Who Bombed Judi Bari?

Some Thoughts on Achieving Justice

by Mary Moore - October 1999

For those just starting on the path...............from one who's getting near the end

At our last meeting a young man who seemed smart, serious, articulate and committed to the cause left in a hurry, angry at what he perceived "a campaign of hate" being carried on by a couple of people in our group. He was referring to the latest skirmish in a decade old situation that has torn apart the activist community on the northcoast. His refusal to even discuss or learn the background and/or history of this sorry tale saddened and angered me and for a couple of days I worked on jotting down thoughts and feelings in an effort to get past my own anger and on to the lessons we need to learn.

Here are some hard-earned insights in no particular order of importance.

A closed mind is not limited to right wingers or the apathetic middle. When it is combined with unscrutinized singleness of purpose the big picture is often lost and from that combination has come Stalinism and the Khmer Rouge.

One of the most damaging charges leftists can make is to accuse anyone of being an informer. In the past, reckless and unproven accusations have led to death and destruction of innocent people. We must be alert to the lessons of history and recognize them in our own lives and movement work.

Blind adulation of ANYONE is dangerous. Taken to an extreme it results in cultism. Creating "stars" out of people is unfair to both parties. It gives away the personal power of those who follow and creates an unrealistic expectation for those put on the pedestal.

When the person on the pedestal starts believing they are a martyr, bad things can happen and principles can disappear.

Conþict between people is normal even on the left. Ignoring or covering up the conþict and differences only makes it worse. Keeping an open mind and a willingness to listen is the only path to resolving conþict and creating unity.

The situation we are faced with is not about "taking sides" It is about sorting out facts and learning history before rushing to judgement. Good faith dialogue takes precious time and energy and is not for the mentally lazy.

A decade long plea for mediation is not a "campaign of hate". Obviously not every situation can be mediated but when an ugly ten year split in our activist community results in so much pain and damage it is the only answer.

Paying attention to the details of anything is hard work. It's often easier to focus on the things "out there" than it is to do the work in our own backyards.

Without an open mind "radicals" can turn into "reactionaries"

"Those who ignore the elders lose the lessons of history" - Bill Wahpepah, Native American activist and founder of the American Indian Movement and the International Indian Treaty Council.

Mary Moore
P.O. Bx. 298
Occidental, Ca. 95465
707 874 2248