Skip to main content

Why I left


I promised myself I would write this for a while now. Dissatisfied with the pace of change and lack of cohesion and supportive community within the peace and justice movement, I decided to return to my own life and focus on building my career and having a good life with my partner. I knew I would be taking a long break from activism and organizing before I even went to jail (Dec. 18-21), but my time in there simply confirmed this in my own mind. I realized that leaving this "movement" was the right thing, but at the same time I was annoyed that people I cared for were sacrificing a great deal more than 98% of the rest of the peace and justice movement, and were getting precious little support. I wanted to make a point about this. This fact exposes a major injustice. I also was not getting hardly any support for my own ordeal.

Furthermore, a few I had considered good friends had already turned against me. They were angry that I would challenge them, and be so completely honest in my opinions about the movement's lack of diversity and willingness to adapt.

The peace and justice movement has shrunk during President Obama's tenure. Some within the progressive community, although fewer now than a year ago, persist in seeing him as some great hope. Something nearing the proportions of a modern day Moses. Efforts to persuade them otherwise have not been very successful. So not only is the peace and justice movement stuck in doing the same limited, predictable and easily dismissed protests but it is floundering in the face of this unrealistic belief that elections can change our course. Meanwhile social movements have not changed anything in a positive direction in decades.

I wish those who persist in the struggle good luck, although I am disappointed by their unwillingness to accept diversity and adapt their tactics. Groups like National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance, although well-intentioned, have stubbornly clung to the same type of actions which are not working. And now for those risking jail time, this group (as well as many others) offers very little legal or financial aid.

Jail is a terrifying place, and although this would probably be a major part of a nonviolent revolution, far too few are willing to go there. Personally, I went there once, and I do not care to repeat it. This burden, like so many others within the movement is not fairly shared. And there's not a lot of real concrete support; there remains a lack of community and cohesion which is deeply disappointing and troubling.

On a personal level, my relationship with my wonderful partner is getting better. Now is a good time for me to get off this crazy merry-go-round. I have very little hope we can impact the course of the empire at this time. We can, however, impact our own lives one day at a time in very personal but powerful ways.

Comments

Don Muller said…
Thanks, Pete, for everything you've done for peace over the years. There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking a break--for rest, for re-evaluation, for renewal--and I'm assuming it's a break, and you'll be back! See you sometime in the future.

Don Muller
PeteinDC said…
Thank you Don! You actually offered Matthew and I some support. It was greatly appreciated. :)

Popular posts from this blog

Guantanamo put on trial -- May 27th

In eight days, Eve Tetaz, a 76-year old retired D.C. public schoolteacher, will enter a courthouse in Washington, D.C. and engage in the legal debate over the fate of America's detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The name of Noor Muhammad has never appeared in an American criminal court. On May 27th, Tetaz will change that. On that day, she will appear at the Washington, D.C. Superior Court as Noor Muhammad. Tetaz was arrested, along with 78 others, at the U.S. Supreme Court on January 11, 2008, protesting the denial of habeas rights to and the torture of inmates at Guantanamo. Like her fellow protestors, Tetaz took the name of an inmate during her arrest. ( See the January 13 Washington Post article "Activists Pose as Guantanamo Prisoners" ) Tetaz says she felt compelled to participate in the protest at the Supreme Court because detainees are being tortured at Guantanamo. "Torture is a terrible crime and sin against humanity," she said. Thirty-four

Sheehan to challenge Pelosi

I was there the day about three weeks ago when Cindy announced she was running against Pelosi. It was outside of Rep. John Conyers'office. I think change is in the air, and all politics is local. The San Fran area is perhaps the most staunchly progressive in the whole country. Tomorrow morning I will be dropping a check for Cindy's campaign in the mail. Peace activist seeks SF-area House seat Associated Press report Citing her son as inspiration, a tearful Cindy Sheehan announced her candidacy Thursday for the U.S. House of Representatives. The anti-war activist, a former resident of Vacaville, said she will run as an independent against House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has represented San Francisco in Congress since 1987. "The country is ripe for a change," said Sheehan, who spoke at a news conference in San Francisco, with her slain son's photograph attached to the podium. "It's going to start right here and right now." Sheehan's 24-year-old son

Unemployment and the Struggle to Save Manning

One week ago I was laid off from a job I did not enjoy. Yes, I loved the salary and was quite enthusiastic about landing this job nine and a half months ago. The pay was significantly greater than I had ever earned before. My friends and former co-workers seemed surprised when I started looking for a new job, and then my unmasked relief of actually being laid off and seizing the opportunity to collect unemployment. Yes, it was related to library science, but it was not in a library or an archives (my specialty). It was also boring, I did not like the unpredictability of contracts, and frankly didn't really care for some of the big name clients our firm had (and in fact a couple I worked on). I also felt a little out of place, and don't think I ever want to do private consultancy work again. Ever. Unless it's later in my career and I am providing some consulting work for an archives and historical collection. That's enough about me. I am job searching for something in