well, at least they cannot stop me yet.</p><p>The Jamaica Plain People’s Party was an attempt by progressives in the city to highlight neighborhoods and neighborhood issues. Throughout the week, the Kucinich campaign and other liberal groups held these neighborhood parties. The spirit was much more lighthearted and festive, but there were definitely problems that I noticed as well.</p><p>Speaking at the party was Dennis Kucinich, who spoke for only about 3 minutes before running off to Chinatown where some other DC people found themselves eating in the same restaurant, Green Party candidate David Cobb, and local people from the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. The outdoor party in a park with a small amphitheater was catered, but to our chagrin, most of the food contained meat.</p><p>The big highlight of the event was a non-permitted march (the liberals marched without permits while the anarchists had permits for their marches) with a 70 foot long backbone. The backbone, which made its way from Washington state, was erected by liberal Democrats who were upset by the lack of spine in the Democratic party. The organizers had been giving backbone awards to Democrats who had shown spine. For instance, DAWN helped in the planning to give Maxine Waters a backbone award for her stands on Haiti. Anyhow, some DAWN people, including Dave and Bob, helped carry this incredibly long backbone through the streets of Jamaica Plain.</p><p>Just as we were marching, a man from the Bl(a)ck Tea Society, the anarchist coalition that were the main organizers for protesting in Boston, came up to me, took the tape we had taken so far up to Boston Indymedia. Just as he was about to leave, he said, “You’re marching with the liberals, you know?” I said, “I know” and shrugged my shoulders. Just as I’d said that the march was held up because the police ordered the march to stop until they could get a police escort. My anarchist friend said to me, “We’d never let that stop us.”</p><p>Soon, we marched this fragile backbone along the sidewalks of Jamaica Plain. The police would not allow the marchers on the streets, and the backbone people awkwardly and comically obliged. I said aloud, “The backbone people need a backbone.” David Cobb was on the street looking puzzled at the 500 marchers. He told them to get in the streets, that they are our streets. Perhaps, and I know this will be controversial, the progressives inside the Democratic Party who think they can work from within to change the party had better take a look at themselves in the mirror. How can you tell the Democrats to stand on principle when you yourselves won’t stand on it? We had every right to take those streets; we should have done it instead of reduced to a silly puppet show inside the police state.</p><p>Eventually, tired of how long the march was taking, the Boston police told the marchers to get on the streets so that the march could finally and mercifully end.</p><p>Yet, despite the negative light I have given it here, there was a great energy in the crowd. The chants created a community spirit that brought strangers closer together. The cast of characters in this march as opposed to the earlier ANSWER march had a greater feel of irony and absurdity. Their heart was there, and one hopes that experiences like this will embolden them to do more over time.</p><p>Our day ended with a trip to Marblehead. Some of our friends spent the night out at parties. Most of us wondered what the convention would bring.</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Day 4, Monday, July 26: “Finally, an Effective Action”</b></p><p>We woke up the next morning as early as we could. Today we had a long day ahead of us. We planned on joining the Bl(a)ck Tea Society in whatever they were planning and hoped to protest until late into the evening before driving back all night into DC. Today, now that the convention was starting, we wondered if anything dramatic might happen.</p><p>Before we left, I read a newspaper. The police union in Boston had settled at the last second with the city of Boston. The police union had threatened to picket the Fleet Center and other events scheduled for the delegates. Last week, things came to a head when the city and the courts forced an expedited arbitration hearing to settle the dispute. The union threatened to picket if forced into a contract, and many Democratic delegates vowed not to cross the picket lines. However, with the dispute settled, it was up to activists to make the point.</p><p>We took the “T” down to the Bl(a)ck Tea Society’s Convergence Center. The church, which looked far more like an office building than a church, served as headquarters for the organizers. Inside was a welcome center, a medic area, and a makeshift office for Boston Indymedia, where demonstrators could use the internet. Food Not Bombs served food both inside and outside across the street in Copley Square. The lounge area stunk like a locker room, and the hallways were filled with all the “Do”s and “Don’t”s of protesting. No pictures were allowed inside. It felt like we’d left one security culture for another. The smell of paranoia was in the air. Perhaps, some of us are so used to the police that we aren’t that afraid anymore. Or, perhaps, there’s just a tactical dispute about what to do about it. I tend to be open; they tend to be secretive. I believe too much in what I’m doing to stay silent or afraid of what might happen to me. Others choose to deal with the security differently.</p><p>From info we got at the Convergence Center, we headed to Boston Common for a rally and march. Earlier in the day, Mike McGuire of Baltimore’s Coalition Against Global Exploitation (CAGE), held a small protest at the free speech zone to draw attention to prisoner abuse. Most groups boycotted the free speech zone, but since it looked just like a prison, McGuire decided it was the best place to highlight prison abuse. The pictures I saw of it were very effective. The march we were now attending was organized by the anarchists. The rally was uneventful; the sun so harsh on Monday it was hard to pay attention.</p><p>The march itself had only about 100 people, about 15 of whom were from DC. It was an extremely long march that wound around for at least 6 miles, perhaps more. It was somewhat low in energy. The highlights included a march through the Newbury Street shopping district that featured chants like, “While you’re shopping, bombs are dropping! Because you’re shopping, bombs are dropping!” and “Are you hungry? Eat the rich! Are you horny? Fuck the rich! (but use a condom) Are you cold? Burn the rich!” Later, the police, which outnumbered demonstrators by 3 to 1 surrounded the march, although it was permitted. Occasionally, the police would detain a marcher. When the crowd called on them to let the captured person go, the police each time obliged. Later, there was a brief sit in to demonstrate the police’s refusal to allow bikes to get closer to the Fleet Center.</p><p>All-in-all, the march was a dull disappointment. It left many of us feeling low, not only about numbers, but also about the energy and purpose of what we were doing. It was my third march in 24 hours, and so it left me feeling tired, sore, and sunburnt. Besides, dressed in a white shirt that said, “They both suck” and featuring pictures of Kerry and Bush, I didn’t fit in with all the black and earth tone outfits. Because I looked different, though my politics was the same, I was greeted with a large amount of suspicion. This is the casualty of the world we live in.</p><p>At that point, I was nearly ready to drive home early. Thankfully, some in our group convinced us to go to a Palestinian rights rally in the free speech zone. I wanted to avoid the free speech zone, but I thought I should visit it once out of curiosity. This choice ended up changing the entire trip.</p><p>Before we got to the free speech zone, we rode the “T” with Paul and his giant peace sign. However, as we waited for another train, a woman started taking pictures. We noticed that because of the trouble I had had the day before taking pictures inside the subway. Then, she came out with some MPs. They told Paul that he couldn’t take his sign on the train because it’s a terrorist threat. We thought they were going to confiscate the peace sign, which he’d had for 20 years, but when they finally figured out the man was blind and sick, they became embarrassed. Finally, they showed us how we might walk to the free speech zone.</p><p>On our way to the zone, we ran into David Cobb again out on the streets talking with people. The only sign there was one that read, “Vote for Ralph Nader,” which was ironic. But, it wasn’t Nader; it was Cobb out there without security talking with no more than 15 or 20 people. We watched him for some time inspired by his anti-war, progressive message. He was quite a sight, a Presidential candidate, unscripted on the street talking about what he believes in. He answered the charge of the safe state strategy, which he said was largely untrue. Cobb is running wherever he can get on the ballot and is urging people in swing states to vote their conscience. However, he said, as someone who speaks the truth, he will admit that Bush is worse than Kerry. I took a little bit of video later of Cobb shaking the hand of Paul. It’s too bad that Kerry, Bush, and even Nader aren’t this accessible to the people out on the streets.</p><p>Finally, we arrived at the free speech zone, which is a monstrosity of justice. I do not exaggerate when I say the place looked like a prison. There were high black fences, above which were black netting. On top of the cage going across the top was large razor wire. The ground felt like crap. The place was small but desolate. Onstage, a couple of African Americans were doing hip hop about Palestine, and I could hear them apologize for being there, “This is ridiculous. I thought we were coming to a free speech area.” Most of the time the space was occupied by rightwing groups, like Operation Rescue. Even they must have been appalled. Behind the razor wire, fencing, and black mesh, one could read the sign on the Fleet Center, “Welcome to the Democratic National Convention.”</p><p>This was the low point. The rally wasn’t even particularly all that much about Palestine, at least the parts we heard. It was sad and disgusting.</p><p>Then, the high point came. We left the free speech zone to meet some of our friends who were about to leave in Pete’s van. Then, we noticed that these well-dressed people—they had to be delegates—were entering inside a black cage, which would lead them inside the Fleet Center. All day long we had seen delegates and had talked to some and subtly gave others our anti-war messages on the streets and in the trains. But, now they were entering in through security and were out in the open. Immediately, Dave and Genevieve ran to the fence and started shouting at each delegate as he or she entered.</p><p>They yelled things like, “Kerry is a war collaborator!” “No war collaborator can win the White House!” “Shame on the Democrats!” When many would laugh, we would yell, “People dying in Iraq is not a laughing matter!” “Your man Kerry voted for this war; it’s not funny!” Near the cage it was open. You could go right in the face of a delegate waiting in line and talk with them. There, voices were calmer than near the caged fence, but most delegates ignored us. Genevieve said that she was so frustrated she exclaimed, “I will never vote Democratic again because you people won’t even talk with me!” Finally, one did. Each delegate got an earful. Each knew that we were unhappy. Soon, the DC activists were joined by others. The few Democrats in the area, after some heated arguments, left the area. So, a sea of shouts by activists reigned down pleading with delegates to not sell out the anti-war cause polls showed those delegates believed in.</p><p>For hours, this continued. The press came for numerous interviews. Pacifica and Democracy Now interviewed Genevieve, though I don’t think they used the footage. Local news stations reported the scene. Democratic delegates had chagrined looks, angry looks, bemused looks, and very rarely sympathetic looks on their faces. They could not escape this Boston shitstorm. Thousands of delegates each heard it from people who hate Bush, who hate the Republicans, but who hate war and hypocrisy more. They heard the bitter disappointment that people had with the party. Though always a radical at heart, I used to believe in a reformist tactics, to vote and nudge change one step at a time. I even voted, I’m ashamed to admit, for Al Gore in 2000. I vow that I will not vote for John Kerry. After seeing the Democrats push through a pro war agenda, push through the Patriot Act (Gephardt himself introduced that to the House), call for greater security measures, and refuse to allow the people of this country their free speech rights in Boston, how can I in good conscience do that? They say a vote for Nader (or Cobb) is a vote for Bush, but that’s ridiculous. We have the power to change things. Not a single vote has been cast. If people voted their conscience, their power over us would be broken. A vote for Kerry is a vote for the Bush agenda; it’s a vote for free speech prisons, for greater assaults on civil liberties, and more war. Bush may push all those agendas more than Kerry, but we have candidates who stand for something better. Why won’t we come together and vote for those candidates? A vote for Kerry is a vote against breaking this cycle. Every four years, the other guy is going to be worse, but it’s this politics of fear that continues to produce the George Bush’s of this world. It has to stop. That’s what was continuing on the streets for hours. The faint voice of democracy was pleading with those who had the power to change things to stand up for something, to get a backbone and stand up for peace and justice.</p><p>Even if you are going to vote for Kerry, I find it hard to believe you wouldn’t have been appalled at the sight in Boston, at the behavior of the Democratic Party. We met almost no one who was enthusiastic about Kerry, though we met many who planned on voting for him anyhow. When all you can say is that the man is not Bush, how enthusiastic can you be?</p><p>One of the highlights of giving the delegates an earful was seeing DC Mayor Anthony Williams. Williams is a democrat who once hosted a fundraiser for a Republican congresswoman. Much more pernicious than that, his administration has pursued an aggressive policy of construction that has gentrified poor areas. He shut down the only public hospital in the city. Somehow, the DC delegation managed not to have enough power to keep statehood for DC on the Democratic platform, although similar language was there in support of Puerto Rico and other U.S. territories. I yelled out, “Mayor Williams! Mayor Williams!” Finally, we got his attention. Dave called him a traitor. Others accused him of selling DC down the river. I yelled at him about the public hospital. After he saw us, he walked smugly away. It’s the second time that day DC activists shouted him down. Activist Bork heckled him at an earlier event that day.</p><p>Since the delegates were approachable for hours, had people wanted to take direct action and stop the delegates from entering, a very small number could have chained themselves to the fence to create a significant problem. It is unfortunate how people become so scared of the security that they don’t realize the opportunities. People assume they won’t be anywhere near the Republican Convention in New York, but they simply do not know that. Direct action was possible. We decided it was more useful to give the Democrats an earful.</p><p>Finally, after hours, the Boston police figured out the security hole and brought pens to block off activists from delegates. By then, we were ready to go home having done the most important job I could imagine doing in Boston. I drove home all night on the adrenaline of those last hours. We departed with some doughnuts and made our way home.</p><p>To be honest, we didn’t want to leave. It seemed like Boston needed us.</p><p>Now, DC needs us. DC needs us to organize our anti-war movement, to mobilize this city for New York, to unite and let the Republicans know that their injustice is extremely shameful. We must get the numbers to New York, must find ways to take care of each other. We need help, though. We need your help with buying bus tickets, helping us find housing, getting the word out to all the neighborhoods in our region. This has to be huge and important, and it’s up to us.</p><p>Genevieve and Dave took charge of an opportunity to let the delegates know how we felt; we have to keep the faith and see that those opportunities already belong to all of us right now. Organizing is hard work. You are going to have people doing things you don’t agree with, people you find yourselves uncomfortable around, but what’s the alternative? The alternative is letting these corporate and militaristic villains get away with their crimes? We have to change this dynamic now. So, let’s put our egos aside and get to work.</p><p>So ends my report on Boston.</p><p>P. S. I want to thank all those who came with the Friday crew. Besides those mentioned, I want to mention Ann Wilcox, of the Statehood Green Party, who was a fabulous help with Paul and a lot of fun to be around. I want to thank Pete and Suzanne for driving. Thanks to Luke Krafft in Boston for giving us housing and to Dave’s family in Marblehead for all their warm hospitality.</p><p>Captioned pictures of the week are at <a href="http://www.yellowstone-online.com/boston/">http://www.yellowstone-online.com/boston/</a> </p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-71573019636462260042023-08-29T07:44:00.003-06:002023-08-29T07:46:49.723-06:00Free Public Dance 8/31 6PM @ Soroptomist Park (and Why I Dance)<p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><img alt="" class="alignnleft wp-image-586 alignleft" decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" height="331" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230706_200411-e1693314470727-300x300.jpg" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="331" />On Thursday, August 31, 2023, at 6PM, my friend Aly and I invite you to dance with us in public at Soroptomist Park (Rouse and Main)<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">. There is no cost, no dance experience required, and no moves to learn.</em> </span>If you are respectful of yourself, other dancers, and the community in and around the park, we would be delighted to have you!</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The rest of this piece is to tell you a bit about my journey in dance and why I am so passionate about reclaiming public spaces for it. All dance is good dance, and anyone, even if you can only blink, can dance.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You may have seen us dance in our vibrant colors around Bozeman or even well outside of it. We shake it most often in Soroptomist Park, but we’ve been spotted elsewhere downtown. You may have seen us at the traffic circle at College and 11th or at Music on Main. Perhaps, you have seen us dancing at Shakespeare in the Parks, Last Best Comedy, or The Filling Station. Not content with dance stopping at the city limits, we have been to other parts of Montana and surrounding areas, too! There we were lighting up the Montana Folk Festival in Butte. And over there we have been witnessed frequently in Yellowstone National Park and also West Yellowstone, Missoula, the Bigfork of Flathead Lake, and St. Regis. Most recently, we danced exuberantly outside the Seattle Art Museum.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">While we appreciate the love we have received (and a little bit of hate) for street dancing, what really lights us up is when others join us. Sometimes, the residents of Soroptomist join and dance. Aly and I have had such beautiful moments with other Bozeman residents and tourists. Once, a man saw us and drummed the whole time we danced. At Music on Main, we have played a role in a beautiful culture of lovely people who now feel safe dancing near the front of the stage for the whole show. Children and people of all ages, genders, abilities, and races have consistently created with us a place where people feel comfortable enough to dance.</p><p style="background-color: border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In dance, we find total freedom. It is as though we are in an old MGM movie, instead being in real life making our lives imitate our highest art. I am definitely no Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire, but my dancing is enough and adds so much color to my life.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">However, while some join us, you sense that most people don’t think they can dance or feel too afraid of social judgment to join. We know many other dancers in town who absolutely adore it but who do not feel safe dancing unless there is a dedicated space for it. I am so thankful that <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecstatic_dance" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">ecstatic dances</a>, such as the one I often dance at <a href="https://www.emergencemovement.us/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">Emergence Movement and Wellness</a>, exist each month. Yet, it is sad for me that most of the minority of people who do dance don’t feel safe to do so in public. This is something we want to change. We want a Bozeman and a world where people feel free to express themselves, be themselves, and dance in public just like they might in the privacy of their own homes. We also want it accessible to people no matter how much money they have, which we can offer by dancing in public.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Would you believe that I barely danced in my life before I was 38? A mere 11 years ago, I was one of those people who didn’t think he could dance and was too shy to put himself out there.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Back in 2007, some years before beginning my journey in dance, I had one of those life-altering experiences. I was living back east preparing a move to Bozeman, and I attended an outdoor showing of the concert movie <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Stop Making Sense</em>, featuring the Talking Heads, a band I had loved since childhood. As I sat watching Talking Heads perform song after song, I noticed off to my right a dance party had broken out in the street. There I saw people of all ages, particularly this one old man, dancing wildly and ecstatically in a big circle. Something in me stirred, and I felt such a failing in me. I had such envy for how much fun they were having and particularly this energetic old man who did not look like he belonged in a sea of people in their teens and twenties. Somehow, I knew that some day I needed to dance.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">My son was born later that year, and we moved to Bozeman right around Christmas. It took me a few years to act on that conviction – first through a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5Rhythms" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; transition: all 0.2s linear 0s;">5Rhythms</a> class – and from there, I have never ever stopped dancing (can’t stop won’t stop). I took a tango class (big fail), and then started swing dancing. I became a licensed Chakradance facilitator (curious? DM me). I studied some tap on my own – and then later with Aly. But mostly, I just danced ecstatically, and increasingly, I began dancing in public.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">I remember that first time I went to Music on Main. There was this woman whose name I have never known who has been dancing there for years. She is, in my opinion, the true pioneer of regular public dancing there, but I did not know about her when I decided to go. I simply went to dance and expand the edges of my comfort zone. Each time I had in recent years, I felt more alive as a person, and I also saw that it often encouraged others. That first time went well, and so I went again. This time, I dressed up and had a beautiful time dancing with several people during Sweet Pea weekend. Well, it was beautiful until my mom called. She let me know that my cousin who was only 30 – and whom I had just danced with at his brother’s wedding just five days prior – had died of a suspected drug overdose. It was an incredibly tragic moment for our family. Fast forward about a month later, I was now in the Tetons with my son. A woman excitedly came up to me and said, “I know you! You danced with my granddaughter! We have you on video. You are famous in our family and made our night!” The girl was but a toddler, and this night was the same night as Sweet Pea – that is, the same night that I learned my cousin had died. Somehow, it filled my heart to know that his tragic death didn’t completely blot out the magic of dance. It still dominated, but for me, it did help knowing that my dancing provided a lasting memory for another family.</p><figure aria-describedby="caption-attachment-585" class="wp-caption alignright" id="attachment_585" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em 1.5em; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 338px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-585" decoding="async" height="231" sizes="(max-width: 338px) 100vw, 338px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-300x205.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-300x205.jpg 300w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-1024x699.jpg 1024w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-768x524.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-1536x1049.jpg 1536w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-2048x1398.jpg 2048w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-250x171.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-550x375.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-800x546.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-264x180.jpg 264w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-439x300.jpg 439w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_190752-732x500.jpg 732w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="338" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text" id="caption-attachment-585" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.8075em 0px; text-align: right;">We also encourage art; in the future, street theater.</figcaption></figure><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dance has that power. If we can trust that we are enough and allow that to shine, it can reach others and encourage them. That kindness and love really can spread. I believe dance can do a lot more than that for us, but those are for other essays. What I’m really getting at is this idea that if we allow ourselves to express in the shared space of neighborhoods and communities, we can be like human flower gardens. If that is too woo for you, it’s really just a lot of fun. And it’s a lot of fun to share. And it’s fun to reach people outside our circles. Even when people say something negative, that somehow is enjoyable. It breaks the mold of the norm where people keep to themselves and exist in very predictable patterns of behavior.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We really work on being respectful. Our music is not particularly loud, and if we are asked by a resident of the park to leave, we leave. If we cannot play without waking someone up, we simply move to another spot. We are not blocking sidewalks or pathways. Yes, we sometimes express some very strident ideological beliefs, but we truly are encouraging safety for free speech and expression so long as that expression is basically respectful and does not threaten the safety of others. We want people to be as energetic and boisterous or as soft and gentle as they want to be within those commonsense boundaries.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Of course, if you already dance, we would love to have you. We do find that critical mass encourages others who would be on the fence. However, if you do not think you dance, if you think it does not make sense for you to dance, well, please consider it and <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">stop making sense!</em> Dance changed my life and put me in the joyful exuberant place I have been now for many years. It was people publicly dancing who planted that seed; help us plant some more.</p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 0.92em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If you are curious about more details or can’t make this one but would like to dance with us, <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/contact-us/">please reach out!</a> If you are hesitant that you, too, can dance, let me convince you that you already can!</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-27344839462215223312023-08-24T08:00:00.002-06:002023-08-24T08:00:25.356-06:00Respect All People: Against Bozeman’s Proposed Anti-Homeless Ordinance<p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600"
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</v:shape><![endif]--></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFq3wkE_x4spF_CJWINVMO2AaeSMKp3SejHVAeDnG1_hDEC4icdY5ffTebLvKvG6E3e1CuzUsFRNbRJOCfkDMVdj7UET-U4R1AhSO7soJL3ycfhMfUxlnfCpiuNjb_N11tDL2Z1_2LrF3xEUMdTNraoTORHQqzE_-dW6Uzl4tOrTY4Y6HbSoPWRg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="left" alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="286" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiFq3wkE_x4spF_CJWINVMO2AaeSMKp3SejHVAeDnG1_hDEC4icdY5ffTebLvKvG6E3e1CuzUsFRNbRJOCfkDMVdj7UET-U4R1AhSO7soJL3ycfhMfUxlnfCpiuNjb_N11tDL2Z1_2LrF3xEUMdTNraoTORHQqzE_-dW6Uzl4tOrTY4Y6HbSoPWRg" width="229" /></a></div>Where I live in Bozeman, Montana, the City
Commission and many residents have been discussing proposed Ordinance 2147, “<a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Regulations_for_Camping_on_City_Right_of_Way_Ordinance_2147.pdf">Adopting
Regulations for Camping on City Right of Way</a>.” Discussion centers on how much
residents should tolerate people who live in vehicles parked on city streets as
well as reasonable regulation of urban camping. Even some who work as homeless
advocates have claimed that the city is reasonable to consider these regulations.
For example, Bozeman’s Human Resource Development Council (HRDC) Housing
Director Brian Guyer <a href="https://www.kbzk.com/news/local-news/bozeman-city-commission-meeting-ends-without-discussing-urban-camping-ordinance">stated
recently</a>:<o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>“I understand that the issue of
urban camping is complicated, and I don't want to get in a situation where we
are trying to arrest our way out of homelessness,” Guyer said. “The city needs
a tool to enforce parking regulations to enforce some rules around urban
camping. So, I appreciate the empathy and the humanity that they’ve sort of
introduced with this ordinance. I support it. I think that you know, it helps
the city to maintain, you know, hygiene standards.”</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">And even where some, such as Executive Director of Family
Promise Christel Chvilicek, have argued that the five-day parking limit
proposed by Ordinance 2147 is too harsh, she and Guyer agree that perhaps a
14-day limit would be a “much more reasonable expectation” (Guyer).</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>On the political right, predictably, there is much
consternation over having to do anything at all to accommodate unhoused people
and general frustration that the liberal Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
has forced this situation on Bozeman at all by <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/9th-circuit-court-orders-cities-and-towns-cannot-force-homeless-people-off-the-street/">ruling
in a case in another city</a> that urban camping cannot be outlawed when there
is not an option of shelter for all the residents who want it. Officially,
according to the <a href="https://library.municode.com/mt/bozeman/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=14755">Bozeman
Code</a>, camping on public property is not permitted, and so the Code does not
currently comply with the ruling. That sounds absurd to those who have no
sympathy for people often equated with “bums,” “deadbeats,” or “thugs.” Many of
them believe that the proposed ordinance is too kind to unhoused people.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Now, let me be unequivocal. I am against Ordinance 2147 as
well as any other proposed ordinance that restricts camping. I am especially against
one that makes it harder for people, no matter their circumstances, who do not
have shelter, and I am against any approach to people that does not begin with
mutual respect. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">One undiscussed aspect of the proposed ordinance troubles me
a lot. The “Definitions” section of the proposed ordinance defines
“involuntarily homeless”: </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">“Involuntarily homeless” means a
person that does not have the means to acquire their own shelter and who does
not otherwise have access to shelter or transitional housing. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The reason for this definition is to help the city become
compliant with the court ruling, which actually offers no legal protection for
being homeless. Rather, it only protects an unhoused person when that person
cannot acquire their own shelter or get access to temporary or emergency shelter
(such as HRDC’s <a href="https://thehrdc.org/housing/homeless-services/emergency-shelter/">Warming
Center</a>). And by shelter, tents on public lands or vehicles legally parked
do not count! </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yet, why is that the standard? That is, why is it the
standard for our tolerance of homelessness that we will only accommodate those
people who have no choice but to be homeless? We know that the city has only
proposed this definition because it has been forced to by the Federal Court,
but nothing the Federal Court has ruled forbids us from going beyond the bare
minimum. We could legally – and certainly ethically – increase our tolerance
standard. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Splitting our homeless population into those who are
voluntarily homeless from those who are involuntarily homeless moralizes a convenient
legal category for the city. First, it suggests that everyone who can find a
home in our town is legally expected to find a home or shelter, and secondly it
suggests we will only grudgingly tolerate those who cannot through at best
highly restrictive rules on where they can live, for how long, and under what
conditions. And since we regulate every other aspect of living – what
homeowners and tenants can and cannot do – the city surely thinks this is a
reasonable measure to meet other priorities of the community, such as “parking
regulation” and “you know, hygiene standards.” </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, on what basis do we as a society or city have for
insisting that people who could have shelter should have shelter? We certainly
know a lot of people agree with insisting on this. Many posts in local online
forums and <a href="https://my1035.com/open-letter-to-urban-campers-in-montana/">articles</a>
have displayed some sympathy for anyone who really has no choice in a city with
runaway housing prices and rents, but they have just as regularly shown no
sympathy for those who have chosen that lifestyle or who at least prefer it to
the alternative. Other upset housed residents cite unhoused people as often
criminals, who live in unsanitary conditions, suffer from mental illness, use
drugs, drink too much, and are regularly unemployed. They express disgust at
having neighbors from a different economic class than perhaps they thought they
were buying into. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We could argue endlessly about the soundness of these
claims, but I plan to take a different tact. I want to challenge the line of
thinking that has no sympathy for “voluntary homelessness” on two grounds. The
first ground is to demonstrate that there is no sound moral argument for
believing that living in a permanent shelter – that is, a home – makes one a
better person than someone who chooses not to. The second ground is that the
problems that inevitably arise from respecting homelessness as a valid choice
for life should not be solved by ordinance and enforcement. Rather, we will go
a lot further with community-based approaches rooted in mutual respect. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">To make this case, let us first dispense with treating “the
homeless” as a class of people. While the law wants to divide being homeless
into two classes – involuntary and voluntary – classifying a group as “the homeless”
is dangerous. For example, if we ask, do the homeless act in undesirable ways
within our community? Of course, if we ask it that way, we are bound to treat
the question as though we are on a scale. Some will tell anecdotes of all the
things they have directly experienced that they find undesirable. Then, as a
result of these bad experiences, this being true of at least one or some people
within the class of “the homeless,” the negative characteristics then become
applicable to the entire group of people. So, they will say, “The homeless use
drugs, commit crimes, suffer from mental illness, steal, and are lazy.” Of
course, we could just as easily say the same things about "the homed"
by picking out examples of housed people who have all of these same traits. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We should therefore be precise and not speak of a class of
people who are “the homeless.” Nothing about being unsheltered makes someone complicit
in the socially undesirable acts of another unsheltered person. Rather, there
are individuals who do not have shelter and who may also exhibit undesirable
qualities. We can, if we insist, attach the adjective “homeless” to that
individual, though there are other reasons outside the scope of this essay to
question even that, but attaching a judgment to an entire class of people, such
as the homeless, is unjust and arises from a fallacy. It is much the same
fallacy that arises in racism, where the actions of some people have often been
unjustly applied to a whole class of people. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So, if being homeless at best applies to individuals and not
to classes of people, is there any reason at all to socially denigrate people
who do not have shelters or to lift up people who do? That is, is there
something socially or morally better about finding permanent shelter? What I am
getting at is the core of my assertion, that we should not be treating people
who choose homelessness as worse than those who are so involuntarily or from
people who have permanent shelter. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Many have written about how having – and especially owning –
a home is a key to happiness, while others have argued against it. If we look
at things simply, however, does anything about living in a permanent shelter
make a person morally superior or better than a person who does not –
regardless of circumstance? Try as I might, I can see no contradiction in the
proposition, “I do not live in a home, and I am a good person.” And I see none
in “I chose not to live in a home, and I am a good person.” Or “I live in a
home, and I am not a good person.” In each case, those statements might be
true. Nothing makes them automatically false. The phrase “live in a home” adds
nothing to the moral equation. There are certainly advantages to living in a
home. It protects us from elements, it keeps us in good graces with the Bozeman
Code, and we may also receive some mental health benefits. No one is arguing
that for many people, living in a home is not more desirable. However, that by
itself does not make it a morally better choice for all people in all
circumstances. We can easily imagine people who will thrive more not living in
a home. Take, for example, the experience reported by the travelers portrayed
in the movie <i><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9770150/"><span style="color: blue;">Nomadland</span></a></i>. All lives have hardships, but were
these people all worse for having not lived in a home even though many of them
chose that way of life? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">If we are not treating “homeless” as a class and can find no
contradiction for all people in the proposition, “Choosing to be homeless might
be better for me,” then we simply have no moral grounds to restrict it taken by
itself. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Let us consider a more nuanced objection. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It may be that by itself homelessness can be a sound choice
for some people, but what if there are social reasons to restrict it? Perhaps, the
collective problems created by tolerating people who have no shelter interfere
with other values that the city might hold dear, such as having enough parking
on side streets and sanitation standards? Even if we admit that we should not
criminalize homelessness whether taken as a class or taken individually,
perhaps we must when considering all the varied needs of a community. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We cannot deny that conflicts arise. If two people want to
stand on the same spot, only one can occupy it, and often there is no better
reason for either person. If I have a house with a lawn, it is true that I
might rather have that parking space open than occupied by someone who is now
living in it. I live in an apartment, and I admit I am always happy when my
neighbors move away and therefore provide me those few days where I do not have
to worry whether I or they are making too much noise. By the very nature of any
two beings, we often observe conflicting desires. The life killed for our food
may not have wanted to die. A person we fall in love with may not love us in
return. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The question here, then, is a much harder question. While
many succumb to the fallacy that there is an inherent problem with homelessness
either defined as a class or at an individual level, most people have issues dealing
with conflicting values. Maybe we shouldn’t treat all unsheltered people as a
class, but perhaps the cumulative effect caused by homeless people collides
with other values we hold dear. We may, then, need to treat people as a
collective class – that is, “the homeless” – to promote a more important
community need, or so the argument goes. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Desires indeed clash in our community, and yet on what basis
do we as a city and society pick winners? No doubt the answer many will give is
that we live in a representative democracy, and these issues are settled at the
ballot box by the majority of voters or at least by the majority of the
representatives who make up the City Commission. Right and wrong is simply
determined by the agreed upon social contract, which in our case has some
version of majority rule. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">However, do we need to make decisions that way, and should
we make decisions that way when it comes to conflicts between people, some of
whom have permanent shelters and some of whom do not? Should it be government
and majority rule that determines whether people should be mandated, where
possible, to find shelter and the conditions under which they are allowed not
to? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">While I personally would challenge the legitimacy of our
city government or any other government under any system to justly decide this,
we do not need to go that far in this case. Instead, we can simply ask whether
there is a better way for resolving conflict between people than an ordinance
that applies the same standard to all people. For example, what if I want
people living outside my home or do not mind if they erect tents on it? What if
I am okay with someone in a van living indefinitely on the curb outside my
home? What if my neighbors all agree with that? That is, what if problems could
be solved, perspectives listened to, and a range of options consented on
without asking the city government to determine that for us? </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In our society, when there is a problem, people are quick to
call the police. Many ask what the government is going to do about this problem
or that one. It is a wonder we do not call the police or our congressman to
help us know what to cook for dinner or the best place to get gas. People
living outside our homes are our neighbors. They have every bit the same moral worth
to be who they are as we do who live in homes. That is, all people simply by
nature of being people are worthy of respect. And yes, we all have conflicting
needs or desires. Is it better that we bring about the power of the law and the
use of force to deal with our conflicts, or might we actually come together as
neighbors and communities to meet and discuss and then come up with solutions
to our issues? In some cases, it might be better for neighbors living in vans
to move to another more welcoming neighborhood. In others, it might make a lot
of sense for us to deal with the inconvenience of fewer parking spots and a
more challenging garbage situation just so people can have a consistent place
to sleep at night. Breaking down the walls between people and going beyond the
circumstances (homeless versus homeowner versus tenant) can only be beneficial. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Yes, it is true in our society that we can often be very bad
at communicating or knowing how to solve problems between people. We can be
really bad at solving our own problems and even worse at handing those in our
closest relationships. How can we, then, possibly communicate well with
strangers? It can feel easier to pass the buck to authorities and not directly
deal with people as people. However true this is, it cannot be an excuse for
choosing ordinances that dehumanize people and treat them unjustly. It cannot
allow for an ordinance that City Commissioner Chris Coburn admitted would
“effectively criminalize homelessness” (<i>Bozeman Daily Chronicle</i>, August
9, 2023). We could do better. There are all kinds of people in our community
trained in facilitation, mediation, and working with people to reach consensus.
Rather than lean on a structure that only knows how to impose rules and
enforcement of those rules, wouldn’t we all be better off if we tried to
empower ourselves in these situations to meet with our neighbors or at least seek
out the support of people with experience to help? In my case, I have
facilitated thousands of meetings, including intimacy and communication
workshops. I would love to help people talk to each other and solve problems,
and where problems cannot be solved, come up with mitigation strategies that still
keep us far short of the proposed unjust legislation. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Working with your community, which now includes people who
may be living on the street, and beginning with a premise of mutual respect simply
makes too much sense not to be the preferred option. We can do this, and what
that looks like citywide will not be the same from neighborhood to
neighborhood. On each block, it may look very different and involve unique sets
of challenges, but the more this process works, the greater the cultural shift
and critical mass. That critical mass of success will allow the larger
community to pitch in to deal with more challenging situations. We do not need
the shelter of the government to protect us from the storms caused by other
people. As we can see from this proposed ordinance, all it really does is react
to a court ruling and therefore create greater injustice. Being homeless either
as a class or as an individual, whether by choice or despite circumstances,
does not make one morally less of a person. Therefore, by creating more
problems and further complications for people without shelter, the government
has not actually solved our community’s problems; it has only persecuted one
group at the expense of another. Even if we are only slightly successful using
the approach I propose, we would certainly be better off than this. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Therefore, I have solid reasons for opposing proposed Bozeman Ordinance 2147 and would love to work on a new way forward, working with my community and having the dialogue required to build relationships and solutions to the often conflicting desires, fears, and boundaries we all have. All people, regardless of their shelter situation, are worthy of our respect. With that mutual respect, let us work together as communities to do something for each other.</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-89228639793381546102023-02-11T12:54:00.004-07:002023-02-11T12:54:39.145-07:00Intimacy Cadre Website is Live!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://intimacycadre.org" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y4cGYb2DiE9WhGprVktszLPG0plk_XcLXnrHXfM4a3pNwH-kq8UqmknPxz5K0bYt2t2AExgz6f231MqOhIgo3BoDQ9J9Cj-YiBi1fQ2FDRgxKjmxLF_3mHv5Yb6F9ntG5VBoy-P51Uq8UA6644qBtMPXZhkjfpegdiIfKpO0yR3DI0Hx1iY/s320/cortezbeach_ami_us.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Dee Elle and I have just published our new website, <a href="https://intimacycadre.org">https://intimacycadre.org</a>. We're really excited. This is the place where you can listen to all our new <a href="https://www.intimacycadre.org/podcast">podcasts </a>(as of this publishing date, we're up to nine!), register for our <a href="https://intimacycadre.org/events/">events</a>, and play with some of the <a href="https://intimacycadre.org/intimacy-toolbox/">intimacy tools</a> we've been collecting.<p></p><p></p><p>It's all very exciting. One big thing that we will be doing is a weekend workshop at Boulder Hot Springs on May 5-7 called "Intimacy Playground." We'll have more details on the website soon. You can also contact us at intimacycadre@gmail.com.</p><p>And for those of you wondering if I'm still doing Bozeman Antifa Dance (& Theatre Collective), the answer is yes! Aly and I recently published a podcast, and you can still see us dancing in Bozeman's public spaces.<br /></p><br />Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-28646592907095325192023-01-30T15:39:00.003-07:002023-01-30T15:39:44.723-07:00Three new podcasts I've worked on released today!<div id="buzzsprout-player-12149168"></div><script src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1902047/12149168-the-bad-podcast-sex-and-intimacy-polyamory-and-our-issues-as-anarchists-with-liberals.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-12149168&player=small" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p></p>
<div id="buzzsprout-player-12146078"></div><script src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2124842/12146078-introduction-to-the-intimacy-cadre.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-12146078&player=small" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p></p>
<div id="buzzsprout-player-12149323"></div><script src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/2124842/12149323-ecstatic-pussy-chat.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-12149323&player=small" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-77192557249366166162022-03-08T14:47:00.003-07:002022-03-08T14:47:56.589-07:00Intimacy Journeying with Jim and Dee Elle<em style="background-color: #f7f3f3; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-520 alignleft" height="668" sizes="(max-width: 432px) 100vw, 432px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version--663x1024.png" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version--663x1024.png 663w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version--194x300.png 194w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version--768x1187.png 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version--994x1536.png 994w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version--250x386.png 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version--550x850.png 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version--800x1236.png 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version--116x180.png 116w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version--324x500.png 324w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/intimacy-sesh-web-version-.png 1294w" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: left; height: auto; margin-right: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="432" /></em><p><i>My activism extends beyond my friendship with Aly. One of my big passions is tantra, and for the first time in my life, I feel ready to lead workshops related to intimacy. My girlfriend Dee Elle and I are going to do extensive workshops for couples (and some singles) on intimacy. <b>We are offering a pre-intimacy workshop March 27, 2022, from 3-5 PM MDT. You can contact me by email at jsmacdonald@riseup.net, if you want more details.</b></i></p><p><i>This essay describes what the intimacy journey we envision is.</i></p><p><b>Summary</b>: Intimacy is primarily about learning to love and see yourselves and others fully. More than a cure for pervasive loneliness, intimacy offers us the chance to live joyful lives in harmony with our deepest desires.</p><p>Many things go into intimacy, some obvious and some less so. Intimacy is about learning how to communicate, integrating our sexuality into our lives, as well as learning how to trust and love ourselves and others. It is also about learning how to use breath, movement, sound, and essential oils, as well as re-engage each of the five senses into the intimacy process.</p><p>Dee Elle and Jim are offering a journey into intimacy with couples or single people who can find a working partner for the journey. We will facilitate and provide the space, tools, and practices as we co-participate in the journey with you. We are not your teachers or gurus; we are fellow voyageurs who are taking responsibility for holding together the intimacy “spacecraft” that we are all flying to journey together.</p><p>Dee Elle and Jim do not claim any special expertise in intimacy, but we do have a deep passion to make it our life’s work and do have special expertise in facilitating and organizing workshops. If what we are doing resonates with you, join us. If not, we wish you well on your own journey.</p><p>We are offering an Intro to Intimacy pre-gathering online Sunday, March 27, 3-5 PM MDT, where we will introduce our work and model a step we believe is helpful toward creating a sacred container for intimate communication. Anyone can join this particular gathering; it is not restricted to couples, and there will be no couple pairing work.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><b>Intimacy: What Is It, What We Envision, and Why Us</b></p><p><b>What Is Intimacy</b></p><p>So, what is intimacy?</p><p>Intimacy, in a dictionary sense (one might say a very non-intimate sense), means to be “closely acquainted, very familiar.” According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the adjective “intimate” only came into the English language in the 1630s, deriving from a couple Latin words, including intimare, which means to “make known, announce, impress” and intimus, which means “inmost, innermost, deepest.” By the 1640s, the noun “intimacy” came into English and was first applied to sexual intercourse in the 1670s but not really applied to sex in popular culture until 1882.</p><p>That may seem like a long time, but what strikes us is that English has been around for more than 1,400 years, but the word “intimacy” has not even been around for 500 years and has only been applied in any noticeable way to our sexuality for the last 140. What a long time that we did not have a word in our language for a concept we hold so dear. And while we cannot speak for other cultures and languages, it makes us wonder if one reason people have such trouble finding intimacy is because it is only recently in our collective history that we have become acquainted with or familiar with a concept called “intimacy.”</p><p>That is, we are not yet intimate with intimacy, and so is it any wonder we have such trouble finding it in our lives or knowing exactly what it is?</p><p>Yet, intimacy is something we all want, even if we are scared to let it in. We all want to feel loved and seen and to be able to love and see. Loneliness is such a pervasive feeling for so many, and people go to great lengths to alleviate it. Yet, how many people actually work at curing their loneliness by being truly intimate? How many people actually seek that familiarity and love with themselves and/or with other people or know how to accomplish it?</p><p>However, let’s look at it another way. Yes, we can look at discovering intimacy as the best cure for the negative feeling of loneliness, but that only shows the least interesting half of the picture. Intimacy is also the source of our highest possible joy. If you are intimate with yourself or a friend, parent, child, or partner, you possess love and understanding. Every intimate action rooted in love and understanding can only produce joy in your life because it meets our highest desire to be close.</p><p>Okay, that’s perhaps still too dense. Let’s get more intimate with it. How about an example? Let’s say you are with a partner with whom you had natural sexual chemistry. At first, you had amazing sex, and it felt wonderful. Perhaps, that lasted for a while. However, you never worked on other important aspects of your relationship. You actually never talked about your sex life and what was working and what wasn’t. You didn’t learn each other’s history or perhaps the sexual traumas or high points of your lives. Outside the bedroom, you never developed methods for communication or saw if your visions for relationship aligned. Perhaps, you don’t trust him when he works late or talks with other women. Perhaps, there are a whole lot of things you also don’t like about yourself. “Does he only like me because I’m attractive? Does he know all the little things I don’t like about him? Why am I so indecisive? Am I even good enough for him? Is he good enough for me? What is he holding inside about me? Does he know that I want children? What does he mean when he says, ‘I love you’? Hell, what do I mean when I say it to him? Why can I not stop being jealous? Did he notice me flirting with that man in the grocery store? And yes, the sex is amazing, but could it be better? I don’t know because we never talk about it.” Block by block, this stuff builds, and eventually the chemistry wears off. But, what if that were the opposite? What if you did fully love yourself? What if you had built communication over things both pleasant and unpleasant such that you actually knew each other? What if trust could be built? What if sex could be better? Would that not produce incredible joy? Yes! Yes! Yes! And more joy than perhaps is obvious at first glance.</p><p>The last paragraph begins to move us closer to intimacy because it invites us to know ourselves and others more closely and therefore experience joy. So, for anyone who wants to let that kind of closeness and joy into your life, we invite you to keep reading. And if you are one of those afraid to keep going, you may certainly pause before you enter or not enter at all. But if you do enter, we are gratified by your trust in us and will do everything we can to keep you safe through this journey. Be warned, though, that the journey can be unsettling and take you to your edges of what you think is possible and may take you beyond those edges. We are dealing here with a lot of repression in ourselves and in our culture, signified by the fact that “intimacy” indeed is a relatively new word in our English vocabulary. It is not easy to break habits, particularly collective habits, but we have experienced enough to know that it is so worth it if we open our entire selves to intimacy.</p><p><b>The Intimacy Journey We Envision</b></p><p>We envision a shared journey into intimacy. We are your facilitators and co-participants into the journey of intimacy and not your gurus or teachers. The distinction here is important. Intimacy is not something a teacher can give you. We cannot give you a magic elixir or a pharmaceutical product or even – as much as we might like – a natural plant and say, “Take this, and you will have intimacy.” We also cannot give you a step-by-step guidebook that will automatically produce intimacy in your lives. Intimacy is a journey into knowing yourself and others in your life, and each of you is unique. And while there are surely some shared principles of intimacy, within those principles is a universe of exploration. So, let’s explore … together!</p><p>What we can do is facilitate and join on the journey with you. There are tools we have learned either from our own individual experience or experience as partners that we can share that have worked for us. There are tools we have learned from others that we can impart. And because you are journeying alongside us, we open the door for you all to share your experiences and insights into intimacy that can potentially be of benefit to us all.</p><p>Our plan is to share some of the tools and practices that we have so that you can practice this with yourselves and others. Mostly, for our work, we are interested right now in working with couples, or with individuals who can practice together in some way. While there are many other types of intimacy and while we may touch on the ways they are interrelated, we feel a special call to work with couples.</p><p>Moreover, we plan practices around a broad range of topics that intimacy entails, including communication and sexuality. We will focus mostly at first on what we call sacred communication, as that is the basis for all intimacy. That is, we are going to learn methods for talking to each other and various methods for communicating. This is such a big topic that it pervades all the others and will never be far from us on our journey. Related to sacred communication, we are not going to shy away from sexual intimacy, an essential destination along our journey. Because sexual intimacy is so badly understood and so badly integrated into most of our lives, we must journey to our sexual core to have full intimacy with ourselves and our partners. We expect most of the edges you may approach will be related to sexuality. Sacred communication helps us navigate sexual intimacy, leading us often to an ecstatic experience.</p><p>Beyond sacred communication and sexual intimacy, we believe there are undergirding topics that are also necessary principles of all intimacy. Some topics are obvious and perhaps others less so. Among the obvious topics we will explore are the essential role of loving oneself and the centrality of trust. Less obvious ones are the importance of breath, movement, and sound to intimacy work. As one example, we dance, and we’re going to invite you all to dance a lot, not simply because it is fun but because we believe this actually is a necessary component to intimacy. We are going to sing and scream and breathe and laugh a lot together. We will also talk about essential oils and how rediscovering our connection with plants is so important. Additionally, we will look at intimacy as it applies to each of our five senses, as well as to our hearts and even our minds. There are many other topics of exploration as well, including how to navigate power dynamics in relationships, especially around money. Many of them will arise as we become more intimate with all of you.</p><p>We envision that this work will and must have some in-person components. The groups we put together will always meet together in person at the beginning and at the end of our journey together while we stay in touch through online and phone gatherings over the interim. For us, intimacy is in part a journey into our bodies and into the senses, though it is also a journey away from merely our bodies and into the work of energy and connection with our souls. We do not believe we do justice to intimacy if we are not able to create workshops where we cannot actually see and hear each other. However, we also understand the practical realities of our lives and that it would not be logistically possible right now for us to form a group that could meet only in person. Moreover, intimacy is possible at physical distance, and the efforts we make at communication when at a distance actually can teach us in many ways how to love and see the other person wherever our bodies are. We have firsthand experience, which for us began as a long-distance relationship. The intimacy in our relationship has traveled well, and it can also for us intimacy voyageurs whether we interact in person or remotely.</p><p>Therefore, expect at least two full weekend in-person gatherings and weekly or biweekly online gatherings with an ongoing community of engagement online or by telephone. Expect exercises around communication, sexuality, breath, movement, sound, and many other topics. And expect to be able to work with a partner on these practices where that is applicable.</p><p><b>Why Us</b></p><img alt="" class="wp-image-522 size-medium alignright" height="300" loading="lazy" sizes="(max-width: 143px) 100vw, 143px" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-143x300.jpg" srcset="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-143x300.jpg 143w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-489x1024.jpg 489w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-768x1607.jpg 768w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-734x1536.jpg 734w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-979x2048.jpg 979w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-250x523.jpg 250w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-550x1151.jpg 550w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-800x1674.jpg 800w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-86x180.jpg 86w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-239x500.jpg 239w, https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20211231_210852-scaled.jpg 1223w" style="background-color: #f7f3f3; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; height: auto; margin-left: 1.5em; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="143" /><p>We imagine that people will wonder why we have decided to take this journey together and what makes us qualified to facilitate a working project on intimacy. Some will note that we have been together for a relatively short period, and each has our share of failed romantic relationships and friendships. Why should you put your trust into us?</p><p>Of course, this is an excellent question and one we take seriously. It would certainly be arrogant to say we have any more figured out than any of the rest of you. Indeed, we may have less figured out than some of you, and we are so hoping that is the case and that we can learn more from you.</p><p>What we do have is a shared desire to express what has worked or has not worked in our experience as well as a deep and passionate desire to make intimacy and helping others on the path to intimacy our life’s work. Moreover, we do have significant years of experience facilitating groups of people. Dee Elle has been running workshops for many years and has a strong core of people who can attest to her skills. She is an expert in essential oils and has decades of experiences with plants and plant medicine. She has applied her insights in recent years to sharing tools to help people align their lives with their desires. Jim has been teaching classes, as well as organizing and facilitating meetings for decades. He taught college-level philosophy classes, has organized for many years as an activist, and he has facilitated thousands of meetings and gatherings both as an activist and for his day job. Besides being a licensed Chakradance facilitator, Jim also has been trained on many of these subjects through the Ecstatic Living Institute, an organization that offered intimacy workshops based on the writings of Margo Anand and affiliated with SkyDancing Tantra Institute USA.</p><p>But this is ultimately a simple act of trust. If it resonates with you, stick with us. If it doesn’t, go on your own path. We really believe that this is a space of exploration that is being underserved or has been taken over by people offering false step-by-step solutions. We believe that intimacy, rather than being a how-to guide imparted by a guru, is a path of exploration and discovery that we must undertake with each other. Therefore, we are taking the brave step to get the ball rolling. Indeed, as part of the intimacy work we are doing with each other in our personal relationship, we both feel called to take this journey together. And so we are.</p><p>We deeply desire to love and see you for who you are and witness you as you journey into loving and understanding yourselves and others more.</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-42799764665709790462022-03-02T11:19:00.001-07:002022-03-02T11:19:49.173-07:00Welcome to Our Haters – What We Mean By Antifa<p><img 16px="" 342="" align="right" alt="" class="wp-image-503 height=" font-size:="" height="315" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/20210903_184252-178x300.jpg" width="187" /><i>Recently, after posting <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/the-bad-podcast-freedom-emancipated-minors-and-other-topics-with-special-guest-lilly/">a podcast interviewing a teenager about her recent emancipation</a>, volunteering, and other topics, a lot of haters descended on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/bozemantifa">Facebook page</a>. This is what I wrote on that page to welcome haters and explain who and why we are antifa.</i></p>
<p>To all our new guests to our Facebook page – lovers to haters (though especially the haters who have bemused us in our comments section) – welcome to our Facebook home here for BAD – i.e., the Bozeman Antifa Dance (& Theatre Collective). This is Jim here writing on all he is witnessing as you engage with us (mostly me, but also with Aly as we've both responded under our account name).<br />You can find all about us on our website of <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org">https://www.bozemanantifadance.org</a>, and yes, we even have a handful of podcasts (one published this week). Please check them out. A full list is at<a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/category/podcast/"> https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/category/podcast/</a>. For those of you who enjoy reading, we have a lot of answers to the questions you have been asking us.</p>
<p>We are especially amused at what a trigger word "antifa" is because a lot of our haters come in, call us names, make fun of us, treat us in a way they never would if they met us on the streets of Bozeman, simply because of whatever beliefs they have about that word. They could read our website or listen to our podcasts to see what we mean by it – and surely there will still be plenty to disagree with – but there is an assumption about who we are based on the deep beliefs many hold about what the word means.</p><p>"Antifa," of course, simply means anti-fascist. And we'd hope we are all anti-fascists here. On the right, there seems to be a belief that antifa is a violent organization (a paramilitary organization of the radical left), probably funded by wealthy left-leaning billionaires, who are committed to a reign of terror on American cities, co-opting other movements to burn down cities. They usually come from out of town (people assume we are from California) and probably are communists, too (since all people who are perceived as being on the left must be communists at heart).</p>
<p>We have a different understanding of antifa. We believe that fascism is, as Mussolini essentially understood and practiced it, is corporatism, or the fusion of capitalism with government power. It manifests in different forms, but it usually appears alongside intense pressure to conform to national identity (its colors, its institutions, its dominant way of life), and that intense pressure is brought to bear by the economic and political forces of the country, working together to enforce those same values. This has resulted at its worst the racist nationalism of Nazi Germany, but one can fall short of being Nazi Germany and still be fascist. Wherever a society merges corporate power and hierarchy to enforce a particular way of life, it is fascist. And, this is what we stand against. Like many who call themselves antifa, we are especially against the overt expressions of fascism – when people put fascist or Nazi or white supremacist propaganda on our streets, we take action. But, we are more interested in the more subtle forms of fascism and how they manifest in our society. We are against a world where we all have to be the same, walk the same way, follow the same job path, promote the same economic system (a system we all live in – yes, antifa anticapitalists still shop and participate in this system – how could we not? We are all forced into it, and that is in part what makes society essentially fascist).</p><p>So, BAD is antifa in the sense that we are against a system of hierarchical enforcement of values both in our political and economic lives. Therefore, we are anarchists. By anarchists, we don't mean that we are for chaos. The word "anarchy" does not mean "chaos." What it means is that we are for a world where each of us is equal in determining our own destiny. So, we are neither liberal nor conservative. We neither support the rule of governments nor the rule of dollars. What we support is the collaboration of people who respect other people and believe that we all matter.</p><p>Yes, we are idealists. We are fully aware that the world we are advocating does not currently exist and is likely never to exist. But, that does not mean it is impossible. There is no contradiction in what we are advocating. It is how many of you actually behave when you are with friends or loved ones. It is the norm of our existence in most respects. At the same time, we are not naïve. We have seen the course of the world. We know what world we are living in. We choose to advocate it because our lives are short. We want to make the best of them. And who would not prefer to live in a world where people all could be truly equal than one where the rich and powerful made all the decisions for us. We see how well that works with one world war after another and madmen and nationalists fighting now in Ukraine, risking nuclear war on all of us. Why not go for the best? And if we never get there, so what? At least, we did not choose to settle to work on a world less than what we actually wanted.</p><p>Now, note that we are dancers and performers. This isn't to suggest we are disowning other antifascists who meet our definition of antifascist. We stand in solidarity with people who confront fascism as their conscience calls them. But, we ultimately believe in our collective that the best way to fight the conformity of our society is to find those places in our lives where we can eke out those moments where we don't need to conform and where we can embrace the full range of what it is to be human. Humans from the earliest age dance, sing, and perform as children. And then, gradually, we lose that. We lose so much of all that makes us human as we conform to walking in straight lines, singing the same songs, dancing in the same ways (if we dance at all, which is rare enough), and conforming to the demands of our culture. We believe this affects a lot more than national politics but actually has a harmful effect on many of our relationships. I'm not sure if you actually did open yourself to dance with us, eat with us, sing with us, get to know our friends, our children and families, that you would spew the ridicule and hate you do. Dance gets our bodies moving in ways that break conformity and open up different avenues of belief of what is possible for us. Doing so provocatively and in ways that break the conforming habits of our society changes us. To me, that fights the oppressive and frankly boring way we have reduced our lives.</p><p>So, we are antifa who dance and perform. We sing, we talk, and we still live and act in our community on issues we are passionate about. (And no one funds us; we are not affiliated with any other group – we are simply a couple of best friends with an artistic point of view).</p><p>This is only the tiniest fraction of who we are.</p><p>And if you're not a fascist, consider dancing with us. At least, take the time to know us on our podcast. You will see that we are just like you in so many ways - falling in and out of love, taking care of pets and children, working jobs, having adventures – and yet, we're not like you – because we refuse to be just like anyone (and have the style to prove it). And we hope the same for you.</p><p>Thanks,<br />Jim (not speaking for Aly) from BAD</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-60629838215281345212022-02-28T12:41:00.005-07:002022-02-28T12:41:54.256-07:00The BAD PODCAST - Freedom! Emancipated Minors and Other Topics with Special Guest Lilly<div id="buzzsprout-player-10159396"></div><script src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1902047/10159396-the-bad-podcast-freedom-emancipated-minors-and-other-topics-with-special-guest-lilly.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-10159396&player=small" type="text/javascript" charset="utf-8"></script>
<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/the-bad-podcast-freedom-emancipated-minors-and-other-topics-with-special-guest-lilly/" style="clear: left; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoVqfu-s_2uIBe_m92J4hSd1igsscXOdJRX9xW9Xt5lHXr_lU53zB8z1KYs43Gi_L2mVi9QcsEfAgpMjRWNpjDJQfbPWoEtEFf1eyME3R71N2er5tD95exZo25CA1f_RQZjIycRE_zCIR7_1Il-91BgEnkZmiRwON86fyzBliWv7takL8XEBA=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Aly and Jim have their first podcast interview! (00:00:21) Emancipated minor and special guest Lilly shares her experiences of becoming a legal adult. She explains the why, the how, and her feelings since regarding her emancipation journey. After BAD asks Lilly some rapid-fire questions (00:32:41), they talk about the pros and cons of different kinds of volunteering (00:36:30) and conclude by brainstorming new creative ideas (01:02:17) for the Bozeman Antifa Dance (& Theatre Collective).<p></p>
<p>As always, you can find BAD and reach out to us at <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org">https://www.bozemanantifadance.org</a>. Very soon, we will be posting to the BAD website the downloadable posters that Lilly made for! So please look for that!</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-14330801669237937732022-02-09T15:04:00.024-07:002022-02-09T17:12:39.154-07:00The BAD PODCAST – Much Ado about Nothing: New Adventures in New Orleans and Bozeman, MT<div id="buzzsprout-player-10006570">
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<p><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/alyinneworleans-240x300.jpg" width="192" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"/>Jim and Aly are back! But they have been on some new adventures. First (00:00:21), Aly reports back from her epic vacation to New Orleans, being interviewed by Jim from a comparison and contrast with Bozeman, Montana as well as a social justice perspective. Then, (00:30:05) Aly reads an excerpt from <em>How To Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy</em> by Jenny Odell , and they discuss. Rapid-fire questions is replaced this episode by "Would you rather" (00:35:51), where Jim asks Aly a few would you rather questions (though Jim answers his own questions, too). Finally, Jim's new adventure is discussed (00:41:07), namely the new adventure of living the entire month of January with his girlfriend, as well as plans the two of them have to create an intimacy workshop.</p>
<p>Of course, for more, please see <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org">https://www.bozemanantifadance.org</a></p>
Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-28426591119161604542022-01-12T16:22:00.009-07:002022-02-09T15:11:34.385-07:00The BAD PODCAST - Organize Your Co-Workers, Friends, and Tenants<div id="buzzsprout-player-10006570">
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<p>The Bozeman Antifa Dance (& Theatre Collective) - i.e., BAD - members Aly White and Jim Macdonald talk to each other about organizing. First, (00:00:21) Aly and Jim discuss labor organizing, especially their experience helping a collective bargaining negotiation with nurses in Bozeman. Then, (00:34:43) we have a new anti-ad! (<a href="">video</a>). After that, our BAD friends have a fun improv segment (00:36:45) where Jim screens possible Bumble dates for Aly. They move to an in-depth discussion (00:41:08) of the challenges they are having building an affinity group, as well as why you might want to form one yourselves. After Aly asks Jim rapid fire questions (01:03:43), they wrap up with a conversation (01:06:58) around organizing tenants. For more on BAD, go to <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org>https://www.bozemanantifadance.org">bozemanantifadance.org</a>.</p>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_eAX_ZCO1HE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
<p>Note that the essays referenced on John Locke and property rights can be found in this <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/john-locke-yellowstone-and-the-dogma-of-the-right-to-private-property/">post</a>.</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-21462584039943164422021-12-23T16:21:00.003-07:002021-12-23T16:23:38.944-07:00The BAD PODCAST – The Agony and the Ecstasy of Relationship<div id="buzzsprout-player-9781324"></div><script charset="utf-8" src="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1902047/9781324-the-bad-podcast-the-agony-and-the-ecstasy-of-relationship.js?container_id=buzzsprout-player-9781324&player=small" type="text/javascript"></script>
<span 18px="" arial="" elvetic="" font-family:="" font-size:="" lato="" neue="" quot="" san-serif=""><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSAGYZbGX8InzfJ56hVp9NFoYii4xhBP75FYJFEskxYP_3z9k7ogQ5cWuTcMWIaAnbbxI2TvGG0OLrFvE3Lut2Dx_0Zm4LvFVtmNsAR76XeOd5gQZAFdw_U2rUxQ0ytuxHJ06fg/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="225" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigSAGYZbGX8InzfJ56hVp9NFoYii4xhBP75FYJFEskxYP_3z9k7ogQ5cWuTcMWIaAnbbxI2TvGG0OLrFvE3Lut2Dx_0Zm4LvFVtmNsAR76XeOd5gQZAFdw_U2rUxQ0ytuxHJ06fg/" width="180" /></a></div>Anarchists and anti-fascists also live complex lives just like everyone else. We have families, relationships, and traditions. In this episode, we look first (00:01:03) at Aly's recent break-up with her boyfriend Gray and then (00:34:51) the bliss in Jim's relationship with Dee Elle. Those discussions focus on having ideals for relationship that are consistent with anarchist beliefs around freedom and therefore anti-authoritarian approaches to relationship. The discussion focuses on feelings, how to approach differing values in relationship, and the degree to which we believe we must seek our ideals also in our partners. Other segments include a Kellogg's anti-ad (00:53:48) –which was recorded prior to the strike's resolution (and has a special guest) – Aly's answers to rapid-fire questions from Jim (00:56:14), and a discussion about our approach to Christmas (00:59:17).</span><br /><div><span 18px="" arial="" elvetic="" font-family:="" font-size:="" lato="" neue="" quot="" san-serif=""><br /></span></div><div><span 18px="" arial="" elvetic="" font-family:="" font-size:="" lato="" neue="" quot="" san-serif="">If you like what you hear, find out more about the Bozeman Antifa Dance (& Theatre Collective) at <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org">https://www.bozemanantifadance.org</a>.</span></div>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-56761404217933726872021-12-11T23:47:00.002-07:002021-12-11T23:49:49.312-07:00The BAD PODCAST - First Episode!<p><i>We just recorded the second podcast tonight, and hopefully it should be out in the next week or so! In the meanwhile, enjoy Episode 0001!)</i></p><p><i><br /></i></p>
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<p>The Bozeman Antifa Dance (& Theatre Collective) - i.e., BAD - launch our first podcast, where collective members Aly White and Jim Macdonald discuss (00:22) what BAD is, why BAD is, what the podcast is going to be. Along the way, (29:32) they explain why you shouldn't eat at Sidewinders Restaurant, and discuss some of the pieces they have written on the BAD website (<a href="https://gate.sc/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bozemanantifadance.org&token=d862cf-1-1639209992969" rel="noopener" target="_blank">www.bozemanantifadance.org</a>). First, (37:32) Jim discusses his controversial essay on a bull moose that came through Bozeman, how it was treated by the authorities, and what that says about our society. After Aly asks Jim some rapid fire questions (57:05), Aly talks (1:00:33) about her essay about working through anxiety, how that is mirrored in her dog Echo, and the social implications of talking about mental health issues.</p>
<p>So, why shouldn't you eat at Sidewinders? Check out this <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/flyersidewinderssucks.pdf">PDF flyer</a>!</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-29078451750233879422021-11-09T19:46:00.001-07:002021-11-09T19:46:14.850-07:00New Project: Bozeman Antifa Dance (& Theatre Collective)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="745" data-original-width="486" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2u_6rby3IBVCDkEBiaq82Q-9o5E3EJmOQc3skzpgR8VOLfJpmQJcm8VNtZ8BghQbyzUrt_X4OTNNVOsR-8u_QRBnJQZDeFMJjEi9O5VOyflzyenPgalKcm-S_zmwo3DJDlpA4oA/s320/comraderabbit.png" width="209" /></a></div>In recent years, I have not posted a lot on my blog, as blogs have gone by the wayside as social media platforms have become the preferred avenue for sharing. The actual truth is that I have not been writing a lot, but that should change, and it may mean that more content from my current project - <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org">Bozeman Antifa Dance (& Theatre Collective)</a> - that is, BAD, may end up right here.<p></p><p>BAD is a collective of two people that I'm in with my best friend Aly White, and besides all the dancing we have done, we plan our website to be a showcase of writing and regular podcasts. Therefore, since we want word to get out, I may also point to posts on the BAD website here on this account and occasionally also post the best of my own writings here.</p><p>This page is still the best storage place of my writings through the years as I've gone through evolutions as an anti-war grassroots organizer and activist, to someone who wrote a lot about issues related to Yellowstone National Park, and then to a flurry of activism related to buffalo as well as the Occupy Bozeman movement. In recent years, I've simply written less and danced a lot more. I became a licensed Chakradance facilitator and have pursued serious studies related to tantra (particularly the neo-tantric writings of Margo Anand). I have not stopped being an anarchist or anti-authoritarian; I found myself just seeking out the roots of why people are not so good to each other, even in well-meaning activist contexts. However, the itch has always been there.</p><p>BAD is the place to find one side of me, even as I continue training in Chakradance, pursue my love affair with Yellowstone, continue on my ambling journeys in friendship and relationship, continue to be a father, and keep on with the process of living. For Yellowstone-related items, one of the best places to go is my <a href="https://www.instagram.com/jsmacdonaldjr">Instagram</a>, where I have posted a lot of beautiful pictures (even more on my Facebook), but I don't really want to see people I don't know there!</p><p>Anyhow, look for more at the BAD website! Things I specifically write will be at this precise <a href="https://www.bozemanantifadance.org/author/jim-macdonald/">link</a>.</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-23321620902662133712021-02-02T08:44:00.002-07:002021-02-02T08:59:14.676-07:00MSU Soroptomist Alternative Futures Project Willfully Ignores Unhoused Bozemanites<a href="https://bozemanmagazine.com/articles/2021/02/01/109825-whats-your-beef-msu-soroptomist-plan-fails-to?fbclid=IwAR2Lp7TNhwv1kn6OLFevhUe7reGHUJp-PjRAY6TmiLfgEtiWs9x6ZLdKHPg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1521" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbHb9kALybT8IdTI3_heDeALBwG5dl46gvlIx1M_MerYGsxUC6jrMrj3JyTzjDjn3PB4rSX8_dHS7xf_s06NTuI4bjeOJ_P1SXsT1gmG2ERy6ZT5gLum3NiAyVbKFJoW30Sqk2w/s320/6+Article.jpg" /></a><br />Besides 2020 being the year of COVID, it was a year for social awareness, for Black Lives Matter, and for educating ourselves about those who face systemic oppression in our society. One such group of people, who in Montana are disproportionately <a href="https://www.thebipocproject.org/" target="_blank">BIPOC</a> (Black and Indigenous People of Color), are the people in our community without homes.
<p>My dear friend Aly and I spent some time in Bozeman's tiny downtown <a href="https://www.bozeman.net/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/214/1863" target="_blank">Soroptomist Park</a> dancing with and listening to the stories of some residents of this park and took time to educate ourselves about and witness this population. Over the last many months, I spoke with city officials, advocated for the population in a City Commission meeting, and spoke with the head of HRDC (who provide services for this population). Bozeman's unhoused population has no year-round permanent shelter, and city laws forbid them of even pitching a tent. The large majority have jobs, but many of those who want shelter cannot afford or find a place to live.</p>
<p>More recently, I happened on <a href="https://bozemanmagazine.com/news/2020/12/28/109520-alternative-futures-for-soroptomist-park" target="_blank">an article</a> in <i>Bozeman Magazine</i> celebrating a <a href="https://downtownbozeman.org/uploads/MSU_SoroptimistBozemanCreek_Report_sm.pdf" target="_blank">112-page report</a> put together by Montana State University, which discussed ecological and development approaches for Soroptomist Park. What was never mentioned once was the population of humans often residing in this park. They presented no evidence of having spoken to a single person living there.</p>
<p>This upset me, and I commented on the article. I shared it with Aly, and she also commented. <i>Bozeman Magazine</i> Publisher Angie Ripple reached out to Aly asking her to write an essay explaining our views. Appreciative for the platform, we wrote the piece you can <a href="https://bozemanmagazine.com/articles/2021/02/01/109825-whats-your-beef-msu-soroptomist-plan-fails-to?fbclid=IwAR2Lp7TNhwv1kn6OLFevhUe7reGHUJp-PjRAY6TmiLfgEtiWs9x6ZLdKHPg" target="_blank">read here</a>. True to Angie's word, <i>Bozeman Magazine</i> has published it unchanged. Besides following the link, it is available also for free, available at a number of stores in town.</p>
<p>We call for unhoused residents to be treated with respect, that we listen to their stories, and hear and consider their needs and desires. Too often, their lives have simply not mattered, particularly here in Bozeman. This must change.</p>Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14063262.post-48234556451172634912020-05-31T16:35:00.002-06:002020-05-31T16:40:35.748-06:00Remembering Bozeman's Racist History<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGrosYbc-Wi4X7dBBUmaJ5155SWv4QNKiszIZ-FwHH5luvlAmeIbGXl8DF6y5571AhyUpAZgdiFbNrX0VSJijzBuh-Uzby_-dOAean3Sj5rXQDHCug18NEpknYo9eiraVGdnOGQ/s1600/20200531_144550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1247" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGrosYbc-Wi4X7dBBUmaJ5155SWv4QNKiszIZ-FwHH5luvlAmeIbGXl8DF6y5571AhyUpAZgdiFbNrX0VSJijzBuh-Uzby_-dOAean3Sj5rXQDHCug18NEpknYo9eiraVGdnOGQ/s320/20200531_144550.jpg" width="249" /></a></div>
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I’m writing this mostly for the white residents of Bozeman, but everyone is free to read if they want to be provoked, take inspiration from, react for or against, and confront the uncomfortable reality of racism in Bozeman, Montana.</div>
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I just returned from a spirited rally and march organized by the Montana State University Black Student Union and the Montana Racial Equity Project of thousands of people in my town organized in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and in solidarity with Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) in our city and state. As a white male observing what is happening right now in this country, I feel that I do not have the privilege to stay silent. I must say something to elucidate the situation here, namely how white privilege is manifest in my town, and I must ask anyone here who cares to join me and others in thinking of and acting on ways to tear down the systems of injustice that keep us all from being able to live in the best and most vibrant community possible – one where we all have the privilege I have—to breathe, to enjoy this beautiful environment, to earn a decent living, to care for my family, and to be able to walk my streets without fear.</div>
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It may be lost on most Montanans, in a state with the lowest black population per capita in the United States, how we in Bozeman have not come to terms with our own racist past and how that perpetuates in the reality today.</div>
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Once upon a time, there was a white man named John Bozeman. He and some of his friends—in part to escape America’s largest racially charged war (the Civil War) and in part to join the gold rush at Alder Gulch—headed to this area. Only, they didn’t just head to this area – which for centuries had been a passage to hunting grounds for numerous indigenous peoples—including the Blackfeet, Crow, Shoshone, Salish-Kootenai, and Nez Perce. They decided that the Oregon Trail was too long a route. So, they found a shorter route right through lands that had been granted to the Lakota by the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1851. This became known as the Bozeman Trail, and Bozeman was founded as a town near the end of the trail where John Bozeman and his buddies could sell supplies to those men foolish enough to think they would get rich off of the gold at Alder Gulch.</div>
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This inevitably started another Indian war—known as Red Cloud’s War—and it is one of the few wars that the indigenous peoples actually won. They temporarily closed the trail and settlement by way of the trail.</div>
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So, the people in the new town of Bozeman needed some way to survive. Interestingly, it came from the fall out of the murder of John Bozeman, a murder that was blamed on Blackfeet Indians. The people did so with the intention of stirring fear and racial animus and to force the hand of the military to build a fort just outside of Bozeman (Fort Ellis). It is likely that John Bozeman was murdered by his white friend for having an affair with this man’s wife, though no one really knows. However, what is pretty certain is that Blackfeet Indians had nothing to do with it. Where Bozeman was murdered was outside of their typical range, and there are numerous other holes in the story, which you can research if you are interested.</div>
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Nevertheless, a town built along an illegal trail by people who felt privileged enough to create that trail and build a town there had a new lease on life from an army fort that the people could supply and sell grain to. And the new town slowly grew and gained a foothold.</div>
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That town was racially diverse. There were people of all colors in early Bozeman, including a significant population of Chinese people. Some say that the Chinese population may have been as high as 20 percent. This is a little known fact of Bozeman life. However, during the era of the 1870s, where the buffalo was being hunted to near extinction in a genocidal war to force indigenous people to reservations to make way for settlement and the railways these Chinese immigrants were often hired to build, there was growing racial hatred throughout the country of Chinese immigrants. This culminated in the Chinese Exclusion Act that for generations forbade Chinese from being American citizens and largely stopped their immigration. Alongside that, there were many laws openly aimed at Chinese people throughout Montana to make life for them impossible. One of our largest groups in what was once a racially diverse city were mostly wiped out of Bozeman by force of law.</div>
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While all this was going on, a group of prominent citizens formed vigilante committees to take law into their own hands. They were not entirely dissimilar—in their culture and that they consisted of the prominent members of society—from the early incarnation of the Ku Klux Klan. However, in Montana, they did not simply act on the basis of race. Nevertheless, they established their own fear and order that benefitted the white business interests who ran the state. These vigilantes have been mythologized to the point of celebration and part of the Montana heritage. To this day, their numeric symbol “3-7-77” is on the very symbol of the Montana Highway Patrol. It is a disgusting legacy openly celebrated by our state’s police force.</div>
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Over time, the white people of Montana forgot this history of racism, as was forgotten the forced removal of Shoshone Sheepeater Indians from Yellowstone National Park, as well as the Marias River Massacre of Blackfeet Indians and also the tragic story of the Nez Perce. Over time, white people forgot, and Montana became whiter and whiter.</div>
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Yet today, we still have a significant population of indigenous peoples, many of whom fill up our prisons and jails and have a life expectancy far lower than the rest of the population. We have a city here in Bozeman that has become very expensive to live in and increasingly so. You find homeless throughout our city but not a permanent homeless shelter. While this has been true, you also have an increasingly progressive population that is happy to stand up for the environment and will even come together to stand up against overt forms of racism. And yet, it is people of color who are poorer and are less likely to be able to afford the spoils of this community. It is still people of color who end up in jails. It is still a town that seems totally unaware of its racist past and how racism has made it the affluent, predominately white town that it is today.</div>
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And I as a white man benefit from this. Lucky me. I get to work from home and raise my son and go to Yellowstone whenever I want and hike in the beautiful canyons and mountains that surround me. I can afford to live here in the peaceful town with a low crime rate. But how often do I stand up and say that this is not working for everyone here? Beyond race, Bozeman has a high rate of rape. It has outpriced poor people of every race. Right now, I’m helping a nurse’s union at a nursing home collectively bargain a wage that is even comparable to wages across this city, let alone the state and country. These nurses put their lives on the line during a pandemic, and yet they can’t get a fair wage. What does this town do for the mentally ill or for the homeless? So long as we ourselves feel comfortable, we go on merrily. And yes, I do go on merrily. I live a really good life. It shouldn’t just be me and for people who look like me. We should all have this opportunity. All our lives would be luckier, including my own, if we could realize true racial justice in our city.</div>
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BIPOC people in Bozeman, I hear you. My friends and others in Bozeman who hear me, if you are moved, I want to talk and help be allies. I don’t want us to ignore the uncomfortable truth of our city any longer. Let’s be allies and supportive of all efforts to change this, led inspiringly by the BIPOC community of whom we support. And let’s no longer pretend that we who are also white have not been complicit in a racist system in a city that was founded on racial injustice and continues to bear too much of its rotten fruits.</div>
Jim Macdonaldhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17315953965470221458noreply@blogger.com0