I had one of those conversations this morning. The sort of conversation which starts, "you've put on weight" is never going to be a good one.
My reply was "I need to get fit in time for Germany." I'm planning to go to the protests against the G8 summit in June http://dissent.org.uk/content/view/293/1/
However this was greeted with a rant about how irresponsible I was, how I shouldn't go because of Jack and how it's much more important to focus on local politics than travelling to international summits.
Now I've got G8 guilt and I'm not sure what to do. I have some bullshit in my head about how i'm going as a writer but I know this is not convincing.
Maybe I'm being naive in my belief of "of course I'm going to be alright" which is my general mantra in life along with "everything will be ok in the end." Admittedly, we (as in London anarchos) tend to lose roughly one person to each global summit (sentences ranging from about two weeks to a year).
I've been to five global summits and I've been nicked at two and never been charged. I've been traumatised in different ways by three of them.
Politically, I have mixed feelings. Whilst I believe we have to oppose the G8, summit protest is a spectacle. We will not stop the G8, and even if we did, what good would it actually create in the world? However, in total contradiction, I do believe it is important to have mass protests as a show of force, to prove to both us and them what we are capable of.
Stay out of trouble? Unlikely. It's not really me. Besides I got nicked at the G8 in Scotland for driving a minibus whilst trying to stay out of trouble.
About Me
- emapple
- I am an anarchist, mother and writer currently living in Cornwall.
3 comments:
I feel that without people protesting nothing would ever change. Writing for me is a means of protest about injustices, without the amount of confrontation you deal with. It's a bit of a wimps way out, but it remains important to me to challenge inequalities etc. My friend has a postcard on his fridge saying:
"I wanted to change the world but I couldn't get a babysitter."
I love the photo by the way.
Thanks.
I know writing about it can be good and I'm not knocking it. I just know me, and I won't be going just to write.
I know the postcard - I'm planning to use it in my book in the chapter on direct action and kids.
xx
fIf there's doubt in your heart, perhaps this year is your year to stand back. Not like you are not doing a lot of amazing projects - it all goes into the same pot.
If your heart says go, then take the strength from that.
Reading between the lines, something keeps telling me that there is an inkling of doubt, but that leaves a battle of somehow not being fully committed? I might be wrong, but if it's there its cos you are a strong, intuitive woman and there's no one else who'll think anything less of you at all.
xx
ps aplogies for drunken state in Tesco...
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