As an African American Elder, I appreciated how you highlighted the strengths of several cultures, early on in this chapter. However, I experienced disappointment when, in my opinion, you fell into the trap of limiting your description of my people, mostly to the horrors we survived, (the death ships, the prison plantations) but not specifically, verbally, naming any of the gifts and grace it took to rise up against all odds; extraordinary courage, fierce determination, brilliance, ingenuity, unwavering faith... just to name a few.
Hmm, I didn't think of infiltrators. I once joked about a minor sexual predator in our local Pagan community, "John has caused so much disruption and waste of our time and energy that if we were a political group, and the FBI saw us as a threat, he'd be the perfect infiltrator." Which was really funny, considering how unlikely it was that the FBI would consider John as an asset. Might you consider a chapter, or include info in a safety chapter, on bare bones, basic background check stuff? (I'm thinking of people who want to join our small, local groups of friends who do political action together.) What might red flags be when we meet more online than in person, where it's easier to hide who you are? With some basic tips on how we might spot red flag behavior of a possible infiltrator, at in-person meetings and actions out in public? If you want to do this, and want any info on spotting infiltrators beyond your long decades of personal experience, I'm a pretty good online researcher. I don't need money or credit for research; it's my hobby and one way I can contribute to the resistance.
I shouldn't have to address sexual assault and harassment, but I do. In one of your previous chapters, you mentioned something that sounded like making victims prove they have been assaulted/harassed before giving any consequences to the perpetrator. In order not to scare away males, I assume. Predators virtually always lie, unless they're defiant about their right to harass and assault. Victims virtually never lie about sexual harassment/assault. It's too embarrassing to tell the truth and there are terrible consequences for speaking out. I've never known of a single case of a lie like this in my lifetime, though I'm sure some vindictive female somewhere has done so at some time. If males were afraid that a touch or other behavior would be "misinterpreted" by females in our groups, we'd be a whole lot safer and comfortable. It's infinitely more important that females be totally safe and respected, and feel totally safe and respected, than that males feel "comfortable" with the rules. Unambiguous, you-don't-have-to-prove-it rules would apply also to any females, etc., prone to sexual harassment/assault, of course. We shouldn't have to waste time on this. One complaint, go find another group. Remember, 3 - 5% of males admit they have already raped someone if you don't use the word rape in the survey. The majority of college males and about a third of other males surveyed say they would rape someone if they were guaranteed they could get away with it and never be found out. The real numbers are likely much higher. Predators are everywhere, including in activist groups. We don't need them.
That was the standard response of a certain branch of the feminist movement in the '80s. But we're in a very different time now. Unfortunately, we cannot trust that everyone is coming from an honest and truthful position in this time of disinformation and outright lying, Gender is not guarantee, when the potential for disrupting activist groups by making false charges is very real--whether the bad actors are cointelpro or Russian bots, and the internet is such an easy way to spread malicious gossip. So, we still need to support survivors--but we can't afford to believe that everyone who makes a claim of abuse is telling the truth. We need to give everyone a fair hearing, but we also need to investigate claims of any sort before we believe them. That can be done in a respectful and supportive way. The Restorative Justice movement has many good models.
About showing everyone they're valued. Almost without exception, if there's even one biological male (who was raised as a male) in a group, he will take up more than his share of everything at the expense of all the females in the group. Power, the ability to get his way, attention, talk time, sympathy, you name it. If he has testosterone-producing gonads and has grown up with male privilege--problematic though that is for males who don't fit the stereotypical male pattern--he will almost certainly dominate, possibly in sneaky ways. Females don't have to put up with this to have a movement. I've had it with sacrificing for the better good. We need to value ourselves and each other enough to shout them down and kick them out if they won't respect us being in charge--and we always should be in charge, making up the rules. I've had 70 years of this nonsense, including years of practice in consensus decision-making, and males dominate there every bit as badly. Young females--especially those who need men as sexual partners--please don't waste your energy trying to appease males. Appeasement harms other females as well as ourselves.
Orientation and explaining ground rules to newcomers--yes! Jade of the Re-formed Congregation of the Goddess said, "Keep em' few and simple." I tried that, and forgot to add, "Don't use alcohol, grass or other drugs before coming to class as a student teacher." I'd always said it to students, but I guess someone forgot all about it once she became a student teacher. Point: there's always something we didn't think to put in the rules, yet people can't remember long lists and they're irritating. Temple Grandin got around this by listing basic principles which farmers could follow instead. Anybody have experience with this?
Especially like the encouragement to share movement history. So much has to be passed on orally. And remembering to appreciate people and each small victory, which seems like a form of food for activists! Gratitude to the universe or whatever is an amazing practice. I think gratitude feeds, grounds, connects us to other beings and focuses our work. Sorry if you already said some of this; I cannot get back to the text to check. I'm glad you're writing this book; it's needed.
It is my understanding that the Haudenosaunee offer the Thanksgiving Address as their gift to the world. They welcome anyone to practice it. I first experienced it on Alcatraz on "Un"Thanksgiving morning in (perhaps) 1980. I didn't know then what it was, I was just incredibly moved.
As an African American Elder, I appreciated how you highlighted the strengths of several cultures, early on in this chapter. However, I experienced disappointment when, in my opinion, you fell into the trap of limiting your description of my people, mostly to the horrors we survived, (the death ships, the prison plantations) but not specifically, verbally, naming any of the gifts and grace it took to rise up against all odds; extraordinary courage, fierce determination, brilliance, ingenuity, unwavering faith... just to name a few.
Hmm, I didn't think of infiltrators. I once joked about a minor sexual predator in our local Pagan community, "John has caused so much disruption and waste of our time and energy that if we were a political group, and the FBI saw us as a threat, he'd be the perfect infiltrator." Which was really funny, considering how unlikely it was that the FBI would consider John as an asset. Might you consider a chapter, or include info in a safety chapter, on bare bones, basic background check stuff? (I'm thinking of people who want to join our small, local groups of friends who do political action together.) What might red flags be when we meet more online than in person, where it's easier to hide who you are? With some basic tips on how we might spot red flag behavior of a possible infiltrator, at in-person meetings and actions out in public? If you want to do this, and want any info on spotting infiltrators beyond your long decades of personal experience, I'm a pretty good online researcher. I don't need money or credit for research; it's my hobby and one way I can contribute to the resistance.
I do have some of that in one of my posts earlier on in Safety--you can find them in the archives on my page.
I shouldn't have to address sexual assault and harassment, but I do. In one of your previous chapters, you mentioned something that sounded like making victims prove they have been assaulted/harassed before giving any consequences to the perpetrator. In order not to scare away males, I assume. Predators virtually always lie, unless they're defiant about their right to harass and assault. Victims virtually never lie about sexual harassment/assault. It's too embarrassing to tell the truth and there are terrible consequences for speaking out. I've never known of a single case of a lie like this in my lifetime, though I'm sure some vindictive female somewhere has done so at some time. If males were afraid that a touch or other behavior would be "misinterpreted" by females in our groups, we'd be a whole lot safer and comfortable. It's infinitely more important that females be totally safe and respected, and feel totally safe and respected, than that males feel "comfortable" with the rules. Unambiguous, you-don't-have-to-prove-it rules would apply also to any females, etc., prone to sexual harassment/assault, of course. We shouldn't have to waste time on this. One complaint, go find another group. Remember, 3 - 5% of males admit they have already raped someone if you don't use the word rape in the survey. The majority of college males and about a third of other males surveyed say they would rape someone if they were guaranteed they could get away with it and never be found out. The real numbers are likely much higher. Predators are everywhere, including in activist groups. We don't need them.
That was the standard response of a certain branch of the feminist movement in the '80s. But we're in a very different time now. Unfortunately, we cannot trust that everyone is coming from an honest and truthful position in this time of disinformation and outright lying, Gender is not guarantee, when the potential for disrupting activist groups by making false charges is very real--whether the bad actors are cointelpro or Russian bots, and the internet is such an easy way to spread malicious gossip. So, we still need to support survivors--but we can't afford to believe that everyone who makes a claim of abuse is telling the truth. We need to give everyone a fair hearing, but we also need to investigate claims of any sort before we believe them. That can be done in a respectful and supportive way. The Restorative Justice movement has many good models.
About showing everyone they're valued. Almost without exception, if there's even one biological male (who was raised as a male) in a group, he will take up more than his share of everything at the expense of all the females in the group. Power, the ability to get his way, attention, talk time, sympathy, you name it. If he has testosterone-producing gonads and has grown up with male privilege--problematic though that is for males who don't fit the stereotypical male pattern--he will almost certainly dominate, possibly in sneaky ways. Females don't have to put up with this to have a movement. I've had it with sacrificing for the better good. We need to value ourselves and each other enough to shout them down and kick them out if they won't respect us being in charge--and we always should be in charge, making up the rules. I've had 70 years of this nonsense, including years of practice in consensus decision-making, and males dominate there every bit as badly. Young females--especially those who need men as sexual partners--please don't waste your energy trying to appease males. Appeasement harms other females as well as ourselves.
Orientation and explaining ground rules to newcomers--yes! Jade of the Re-formed Congregation of the Goddess said, "Keep em' few and simple." I tried that, and forgot to add, "Don't use alcohol, grass or other drugs before coming to class as a student teacher." I'd always said it to students, but I guess someone forgot all about it once she became a student teacher. Point: there's always something we didn't think to put in the rules, yet people can't remember long lists and they're irritating. Temple Grandin got around this by listing basic principles which farmers could follow instead. Anybody have experience with this?
Especially like the encouragement to share movement history. So much has to be passed on orally. And remembering to appreciate people and each small victory, which seems like a form of food for activists! Gratitude to the universe or whatever is an amazing practice. I think gratitude feeds, grounds, connects us to other beings and focuses our work. Sorry if you already said some of this; I cannot get back to the text to check. I'm glad you're writing this book; it's needed.
Incredible writing, thank you.
It is my understanding that the Haudenosaunee offer the Thanksgiving Address as their gift to the world. They welcome anyone to practice it. I first experienced it on Alcatraz on "Un"Thanksgiving morning in (perhaps) 1980. I didn't know then what it was, I was just incredibly moved.
In this case, not "appropriation."