One hundred years later…
Via Body and Soul
I discovered that they’re still trying to censor Emma Goldman.
The University of California Berkeley has seen fit to block a fundraiser mailer
for the Emma
Goldman Project over the use of a couple of quotes that the University deemed
were too political. (What? Emma Goldman? Too political? Say it isn’t so!)
More to the point, they didn’t want the U.S. government to think that
the University was criticizing certain policies. Makes the objectionable
quote from 1902 seem poignant: Emma warns that free-speech advocates “shall
soon be obliged to meet in cellars, or in darkened rooms with closed doors,
and speak in whispers lest our next-door neighbors should hear that free-born
citizens dare not speak in the open.”
I can’t help but think one should be quoting more Emma Goldman these
days. Even if you don’t believe in anarchism, her wisdom and humanity
are very compelling. And so what if she didn’t exactly say “If I
can’t dance I don’t want to be part of your revolution.” I think
the account found in her autobiography, Living My Life, to be equally
inspirational, if a bit cumbersome for a bumper sticker:
At the dances I was one of the most untiring and gayest. One evening a cousin
of Sasha, a young boy, took me aside. With a grave face, as if he were about
to announce the death of a dear comrade, he whispered to me that it did not
behoove an agitator to dance. Certainly not with such reckless abandon, anyway.
It was undignified for one who was on the way to become a force in the anarchist
movement. My frivolity would only hurt the Cause.
I grew furious at the impudent interference of the boy. I told him to mind
his own business, I was tired of having the Cause constantly thrown into my
face. I did not believe that a Cause which stood for a beautiful ideal, for
anarchism, for release and freedom from conventions and prejudice, should demand
the denial of life and joy. I insisted that our Cause could not expect me to
become a nun and that the movement should not be turned into a cloister. If
it meant that, I did not want it. “I want freedom, the right to self-expression,
everybody’s right to beautiful, radiant things.” Anarchism meant that
to me, and I would live it in spite of the whole world—prisons, persecution,
everything. Yes, even in spite of the condemnation of my own comrades I would
live my beautiful ideal.
Do read Jeanne
d’Arc’s comment on the situation.
I’ve not read her biography, but all of the snippets I’ve read about her deeply impress me. There is a puritanical streak that I’ve seen in everything from anarchist of a century ago to some of the more radical portions of the green party that deeply disturb me.
In part, I think this has nothing to do with the political persuasion of the movement and is more about the fact that in the West serious commitment to any idea is strongly associated with ascetisim. I don’t know if this impulse predate Christianity or not. I do know that I’d love to see more Dionysian attitudes in all facets of Western (especially US) culture.
I haven’t made it all the way through her biography yet–I had to put it down in the middle of Book 2, around where she’s getting disillusioned with the new Russia. Not that it wasn’t fascinating, but her life is a rich history lesson and I just couldn’t absorb another significant name or event. I plan to start over again soon.
And I don’t know if you are referring to Emma or Sasha’s cousin, but for all her broad vision, Emma, too, could have an inflexible pure focus that I found a little distressing. Still, she’s one of my heroes.
After all, she actually horsewhipped a cad in front of a general assembly who had done her (and her comrades) wrong. Not that I’m in favor of her violent ways, but, still…
It really speaks to the current political climate, which is scary to say the least. When I was in high school I failed an honors History seminar because I wanted to profile Goldman and wasn’t interested in taking “no” for an answer. When I used the quote about having to “meet in cellars”, I was sent to the principal. The teacher didn’t like Emma’s ideas, and said that a public high school was not the place where a dialogue about her ideas should take place. I didn’t necessarily agree with all of her ideas then, and still don’t, but Living My Life makes for fascinating reading.
The current political climate is certainly frightening, to say the least! I actually did get a chance to do a big presentation about Emma Goldman for my AP US History class and it was amazing. My teacher was a closet anarchist (or so I hypothesized, anyway) and it got everyone discussing her Goldman’s life and ideas, at least for a couple of hours. Public school is the ideal venue for radical politics!
“You’ve got your whole life to do something, and that’s not very long.” – -Ani DiFranco
Hell, the state of labor rights in this country cries out for another Emma Goldman–glad to hear that you got to share her ideas with others. And that they were interested in discussing them!
Funny you should comment on this old port of mine, Joyful. Just the other day I walked past “In Other Words,” my neighborhood feminist bookstore and saw a T-shirt for sale with the slogan “What would Emma do?” printed on it along with a picture of Ms Goldman.. The shirt, of course, was red.
In another nice bit of synchronicity, check out the latest Dykes to Watch Out For, #432 “Fight or Flight?” at planetout.com.
Hmm, I think there are plenty of Emma Goldmanesqe men and women wandering around right now, you just have to know where to look for them. In terms of labor relations, the lack of support for striking grocery workers here right now is stunning to me, especially coming from the ostensible left (in whom i have virtually no faith, but that’s another subject). I suppose it has more to do with our ‘rugged individualist’ collective cultural mentality (which is actually sort of ironic in a culture that does everything and then some to eliminate any sort of original though, but once again, I digress…) than anything, although unrestrained capitalism and greed are certainly vying for the top spot.
There’s no feminist bookstores in my neighborhood! I want one! It’s amazing that Emma’s politics are still so relevant today, and excellent that there’s community spaces supporting those ideas. The radical reading group I’ve been talking with lately is reading a book called ‘A New World in Our Hearts’ that’s a collection of writings from the now defunct Love and Rage Anarchist Federation. I’d highly reccomend it, it expands upon some of the ideas that have been brought up in this little thread and goes into depth about making that ancient ‘beautiful ideal’ relevant and meaningful in today’s world.
And Dykes to Watch Out For kicks ass:)
“You’ve got your whole life to do something, and that’s not very long.” – -Ani DiFranco
Hmm, I think there are plenty of Emma Goldmanesqe men and women wandering around right now, you just have to know where to look for them.
True enough, I guess what I’d like is to see another recognized and adored and reviled as strongly as she and her co-horts were. A strong speaker for labor for people to rally behind or have to deal with–hopefully without the imprisonment and unlawful deportation.
In terms of labor relations, the lack of support for striking grocery workers here right now is stunning to me, especially coming from the ostensible left (in whom i have virtually no faith, but that’s another subject).
Well, I even find the lack of support from the right stunning. Most all of my family is conservative (except me a few others) and also tout the “Buy American” line. Well, you can’t buy much American with lousy labor practices with in and out of the country. It’s all inter-related as far as I’m concerned.
There’s no feminist bookstores in my neighborhood!
There’s at least three is Portland proper, as well as an Anarchist one.
The radical reading group I’ve been talking with lately is reading a book called ‘A New World in Our Hearts’ that’s a collection of writings from the now defunct Love and Rage Anarchist Federation.
I’ll look for it. And I find it amazing that no one really understands what an Anarchist is, how most preach non-violence and, uh, don’t shave their heads. Anarchy isn’t for me for many reasons, but it a philosophy I find interesting and personally informative.
And Dykes to Watch Out For kicks ass:)
Yey, verily.