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"What comes to pass does so not so much because a few people want it to happen, as because the mass of citizens abdicate their responsibility and let things be."
Gramasci
But…
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article 0061 added 08.02.03 words
Shook-Yaa
There has never been a time when we, the heads, the voice of youth and the voices of the people on the ground have been more important than we are right now. As important as we are, we have the potential to be dangerous as well. We have the potential to stand up and make changes. All it takes is the belief that you hold that power, that we are that important and that we can harness that potential.
Jeez… I sound preachy.
Many people have emailed me over the last few weeks, saying "Yes, yes, anti-war, anti-government, fine and everything, but what can I do? No one's gonna listen to me. I'm just one person."
And yes you are and yes individually, we are one person. But standing together, with a unified voice, imagine how loud we sound and the damage we can then do together.
Anti-war? Say something. Kim Howells condemns 'violent music? Tell him why he's wrong. We can shake our heads at TV sets and tut at magazines and newspapers all day long. But that doesn't get our opinions heard in the places that need to know we oppose their supposed invincibility. This radio silence gives Blair and Blunkett the universal mandate of silent agreement they need to act in our name but not in our conscience. We can't let them act on our behalf.
What can we do?
Everything. From focused protest, to organised peaceful nuisance, to faxing your MP, to signing petitions, to open debate and voting. Irritate other members of the public, force the issue to the front of their minds, ensure that no one can contemplate the war without also contemplating the opposition to the war. What does this achieve? If I did it on my own, I'd be ignored and would be wasting my time despite throwing my hat in the political ring. If we all did it, eventually the tumult would rise to a level that's hard to be ignored.
My age bracket, 18-24 was the lowest turnout of voters in the last election. I decided to vote on the day and have my opinion heard and made and send my message to the powers that be. I felt that by actively going in and crossing out all the names on the ballot thus spoiling it and registering it as a "NO VOTE" spoke volumes more than staying at home and not voting. A "no vote" is a negative mark on the voting statistics whilst not voting is simply commonplace. Imagine everyone registering a "NO VOTE", this would send a provocative and unequivocal message to politicians telling them categorically that they do not speak for us, relate to us or serve our best interests. We have actively not voted to stop them getting into power, thereby paving the way for someone we do wish to elect.
We all know that this war is about control of oil, drugs and arms sales, with, to a lesser extent corporate-sponsored ethnic cleansing. We know that through the powerful art of repetition, easily led members of the public will believe "weapons of mass destruction" type soundbites. We know that the media is carefully filtering out the whole entire story, the shots of the bombed Iraqi children, the air raids that never stopped and the food and shelter crises every citizen faces every day. We also know that Sadaam Hussein is not a particularly nice man. But put him in a room with Bush and Blair and I know where my last bullet is heading. We know all this. War ain't the answer. Peace, man and all the rest of it. But we have all got to shout it out from the rooftops.
Does this affect my life? Your life? Our day to day livings? Our struggles and our paycheque to paycheque existence? Of course it does. In two ways. First of all, a war is a perfect excuse to focus people's attention away from domestic issues, such as the economy, education and health. No one in America seems to be worried about the plunging Wall Street Stock Exchange. Cos hey! There's a fireworks display in the Gulf on CNN right now. So, whilst we're distracted by this war, expect Howells to introduce his new entertainment licensing bill that takes live music away from us (£1000 licenses for any venue wanting to put on concerts). Expect Blunkett to start monitoring the lyrical content of our records. Except the value of the pound to fall and the extortionate congestion charges to rise in inflation. All whilst we're watching a fictional war on the news. Secondly, this affects our day to day living because at the end of the day, is this a government you want to back? One that goes against the overwhelming will of its people. One that ignores public opinion in favour of bed hopping with the good ol' US of A?
I do know that I'm better suited to soapbox politics in Speaker's Corner in Hyde Park and my girlfriend envisages a future for me of cantankerous old man stick-waving and annoyances. Much like our beloved Abe Simpson. But…
But what can we do? What should we do? Realise our potential. Simple, really. Hiphop is a life-affirming conscious and powerful music. Hiphop is a culture steeped in passion, electricity and volume. Chuck D called
Hiphop the black CNN, a record of these times. And it is. Use the music, use your voice. Attack the system and never believe that you're not going to achieve anything. Because you are not alone. There's a whole movement out there, dedicating its life to these causes. Once we all unify and move it forward, the work becomes easier shared amongst more heads. And then we can see some change. Unify, defy and try. That's my sermon for the day. Never believe that you're unheard and unimportant. The more people standing together shouting the same chants of freedom and unity, the more chances of our voices being heard and those in positions of power starting to speak for us. People like George Galloway, George Monbiot, Michael Moore, Mark Thomas, Asian Dub Foundation, KRS-ONE, Chuck D, Tom Morello. People who listen and people who can represent us.
Saturday the 15th, whilst in the revelries of your Valentine's Day love, step up and join us all on the Stop the War Coalition Protest. Thousands upon thousands will be there and adding to the numbers will only strengthen the cause. The two assembly points are at Gower Street Tube Station and Embankment Tube Station at 12.30pm. Bring slogans and banners, bring percussion drums and whistles, bring your chants and rhymes. Bring yourselves. And let's party this government into hearing us.
Love and respect Shook-Yaa
