The Kids Are Alright, by Martha Thomases – Brilliant Disguise

February 19, 2011 Martha Thomases 5 Comments

For a big chunk of my life, I was the youngest person in the room.  My first forays into political activism and the peace movement, when I was 15, involved getting signatures on a petition.  I was chosen because I was too young to get arrested.  That was 1968, when police were loathe to throw a white kid in jail.

Those days are gone.  What remains is what I learned from being part of a group, the thrill I felt when my opinions and experiences were valued, when I was part of a movement that changed the world.

I’ve felt the same, vicariously, watching what’s happening in the Middle East.  A popular revolt, first in Tunis, then in Egypt, and now spreading shows the world the power of non-violent direct action.

When there has been violence, for the most part, the actors have been part of the repressive governments.  The contrast between the people who want freedom and their repressive rulers is quite stark.

Even the most reported exception to this (at least in the United States), the attack in Egypt on CBS reporter Lara Logan is notable for the fact that, while she was attacked by a mob, she was also protected by a mob – the Egyptian women who came to her rescue.

As Americans, we’d like to find a way to take credit for these events.  The conventional wisdom posits that Facebook and Twitter are responsible.  It’s tempting to think that we’re so smart and important and modern that our tech has to be responsible for everything.  However, as reporters on the scene pointed out, the largest Egyptian demonstrations took place when the government shut down the Internet.

If there was an American contributor to the non-violent revolution, it’s this guy. A student of A. J. Muste, Gene Sharp inspires people around the globe to find their own way to peaceful justice.

As I said at the top, I used to be the youngest.  I’m not anymore.  I know that, despite these hopeful beginnings, this revolution can be co-opted by forces that are less than progressive.  I fear religious fundamentalists and theocrats.  I fear opportunists looking for a way to get rich.  I’m worried that other governments won’t hesitate to murder peaceful protesters.

But, gee, it’s nice at the moment.  Let’s enjoy it – and encourage it – while we can.

Media Goddess Martha Thomases is getting used to being the oldest.