BUILDING OUR OWN
The word "revolutionary" is frivolously used in the media as well as by some activists and organizations. A hair coloring commercial even described a new technique of coloring as "revolutionary." These tactics dilute what the word "revolution" really means.
According to The American College Dictionary, the word revolution means: 1. a complete overthrow of an established government or political system, as the English Revolution (1688), the American Revolution (1688), the French Revolution (1688), the Chinese Revolution (1688), or the Russian Revolution (1917); 2. a complete or marked change in something.
A revolutionary challenges established procedures and principles. A revolutionary is in the forefront of the struggle for liberation since revolutionaries are the vanguard. A revolutionary leads by example and is in constant motion, brainstorming and implementing strategies of liberation amongst the masses.
But many of us cannot lead because of the trunkload of contradictions we carry. We all have to maintain a roof over our heads, but if we are honest, many of us strive to be capitalists and seek materialism. Too many of our organizations are funded by the government and corporations in some form or another. Can organizations seeking funding from the oppressor still call themselves revolutionaries? How do revolutionaries entertain this contradiction?
Can revolutionaries stand idly by while the poor are targeted by the government criminal system? Do we have a clue to the depth and tactics this government will go to destroy us (COINTELPRO)? The latest attacks on Mumia Abu-Jamal, MOVE, Pacifica Network KPFA, and the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Chicago are no more than COINTELPRO tactics.
During the liberation movement of the 60s, there was an abundance of communal living and sharing-something that is missing in the liberation struggle today because the government continues to build distrust amongst us. Kwame Ture said, "Agents are supposed to be in your organizations; that's their job, and your job is to identify, isolate and expose them."
When we attempt to build communal villages (e.g., MOVE, Black Panther Party, Bruderhof, and WACO), we are attacked by the government-backed news media where we are tried, convicted, and sentenced. So let's take another look at ourselves and our work. If you knew someone was coming to kill you tomorrow, what would you be doing today?
As we sit and watch the corporate take-over of Pacifica Network, the voice of alternative news, and witness other corporate takeovers and mergers, do you think the motive is just money? That is true, in part, but consider this: they already have more money than they will spend in their lifetime. It is also about power and control. Here in Kansas City, Nation Bank is the king of the hill. It bought Boatmans Bank, changing all Boatmans to Nation Banks. Now Nation Bank has bought American Bank, and the names will change once again. If American Bank has a monopoly on banking in the city and they are able to undercut other banks, this could force other banks to be bought, too. If there is only one major bank, be it national or international, you will dance to their tune. We are witnessing the making of a Totalitarian State right before our eyes. The American College Dictionary defines totalitarian as of or pertaining to a centralized government in which those in control grant neither recognition nor tolerance to parties of differing opinion.
Is this what we see happening here? Our rights to peacefully demonstrate and protest have been criminalized by the government (no tolerance of differing opinion); the masses have no access to the mainstream media, be it TV, radio, or print (no tolerance of differing opinion). As we witness the destruction of Pacifica Network (as we know it), why not build our own? Look at the talent at KPFA. Why not use that talent and energy to build a true Voice for the Voiceless? How many more examples do we need to understand we CANNOT accept nor depend on government or corporate money because there are strings attached. Do you think the powers that be are finished with this issue? When they strike back, then what?
We must use the power of the people to build the voice of the people. What if the programmers that were terminated pool their resources together and start their own micro-radio stations? What if the people turn off Pacifica Network News and turn on "THE PEOPLE'S VOICES"?
We must begin to build on what is already in our hands. To take on this task would call for commitment, dedication, and challenge if we are truly serious about alternative news. If there is no tolerance of differing opinions, shouldn't we be about creating avenues to be heard and felt?
--Feel Free to call Sista Shiriki at (819) 333-9814, or write me at P.O. Box 320441, Kansas City, MO 64132 or email me: <Shiriki@gvi.net>