Howard Zinn has officially transformed me. I can no longer consider myself a 'liberal Democrat' under the pretense of it indicating my goals & humanitarian/environmentalist philosophies. How could I have been so blind for so long to the emptiness of any major party in a two-party system, Republican or Democrat? How could I have been so oblivious to the fundamental similarities they share? How did I buy in, so confidently, to the images they project? Without ever considering the fact that so little has
ever changed under the influence of either party? We've never stopped waging wars or conducting 'military interventions.' We never solved unemployment. We never seriously addressed racism & class hatred. Indeed, we have continued to bleed 99% of our people for the advantage of the elite 1%. How did I never see this before?
The answer is simple: No one told me. Not in schools, not in college, not on 'political debate' shows, not on the news, not in the paper, not in magazines, not in movies—nowhere in popular culture that is accessible to the majority of common people. I stumbled on the realization, the awakening, by chance in a semipopular (by mainstream standards) alternative history book. There is something deeply, fundamentally wrong with that. These issues are so important, so far-reaching, so unifying that
everyone needs to know about them. It goes beyond street preaching and leafletting, though these certainly help. Indeed, it goes to the core of cultural assimilation and the devices of upbringing and social indoctrination, to use that term in a hopefully neutral, utilitarian way. It goes essentially to the structures and systems of education.
Over the past year or so I have been toying with the idea of pursuing a career in education. I realized many months ago that I want nothing to do with the business world or the degree I'm pursuing in that field. I've been trying to find a sense of direction, and education is something I've been considering. I think, through this political awakening and soul-searching, I may have found my affirmation. I'm not entirely sure yet, but I do know I want to commit my profession to enhancing my community in a noncorporate way, to working in and contributing to the growing movement for social, environmental, political change. Teaching others about these principles in a setting meant to shape their identities, their senses of citizenry and personal responsibilities could certainly accomplish those goals. So we'll see. It's nice to be awakened.
if nothing else but sun
shall enter a room
by window, by doorway, by mirror
let it not spoil on some wasted,
wasteful symbol of modern society:
coffee, hot in the mug, of broken
foreign spine & wanting mouth;
chocolate, sweet and normal, of
forced hands upon slaved Ivory shores.
let it touch what touches us more —
shadowy corners, glass edges, the
written word between unread covers.
let it illuminate as it should
so that we may see things,
the world, its objects, as they are,
free of shadow, forever beginning,
so that we forever remember we
are never too far from the start.
Four more days to go. I've heard so many different things about Venice that I don't know what to expect. Dirty, busy, small, wonderful, dangerous, boring, romantic....... I'll find out soon.
Knowing that this is our last stop before home is very comforting. I wonder whether or not it will seem strange to be back somewhere where I can understand what's being said around me. I think the first order of business will be eating as much non-Italian food as I possibly can.
Labels: Italy, Political
