Lately I have been thinking a lot about the various resistance efforts around the globe and at home. I grew from a child of peace to a woman of peace and have never seen bombing as the right tool. All terrorism is wrong. Years ago I wrote a piece as an online response to someone who saw themselves as a committed revolutionary and anarchist, and in that role gave out online instructions on how to build a bomb. I sent the poem below to my father, who always offered insights that helped me refine or better understand the subject I was investigating. Now with the many kinds of resistance going on, I think we should define the best, most effective, and most in keeping with one’s values, ways to resist. This week I found my father’s response to the poem. It was so thoughtful and relevant I thought I would share it. First the poem I wrote and then the response from him.
“a little knowledge is a dangerous thing”
for T’Bone
before the thought of
which weapon for healing
one must look at the disease
following that
the patient’s possible
reactions to the treatment
must be considered
we must realize the implications
acknowledge the risks
review possible outcomes
healing is a serious task
and yes this is about
info on building bombs
offered with the assumption
that you thought
that that knowledge
could help some move
towards a long term healing
in the same way that chemotherapy
is supposed to kill the “bad cells”
and only cripple the good
and since you offered
a recipe on explosives
forwarded it as information
to use if we see fit
please answer these
few queries
(because i didn’t notice
the advisements in the warning section
beneath the list of ingredients)
when and where
is detonating the bomb
acceptable
what level of killing
is unavoidable
how well do you need to know
the victims of the blast
have you smelt syrup on their breath
seen if their eyes sparkle
have you spoken with their mothers
do you need to know their hearts
what are some moral criteria for
deciding what risk in human life
is acceptable
whose lives are of little enough value
that they should be sacrificed
for the struggle
for the greater good
to make the world you see
in your dreams
is my life so worthless
is yours
is the father who works at that
oil refinery breathing someone else’s air
is the mother who cleans the floors
of that power company taking up
someone else’s privately owned space
is the child whose day care center
is housed in that federal building
not worthy of consideration
certainly if you have guidance on how
to build the device for the killing
you have advice about
the uses of the tool
i too believe in education
and know that there is a time
and a place when each thing should be
taught and learnt well
and if i have a question i want
to be able to get the answer
and now in this age of bytes and fibers
no matter what laws of congress are passed
repealed and passed once more
the information will not be lost
can not ever again disappear into
locked file recesses
there are too many keys
and too many more
who know how to pick locks
many revolutions are happening now
sometimes things move so fast they
seem to be standing still
but that is an illusion
and teachers more than anything
need to teach
how to access information
and how to critically
evaluate that information
need to teach
problem solving
not simply give
possible answers
so there really is no need
to worry about others accessing
the information on how to make bombs
that knowledge will remain enough
for the enraged
or the abused
or the misused
or the deranged
to obtain and to use
in the spirit it was offered
without digression
without guidance
without context
without communion
that information will not
disappear until the bomb itself
becomes obsolete
that information will not
be gone until sometime after
peace becomes the name of this hemisphere
understanding becomes the watch word of the planet
and love becomes the song of the universe
so now
please
one more time
for me
one of the slow ones
in the group
what was your point
in posting
only some
of the information
people needed to know
about the subject of
bombs and bombing?
devorah major
(Italics below is my father’s response. All emphasis is his.)
To: Devorah
From: Reginald W. Major
Devorah,
I go with the poem all the way. And if you get do get flamed you will have a decent notion of the nature of the online company you keep. For me that posting is the act of an agent provocateur as there is no rational reason to introduce demolition skills to a general audience distinguished only by tribal relationship. This is particularly true because the need to demolish something (more specifically the need to politically demolish something) should be established well before the information transfer. I believe that this holds true even for the anarchist (particularly the anarchist) because she/he must be held to a higher standard. The individual who moves in a politically destructive fashion as an individual MUST be certain that the act is in consonance with the highest level of collective political desire. Thus, there must be CLEAR general agreement that a specific target should go.
One possible interpretation of Oklahoma City was that the bombers internalized the right wing desire to make a statement and then directed it toward the Federal Building because they perceived a larger number of non-whites present than actually existed. (60’s surveys demonstrated that whites perceived a majority of blacks when there were only 10 to 15 percent) They made the decision that the few whites to die would be heroes of the revolution and cut loose total sickness.
Those of us who supposedly come from the left, particularly those of us who historically have been the victims of individualized violence directed toward black folk, do not want to emulate this reactionary version of revolution. WE defend all life. Send it and to hell with who doesn’t like it. And if you get flamed you’ve got a lot of Political Education to do.
Love