by Dominic Painter
I went to grab lunch at Cactus, one of those Los Angeles walk up burrito shacks you can’t find back east or in my native Midwest. What better way to enjoy an 80-degree late November day than outdoors eating Mexican food. While drenching my starch and sodium stuffed tortilla of goodness with copious amounts of red and green sauce I over hear the discussion from the table next to me. One millennial guy shares his excitement of having first heard live traditional gospel several days prior and the magical dichotomy of sad lyrics delivered through joyful chorus. His millennial friend sat attentive, eager to listen. Despite laughing at the notion of Jesus building a mansion in heaven for someone when they die, the consensus seemed to be that the great part of religion is that it paints death as something beautiful and not the grim reality most are fearful of. “Isn’t this great,” says one, “that we can just discuss religion like this?” “Yes” the other adds emphatically. “Our generation are such radical thinkers,” again the other nods, “yes,” as the first guy concludes, “more than other generations we speak freely about religion and things.” I had to pause mid bite and put my hot sauce down. I am not old but I missed the millennial boat by a few years. I would still like to think of myself akin to the ways of their brood. But radical? That is a big stretch. One might think a wall of opposition is necessary for a thought to be deemed radical and the truth is we are currently in a culture of indifference, a liberal free for all where fundamentalist beliefs are laughed at in all major cities. But, later for all of that. This burrito isn’t going to eat itself…
Two-weeks ago my home town of St. Louis, the place in which I was deprived of walk up burrito shacks, was the focus of national attention. The grand jury decision was going to be announced in the case of Officer Darren Wilson who last August shot and killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown in the streets of Ferguson, a segregated area of St. Louis County. Mentioning that Ferguson is segregated is actually kind of a moot point. Anyone who has lived in the STL knows the entire region is horribly segregated in ways that show the reality of America’s racial “progress”. Months of social organizing to achieve broad peaceful protest were undermined by hundreds of rioters who took to looting and burning down local business from gas stations to beauty supply shops. Hair extensions, after all, have become a luxury item in this new economy. Outrage and frustration that some form of justice was not met became the tone of popular opinion leading thousands to organize in the wake of the riot and join in solidarity, marching through the streets of many major US cities. Within minutes, many took to social media to troll discussions. Some questionably intelligent minds supported the American justice system saying, “a jury decided, let’s move on.” What a radical position to hold! It may not be right, but trusting the system is contrary to popular opinion.
Movements are few these days but when they happen (same-sex marriage, anti-war, justice for Trayvon Martin) it is due to popular opinion. The current formula seems to be outrage + popular opinion = movement. If my friend hasn’t validated the cause via social media I’m out of it. Life is too good, or at least good enough, to be sidetracked by issues that don’t affect me directly. But lord forbid I don’t seem to have an opinion when everyone else is discussing an issue. Can’t we just dump water on ourselves in the name of racial equality?
Where’s the radicalism in indifference. To not side with or immerse your self in a belief system, process or cause is in fact the opposite of this. It’s become the norm to denounce and scrutinize other ideas than to come up with our own. Since the Vietnam era the trust in government has continuously slid to deeper lows. Corruption within the religious hierarchy have pushed people away from devout faith in search of more modern and lifestyle fitting forms of salvation and self discovery. Our parental enforced credo to go to school, get married and buy a house has come to a head with endless student debt, home foreclosures and an inability to commit to a relationship within a hookup society where gender roles are all but gone. There’s nothing to believe in except our own damn selves, for our own damn selves. Ideas are to be cynically viewed and industries are not to be trusted. This mentality has actually developed into a new DIY culture that in many ways is the most endearing aspect of the millennial generation. More small businesses in the form of food trucks, coffee shops, craft beer brewers and clothing boutiques which are more transparent than corporate brands and far more democratic to support. Democracy is the goal isn’t it, but mostly applied to consumerism in practice. When applied to bettering the country it is a process that is still believed to be nonexistent. When you don’t believe in anything as a society then radicalism has become antiquated. Who are we denouncing? Everything? If nobody is a fundamentally devout Christian, Jew or Muslim in the new world then in what way could publicly discussing gospel music’s idiosyncrasies be radical outside of any non bible belt town. “Boy! Take the Lord out yer mouth and shove that burrito in it!” Is the point to laugh at everyone else? Then you succeeded. What’s next? Radicalism should always hold with it the risk of social exile and political punishment. Without this, you are simply stating that which the public has adopted as common opinion. Welcome to the hive.
Two discussions are still radical in America: race and rape. Most race related cases involving police have enough circumstantial evidence to sway opinions in favor of law enforcement officials. “But he smoked weed when he was 15. Must be guilty.” When discussing the loss of black lives by the hands of the law, unlike rape, it is still OK to blame the victim. Race is the type of discussion that an HR department may find worthy of note in deciding your future at a company. Be black but don’t talk about it. My good friend is a lawyer who has been on national TV thanks to his second job as a political spoken word poet. I asked what his co-workers think and he said, “They don’t know. I wont tell them. And if somebody hears something and asks me for a CD I say ‘OK’ and never follow through in hopes they forget about it.” On occasion the media opens up a window that makes this discussion acceptable for everyone to talk about it, and in extreme cases like the past couple of weeks, actually gather in public places to show the world what they think. Human Resources can kiss my ass! This is my country and I need it to respect me. An example of radical views going viral and to the streets but it wouldn’t happen without popular opinion making it acceptable. Especially for individuals that the issue does not affect personally, but, have chosen to stand up in the name of human interest. Popular opinion will ensure that those people aren’t exiled by their family and friends. If nothing comes from it, oh well, it was a phase Bobby went through like when he used to wear Crocs and listened to Ricky Martin. So how do we change my equation from earlier to create perpetual radicalism on a daily basis within our actions, our choices in entertainment and products as well as in our casual discussions in spite of popular opinion?
If most people are indifferent then we are all free to criticize fundamental beliefs, policy and institutions without repercussion and reprimand at the local taco stand. This isn’t East Germany before that time Hasselhoff sang while the wall was coming down. If this generation is truly taking pride in lack of conviction then we have a serious problem to deal with. Conviction, that’s a radical idea. This past mid-term election on November 4th had the worst turnout since 1942! Since voting isn’t popular then the action of doing so just might be a radical notion. Where are all the hipsters bragging about how cool their “I voted” button looks? Local government elections are the most viable means for citizens to see results based on their opinions and those of their direct neighbors. But we don’t trust the system so fuck it. Maybe we can continue to challenge Congress to write legislature calling for national oversight of Police training and accountability in the wake of the Darren Wilson and Daniel Pantaleo (the officer who choked Eric Garner) grand jury decisions. Is that a realistic notion though? Once the idea of marching and posting brutality videos on Facebook becomes less chic and more passé it is realistic to assume that the entire argument will be forgotten for another 20 years, leaving those affected daily by prejudicial police tactics to endure another generation where trust between neighbors and local forces is severed.
Radicalism begins with thought, dispersed through speeches and media on to the people who then collectively demand those ideas be adopted as public policy. The only reason history writes of Trotsky and his essays is because the workers of Russia had the conviction to carry out his ideas in the form of extreme action over the coarse of decades. We read of Che Guevara and Fidel Castro broadcasting revolutionary ideas across the radio because the revolution actually happened. It wasn’t until the dust settled and a new government was in place that people thought to even research how they managed to build a successful army and military coup. They aren’t just radical because of their thoughts. It was the conviction to risk it all, life and limb, regardless of whether history would paint them as visionaries or terrorists over time. Now that’s radical!
So when the millennial revolution is done will they speak of so-and-so who through the power of Facebook mobilized the nation to change the US government for good? Quite possibly. We’ve already seen how twitter was integral to recent uprisings in places like Egypt. Likewise, use of cell phone videos and viral distribution of them helped broadcast, and ultimately mobilize, the coup against Muammar Gaddafi in Libya. The trick is to multi-task. Type-the-type and walk-the-walk. Hands Up Don’t Shoot is a great start but with the light shining, and simultaneously dimming, on the college rape epidemic we need this discussion to also become just as popular. Until then I will wait for the day I am eating a burrito and hear a discussion between 2 devout followers of a belief, whether religious or political. Because to state what you actually believe in public, not how crazy someone else’s ideas are, is a far more radical act I can get behind.