Last
Saturday I was listening to Rep. John Lewis and Andrew Aydin talk about March
Book Two, the second volume recounting Lewis' participation in the Civil
Rights Movement.
There
were two things that came up that went along with some thoughts I've been having,
and that ultimately relate to the big picture.
One
was that Aydin expressed his hope that the book would inspire more activism,
and that one area of focus would be student loans and education costs.
For
the other, one of the audience questions was about how comics culture is not
always a welcoming space. She and Aydin had some back and forth on that topic.
You do need to be the change you want to see, which is hard, and certainly one
way of doing that is voting with your dollars, but as a woman you only have
seven tenths as many dollars available for voting, (which could easily be even
less that that if you factor in some culturally necessitated differences in the
cost of living).
To
her I would mention that I have always felt welcome at Things From Another
World (multiple locations) and Floating Planet. They are helpful and kind and
glad to see you. So if in the Portland Metro Area you are finding a comic book
shop or clientele that is not treating you right, keep looking - there are
options. Most of my comic-related socializing happens on-line, and there are
great options there too.
That
probably seems like a digression, but not as much as you think.
In
October I wrote a little about how the groups that frequently acted as agents
of change have been weakened. At the time I focused on unions, students, and
working-class women:
Since
then I have become more aware of how it filters through. You can add non-profit
workers to the list. Sure, really luxurious wages would seem inappropriate, but
living wages, good health plans, and 401K plans go out the window too. It's
similar to way we treat teachers, and add college professors to that list,
because without tenure they are treated as completely disposable. The end
result is that anyone with any self-interest has to leave, or they are
constantly being torn before guilt or fear. If they do make the choice that
shows the most commitment to the social good, their end result may very well be
dying under a bridge.
I
see it in my own accounting. In January I file my taxes and in February I get a
refund. In February and March I make contributions to tip jars and
crowdfunding. I buy more music and comics, supporting artists. Then that bump
is gone. I still see just as many needs, and they would be good things to
support, but I can't. There is a general constriction tightening around the
good we can do.
Hearts
are good. There are a lot of people out there who want to help each other, and
would if they could. With very small resources some amazing things still
happen, but it is nothing compared to what would happen if we didn't have that
glut at the top.
That
completely relates to whether a woman or a young girl or a person of color can
head into a comic book shop or convention and feel welcome. The comic
gatekeepers are pretty similar to the Gamergaters with their aversion to Social
Justice Warriors. They're not that different from people clinging to the
Confederate flag and calling it heritage. They think they're aggrieved, and if
they can just keep someone else below them that at least they will have that,
so they help maintain a social order that breaks people in the service of
consolidating power. It's stupid and ugly and shows a complete lack of understanding
about how everything works.
Sometimes
it can be worth taking it on headfirst, and sometimes you really need a rest.
Sometimes the people who should be the ones supporting you have their own less
overt issues and that can be frustrating.
I
still know that there are pockets of calm and support, and that working for it
helps those oases spread.
I
believe it's worth fighting for.
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