Lucy Parsons (1886)
This posting will serve 3 series of this journal/ blog ... "Public Patriots", "The Awakening" ... and I also wanted to put it in the "Black History/ Harmon Loft" series too, which is a sort of personal dedication to a fella named Harmon from years back, which Harmon unintentionally inspired this series. I'm sure Harmon would be surprised to see this if he were alive ... especially coming from that on the edge rambunctious troubled white kid he took in and helped many years back ... and ... "you see Red, I do know how to read and write!!" heh, heh, heh, heh, heh {:-) ... (personal humour only ... and Red was his nickname, because of the reddish tint to his hair). What inspires this posting though, is the May Day demonstrations across America and parts of the globe monday (Truthout/ Democracy Now News), I been following much of it and thought it was really a great turnout of folks! As I was reading up on it and listening to the public response from folks ... I thought to do a posting, and who better to highlight for this posting but Lucy Parsons (wikipedia) came to mind. Mrs. Parsons also inspired in part the title of this posting as well, being she was considered by Chicago Police as more dangerous than a thousand rioters. Lucy was one of the great leaders and organizers in the 19th and 20th centuries of workers rights, inspired many and belonged and worked with so many groups and individuals, and a cornerstone of the May Day movement to this day. Not much is really known about Lucy's roots, she declined to talk much about it, but there is reason to believe that she was born into slavery in Texas, and that she is also part black, even if she didnt publicize it, which makes sense, especially marrying a white man and former Confederate soldier, Albert Parsons ... and all the pressure on black folks at that time, plus sort of being on the run with hubby, fleeing Texas and going to Chicago. Did Albert inspire Lucy? ... of course to an extent, they worked together for a common cause ... they were ... sick of the shit, period. But that is not reason to say that Lucy just rode the coattail of Albert ... of course when Albert was executed with others, for his part as a "labour rights leader/ speaker" in what was known as the "Haymarket affair" ... his wife Lucy had every goddamn reason to be upset and to avenge the death of Albert as well, and to me, it was just another one of those shady evidence kangaroo trials.
Regardless of any political labels Lucy may have identified with ... or the labels she was given by so many that hated her guts to the core ... what is most importante is what she actually done, and in particular for American workers. Lucy was far more liked than hated though, thousands would come out the minute she was ready to speak or write, her work was everything to her. In my view ... Lucy was the cream of the crop of an American woman ... a freethinker with leadership qualities, didnt put up with bullshit, she was bold, intelligence with common sense, a survivalist, strong as steel and beautiful woman! What you see happening today with this repackaged garbage in the form of neoliberalism/ corporate communism on workers and smaller business people/ companies, backed and legislated through their cowardly politician suck- asses they pay off, is why this deserves to be challenged once again because of the garbage that's being peddled off on to folks ... it calls for an alliance with defiance. I was reading many comments online from people that criticized the demonstrations monday, of course with the usual talk about these demonstrators being anti American communists, part of the Jew agenda funded by George Soros, pot smokers, kids living in their parents basements, niggers, immigrants, faggots and related ... the same old talk that Lucy and others of her time were labeled as basically. But these demonstrations is exactly the reason why we have any rights now whatsoever ... without this resistance, and even using violence when necessary and our people are under attack ... you/ we wouldnt have a pot to piss in concerning rights/ voice, paid sick leave/ vacation, living wages or a thing of worth. Many of those that quickly criticize these demonstrators and the movement to preserve and strengthen rights and real fair business ethics ... are the same folks that are first in line to accept their rights and utilize them, use their sick leave and vacation, and first to bitch when any of it is taken from them ... so think twice about who you stand with, eh? Many who criticize, should also put their money where their mouth is ... I mean ... dont use your vacation or sick leave, go ahead and work for $4 to $5 bucks an hour, perhaps you may like to take a job working in the fields with crops, being a janitor, or the other positions that you look down on, but depend on. If you love this oligarchy that is out to just rob you of every damn thing they can, including what you earned down to your own property, or you dont care to have a voice concerning issues in your communities ... go ahead like a fool and show your patriotism to them instead of your country, communities and what the democracy of this republic stands for.
I alwayz hear people say that poverty and dirt low unlivable poverty wages are simply part of capitalism, stabbing your workers, consumers and smaller shareholders in the back, etc ... I never heard anyone explain though ... why? Looking at the design of capitalism and how it should work, there should not even be any working person having to live in the streets, homeless or starving ... show me one reason why this is necessary for a healthy workable flow of capitalism and business? In other words ... what we really have, is not actual capitalism ... if it were, the design of it would work for all business, participants, markets, etc ... you would really have more progress, more diversified and distributed balanced capital and a much more thriving economy. And this is coming from a guy (me) that is all for free market, and I dont even believe that everyone should be equal as far as wealth, I believe that some should be rewarded more than others for their efforts and contributions, after all, I believe in merit. These demonstrators that fight for what is balanced business and right in a true business and capitalism society are heroes if anything, and leaders like Lucy are truly elite ... after all ... who makes this all work, eh? a handful of hustlers with too much unearned wealth they basically stolen, and snake oil peddlers? When challenging those who rob you (and that's exactly what they do), there is not just "one way" to resist, you have various wayz, from protesting peacefully, to boycotts of services to products, to pushing legislative change, to challenging in the courts, etc ... and if necessary ... violence. For those who tell demonstrators and freedom/ rights fighters that violence is no solution, I suggest that you tell that to the politicians that legislate for violence to be used on its citizens, tell that to the militarized police forces that brutally beat and injure demonstrators, tell that to those who attack workers unionization/ solidarity with violence ... tell that to those who order that people end up dead at the hands of government and law enforcement, tell that to the cops that kill innocent people for traffic stops or whatever. Violence used against people/ citizens, workers and consumers, justifies violence in return as defense even at least. Below, I added some links to read up more on Lucy Parsons, much of what Lucy wrote was burned in the fire she died in, and much confiscated by government, so much is missing too. But what Lucy and others done in this area and up to the present, is what this is all about, and why it's needed that these people that are considered as a threat to the establishment ... that each and everyone of them should be as dangerous as a thousand rioters.
Word Out ....
***** The Writings of Lucy Parsons ... (lucy.pdf)
***** http://links.org.au/node/2480: Lucy Parsons 'More dangerous than a thousand rioters' ... (article)
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***** PD/ RCJ: "PUBLIC PATRIOTS" PART'S 49 THRU 1
***** PD/ RCJ: "THE AWAKENING" PART'S 48 THRU 1
***** PD/ RCJ: "BLACK HISTORY/ HARMON LOFT" PART'S 12 THRU 1
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**** amazon.com: Lucy Parsons: Freedom, Equality & Solidarity- Writings & Speeches, 1878- 1937
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***** RANCH CHIMP JOURNAL "WELCOME" POST
***** RCJ MUSIC/ ART'S HONOUR ROLL SOCIETY (my hand- selected music/ arts picks)
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