I first read his most famous book, A People’s History of the United States, in college. This book was pivotal to my own radicalization; it was the first major work I read that questioned history as it was presented to me in school.  I learned from Zinn that there are multiple sides to every story, and the story is told most often is probably the story of the oppressors. I learned from Zinn to question institutions and authority. He will continue to be one of my intellectual heroes.

We were not born critical of existing society. There was a moment in our lives (or a month, or a year) when certain facts appeared before us, startled us, and then caused us to question beliefs that were strongly fixed in our consciousness – embedded there by years of family prejudices, orthodox schooling, imbibing of newspapers, radio, and television.
– Howard Zinn, “Changing Minds, One at a Time”, in: The Progressive magazine, March 2005

This tea party-led shit, which I had drowned out for a while because my brain was plenty full of crazy on its own and I didn’t need anything else depressing me even more, resurfaced in my frame of consciousness because of the lovely billboard erected in our fair state.

I have no problem with step #2.  Step #1 and Step #3? Let’s discuss.

Well, I’m not even going to discuss Step #3, because declaring war on that *oppressive* regime that wants better health care for its citizens makes me think people haven’t done their homework regarding revolutions or oppression. If your idea of revolution moves us any closer to The Handmaid’s Tale, I’ll gladly jump ship to Panama and y’all can have the country. If this is your idea of oppression, you might want to read about, oh, any part of the African continent under colonialism, for starters, before you start crowing about your certain impending loss of liberty.

If I wanted to go insane and at the same time, send more traffic their way, I’d link to a post by a certain local tea party group, who encouraged its readers to not spend any money this holiday season, including donations to charities. They want to show the impact of their dollars by keeping all of their monies for themselves. Because if the teaparty quits throwing their money around, the economy will go ahead an collapse, thus proving that Obama is just like Hitler or something. Then, if that plan doesn’t work, they want a revolution.

So, you want to destroy the leftists by opting out of capitalism? Okay. Go with that.

I hate the commercialism of Christmas. I hate it like I hate bunnies. I hate that I dread going to any retail establishment between Thanksgiving and Christmas because the level of insanity makes me have a panic attack. I’ve been celebrating Buy Nothing day for years. So I’m with you on that. But to opt out of non-political charitable donations on political principle seems to be more of a misguided pissing contest than sound political strategery. To deny help to those who need it most, in a year when they need it most, during the time of year when they need it most, simply to prove a political point (that will, honestly, probably not be proven or noticed), that’s just…well, I guess those who would buy into that should probably ask themselves why they give to charity in the first place.

In response to this, Chris and I are going to give more this season, even though we’re not in a great financial place right now. I encourage you to do the same, no matter how much or little you have to give. It doesn’t even have to be money, it can be your time.

Beyond that, I challenge all of you to critically examine not only our own actions, but our responses to directives such as this. I’ve decided that what’s missing in much of this political dogfight we’ve seen in the past two years is love.

Fuck yes, the hippie liberal do-gooder just dropped some Yoko Ono touchy-feelie LOVE on your ass. Typical.

I’m serious, though. I’m not naive enough to think that we can love all our differences and problems away, but we sure could use more of it during uncertain times. By “love”, I really mean “treating others like HUMAN BEINGS”. Like being nice to harried cashiers this season. By helping people with their bags. By letting someone merge on the interstate even if it’s not their turn. By exercising (and trust me, it is exercise for me) patience and freely giving kindness with everyone we encounter, even if they are wrong, or dumbasses, or something is unfair. By getting someone coffee for no reason (preferably me, this morning) or running errands for people without expecting anything in return. By seeking the best in and assuming the best from everyone around us. By loving and giving without conditions and certainly without any sort of paternalistic motivations. If we respond to hatred and anger with more hatred and anger, we’ll keep getting where we’ve always gotten: nowhere.  Somewhere in our desperate clinging to “rugged individualism” and the struggle just to get our own piece of the American dream (snort), we forgot that it is okay to give and love freely and genuinely. So, um, can we get on that?  Please.

<kumbayah, m’lord, kumbayah>