Social Unity, Insurrection and Non-Violence

by Don Eichelberger

The nation has laid to rest civil rights icon John Lewis, and I cast about for what can unify the angry rift in the world. It is strongest between people who either love Trump or hate him; the one unifying message seems to be “disaffection with America-as-it-is”.  But there is no unity on the reasons for the disaffection, let alone how to fix them.

What started as localized protests in the name of Black Lives Matter against police for the brutal killings of George Floyd, Brionna Taylor, Amaud Arbery and others became a national protest movement against institutional racism evidenced not only by regular killings of black, often unarmed men by cops and white people, but also by Covid19’s disproportional impact on minority communities. 

Then, as sometimes armed white supremacists waving confederate flags protested the coronavirus shutdown and need to wear masks around the country, the symbols of white supremacy came under attack. Monuments to slave owners, Indian killers and leaders who led the fight against the United States for the Confederacy were attacked and taken down, and the Confederate flag was barred by NASCAR.

Donald Trump and his core rose to protect these monuments to America’s racist past, so what started as protests for black justice has evolved in to—some would say been taken over by — a more general protest against the government, and Trump specifically. If and to what extent BLM concerns lose focus will become known after the next (inevitable) killing of a person of color by police.

Meanwhile, the largely white battle lines being drawn seems to unite the Trump lovers and haters protesting either Deep State lackeys or Wall Street oligarchs, depending on your view. So the question becomes, is government an entrenched, corrupt Deep State stealing our taxes to create a communist welfare state that takes away our competitiveness and creates an administrative bureaucracy to stifle entrepreneurship with environmental and economic regulation? Or is it the puppet of oligarchic interests to keep labor costs down, stock markets and war profits high, support predatory Capitalism and cut taxes on the rich while gutting social support programs?

We can have our differences.

Citizenship is taking a hard hit as we try to come to terms with what America really stands for and what it is to respect the National Anthem. My mom came to this country in the late 1920’s as a child from Lithuania. She said she learned from American movies she saw in Vilnius that America had endless possibilities where everybody gets rich. She was shaken when the Depression showed her there are poor people in America, too. But she would still stand and put her hand over her heart when the Anthem played, even on TV before a ball game. If we look we see many non-citizens who love America’s promise. They send their children to school and work hard for a better life. They really are “the invisible hand of the marketplace”.  Sometimes they send money to help relatives back where they came from.

Natural born citizens populating Trump rallies cheer with anger at Mexican rapists, Kaepernick and anthem kneelers, anti-Fascists, anarchists, stone-crazy protesters, Chinese “Kung Flu”, fake news media and Barack Obama. Recent rallies were held at the site of a historical black massacre on the practically sacred Juneteenth Holiday, and soon after at a granite cliff defaced with the images of colonial conquerors of the original native owners of the defaced rocks on the day celebrating the founding of the invader country. Neither venues nor timing showed a great deal of racial sensitivity. The coincidence is stark.

Citizen protesters are tiring, and media is tiring of citizen protest, at least until the next horrific, inevitable killing happens. But as protests become insurrection against Trump’s strong arm tactics, a new level of chaos is emerging as a population restless from the weeks of shutdown acts out.

Armed paramilitaries patrol and set up barricades in the streets; illegal fireworks are shot at federal troops brought in by Donald Trump to “dominate the streets” against protesters. Feds escalate by shooting back tear gas and rubber bullets in shows of force. Emergency vehicles are blockaded; people protest having to wear face masks and social distancing; community shootings increase, with children dying. Protests are everywhere with no unifying voice or seeming goal; just the kind of chaos Steve Bannon has worked for.

As we slide from civil protest to civil insurrection, we need to keep in mind the opening this leaves for “strong men” of every stripe to take over and derail real “revolutionary” change through force and intimidation; those things that non-violence sprang from the heart of Gandhi to confront. Change obviously needs to come; it has been needed for a long time. Trump didn’t start all this, but he was definitely the water dropped in burning grease. But we can’t beat Trump by trying to be Trump.

John Lewis had fought this fight for over 50 years, but knew it was not over. He reminded us of the power of bold citizenship acting with non-violence against injustices. The fuse has been lit and the new generation is blowing up. How do we guide that charge so it takes down only the bad while preserving the good?

Anyone who has taken part in and organized non-violent protests knows the threat of violence flaring is always there. Causes are many: some people may react badly in the stress and chaos that can suddenly erupt, especially dealing with such iconic causes as Justice, Freedom and Democracy. Some on all sides my have legitimate strong emotions around control and dominance and governmental authority. Some small faction, like the Boogaloos etc. may be there to use the cover of protest to press for open warfare. And there is always the threat of provocateurs from the other side trying to agitate what a long-time activist friend calls “that little boy energy” so often prevalent at demonstrations to provoke confrontive acts that challenge authority and discredit or draw away from the purpose of the demonstration.

Non-violent protests can be organized or spontaneous. Organized protests such as labor, civil rights, peace and anti-nuclear make sure to have people in the crowd who have taken special non-violence training to spot potential problems and intercede in a nonviolent way to head them off. With more spontaneous demonstrations as we have seen with the uprising since George Floyd was murdered, some of those people may be there who have taken nonviolence or monitor training, but they will mostly be acting as individuals and not as a cohesive conscious effort. The thing driving the nonviolence is individual commitment to the cause and their ability to remain calm. This can vary widely, especially in the face of shows of force egged on by a president who acts like he’s at a Pit Bull fight.

Anger seems to be the default emotion in our time, so it gets harder for some to maintain control. It is a sad commentary on how mainstream media concentrates on violent acts to build ratings without also showing the efforts being made among protesters to stop them. The camera seems to consistently turn away just as someone confronts the guy dressed in black breaking windows or someone trying to talk down an agitator.

John Lewis’ passing at this crucial moment in American history should teach us that willingness to die for a cause but not kill for it is a form of strength we need to learn. Passive non-racism is no longer enough. For real social change to finally happen, as I have heard said, we need to be actively anti-racist and call it out wherever we see it consistently, for as long as it takes, non-violently.

People will join the Uprising when they can hum the Theme Song

In the following article, “Breaking Free of the Cycles of Violence”, I lay out some observations of the problems I see and calls upon all of us to begin to adopt a more critical attitude about the use of violence in its many forms and how we can disengage from this “game”- develop an aware attitude about our acts and how they affect others.

I have been working on his since graduate studies in Social Work in the mid-70’s. I took away much from my studies of systems theory, criminal justice, family and social dynamics and how we find permission for what we do. I have also learned a lot about power relationships from Margo Adair’s writings and workshops, and broadened my awareness of many issues these past 25 years with the help of this odd collection of misfits known as San Francisco.

On Ending the CYCLES OF VIOLENCE

Don Eichelberger

Violence in currently structured society is pervasive. Literary and Biblical accounts date it from before Cain and Abel, to Satan’s war against God. Western tradition since then has been a story of war and subjugation. Individuals within those histories have faced and continue to face oppression and violence.

If we are to break free of the cycles of control and domination that lead to violence, we need to be aware of how the dynamics of violence feed on themselves and perpetuate and escalate violence.

Identifying individual and social roles in the violence process is important. For as we empower personal action to end our “will for violence”, meaningful social change will begin. Internal change will cultivate a desire to end violence.

Just as current culture is built upon a historical foundation of violence, future culture free of violence will be built upon principles of anti-violence now. We are currently living the history that will hopefully form the underpinnings of a more caring future.

Once the internal will to violence is lessened, we can look at social dynamics of violence more clearly. Institutions that perpetuate and thrive on violence can finally begin to be disassembled.

Violence, as defined here, is the imperative to dominate. It is the culmination of a cycle of events and systems based on making life work like a game, with winners and losers. As the systems feed the violence and make it stronger, so the escalated violence feeds back into those systems, making them more violent, spiraling the cycle.

PROPERTY RIGHTS

The cycle begins with the imperative to acquire or preserve property. Whether we are protecting (or coveting) personal property, personal authority over others, or strategic resources for a nation, this dynamic opens the way for violence. This is not the same as acquiring survival needs. Thus, a wolf pack attacking a caribou is not violence.

PROPRIETARY RIGHTS

Once the need to defend property is established, it builds a mindset that widens the definition of property and asserts our right to control it. Propriety rights (read territorial imperative) involves controlling not only real goods, but also people and institutions. The patriarchy claims control of women, children, workers, economic and political processes, and future outcomes.

AUTHORITY AND CONTROL

This is the tactical mechanism for enforcing proprietary rights. It is a system of rewards and punishment that enforces property rights.

Positive reinforcement is given to people & and instituting that consolidate control. Reinforcement is withheld (political contributions, grants, jobs, favors) from entities not toeing the line. Corporal ad capitol punishment, police, military and economic power are the coercive arms of the process.

WILL TO VIOLENCE

Will to violence involves creating the apparatus to provide the system with willing and unwilling participants. This is the socialization structure, and it invades all social institutions. Patriarchal western culture centers around creating children obedient to authority- the mission of families, schools and churches. When children gain the age to begin to assert their own authority, two paths open.

The “lucky” ones go on to higher education, where their violence is refined and focused on the competitive art of achievement. Through camaraderie in sports, frat parties and the paper chase, a new generation is trained to “get their share” of power and authority.

Power equates to money, and authority is the control apparatus (largely bureaucratic and/or hierarchical) of the corporation, state, church and military.

The unlucky ones go into military, prisons and/or an oppressive wage slave existence, often in heavy industry, weapons work, mining, etc., or else in menial labor or service jobs. Military and prisons are both “monster factories” that teach and reinforce the most hands—on forms of violence. Class, race and gender divisions in these two paths are stark.

The most brutal violence happens in populations where large numbers of people have been in military (especially combat) situations again socioeconomically determined. The criminal justice system’s injustice is most evident among groups of people unable to afford the price of justice. These systemic inequities feed into the cycles of frustration/rage that precipitates much domestic violence and child abuse.

INSTITUTIONAL DIVISIONISM

This critical process creates the battle ground where violence is allowed expression. Patriarchy provides the first institutional cleavage, pitting men against women, Man is superior. This is probably the oldest institutional cleavage, and is woven intrinsically into the fabric of today’ systems in all but a few societies.

Institutional divisionism is rooted in creating an us—them mind set that can perpetuate barriers between people and separate people from the natural world. Its function is to mobilize divisiveness, is an educational process of dividing and controlling. Besides sexism, it manifests as racism, religious bigotry, patriotism, homophobia, regionalism, gang warfare, and all divisionistic practices.

The mind—set is hierarchical—pitting one entity against another using some adopted standard of “worth”. Hierarchical institutions spread this standard- patriarchic family structures, church establishmentarianism, and educational institutions, including schools and the media.

Popular news often focuses on violent attacks (“if it bleeds, it leads”) and helps spread the veil of distrust among individuals. War rhetoric and terrorist sensationalism help drive wedges among nations. The propaganda machine is consciously driven by forces bent on maintaining their power. It is not above product media that stirs deep—seated divisions (e.g. racist stories, sexist advertising and jingoistic movies and music).

Sports as media also helps keep a population aggitable. Passions stay stirred from the World Series to the super bowl, NBA play—offs Stanley Cup and Big Time Wrestling. The Olympics opens the way for the rawest kind of nationalism, giving this divisive dynamic an international flavor. Competitive political battles, long on rhetoric and media imaging and short on substance oils the machinery with its slime.

Besides institutional processes that divide people from each- other, other processes work to separate humans from the natural order. This process, termed “desacralization by Jeremy Rifkin , places humans on a hierarchical scale above the rest of creation. Desacralization feeds back into the beginning of the loop and our definition of property.

High tech medical practices continually try to overcome the world’s most natural processes, birth and death. While some headway is being made to retrieve the art of midwifery and reinstate home birth and “natural birth” as the norm, much of Western medicine continues to negate the body’s role in maintaining health. Hospitals and the funeral industry have placed an antiseptic veil around the most pervasive of human experiences, being born and dying, a isolating us from the profoundness of our mortality.

Food production and distribution further alienate us from the natural cycles. High tech growing has relegated the land to chemical dependency, robbed food of nutrition and placed agricultural workers into a malnourished and oppressed subclass.
The real estate industry has made the life-giving earth into property, where market value transcends intrinsic value, transforming nature into a commodity or a “resource”.

Food processing and marketing help push the violence cycle in several ways. Processed foods, higher in sugar and additives, triggers bodily responses that can lead to agitation and direct violence (e.g. the “Twinkie Defense”). Economic violence is done to the lowest socioeconomic rungs in inner city neighborhoods, usually located farther from large food outlets, where prices are lower. And long bins of cut up animal flesh further separates humans from the suffering of beings “lower” in life’s hierarchy, and further desensitize
humans from the cycles of life at death.

This is not a definitive analysis of institutional divisions that feed the violence. These are illustrations of a wide range of ways the cycle functions, and that is its purpose. Locating our place in that cycle can suggest where we as individual feed into the cycles, and hopefully suggest ways that we can begin to take action in our personal lives to disengage from and dismantle the cycles. Then begins the challenge of creating life—affirming cycles to replace them.