Reposted from RefuseFascism.org

Refuse Fascism has given me courage

by Lillian Forman

August 10, 2020 | revcom.us

 

A fascist has wormed his way into my Refuse Fascism page on Facebook. I know how fascists think; I’ve been in enough demonstrations to which they’ve turned up, spouting irrational ideas and insults, but this man shocked me by stating ideas that had a false veneer of rationality and contradicted both democratic precepts and the humane social structure put forth by Bob Avakian in his book Constitution for the New Socialist Republic in North America. Having another point of view on my page should be an advantage—giving dynamic new facets to the subjects I post about. But these ideas are not dynamic. They are nihilistic and lead to hatred and death.

For example, my first exchange with my Facebook fascist “friend” A.L. began by a discussion of the COVID-19 shutdown. He declared that we shouldn’t have gone into lockdown in the first place. I replied that then a lot of people would have died unnecessarily. He said that that was the point, that old weak, sickly people should have died so that the strong and healthy could use the financial resources customarily wasted on useless, moribund creatures so likely to die during a pandemic. I pointed out that I am 84 and have no intention of dying, that I live a good, useful life and plan to keep on living and working.

He then demanded that I die for his sake of him and that of his children. The following are his exact words: “You had a good long life, Madam. Time to step aside, Our Children are more important. As it should and as it (h)as always been.” Apparently, no effort should be made to save the elderly since that would be using money and other resources that belong to the young. I didn’t bother telling him that I have made a living will requiring that if I enter a persistent vegetative state or any other state in which life is meaningless, I must be removed from all life extending equipment. I’m sure he wouldn’t have felt this effort was enough. He probably thinks I and other oldsters should suffer—cheaply—through an isolated death from suffocation. A.L. made it totally clear that “post-modern Liberal Humanism is getting out of hand.”

The pedantic phrase ‘post-modern humanism’ brings us to the plight of humanity in general. I’m sure that many old people feel as I do; that their life is their own to do with as they please as long as they act in moral and responsible ways. Most have earned the pride that they feel about the ethical choices they make and the responsibility to pass the standards they base these choices on to younger people. Consider Dr. Fauci, who in his old age and in spite of the hostile, fascist Trump, is courageously battling this deadly pandemic. Probably A.L and his cronies feel he should get out of the way as well as minor people like me. After all since they don’t pay attention to his ideas and discoveries, they must consider him valueless. Like the Nazis, who would, if they could, have let Einstein and Freud die in concentration camps, these modern Nazis would also wantonly destroy modern day world treasures.

When I began this brief essay, I felt a little guilty defending my right to live. It seemed a bit self-serving. But all humans have the right to a sense of their own dignity—the black, the brown, the yellow, women, homosexuals, people with differently oriented sexual identities, even me. And they all should feel free to assert this dignity as long as they respect the self-respect of others. What good is life without it?

It takes some courage to assert one’s dignity, especially when one is all skin and bones, four feet eight inches tall, has shaky hands, falls easily, and forgets simple words as I do. I think belonging to Refuse Fascism has given me this courage. It has helped me see my worth in setting an example for younger people, it has helped me love others to the point where I would be willing to sacrifice my safety for the sake of the world and its people, it has helped me to see clearly in a time of terrible confusion and obfuscation. These are valuable qualities, so vital to one’s sanity and necessary to one’s sense of worth when the world has become a witches’ cauldron. Everyone in such a time really needs to be a part of Refuse Fascism. So, for the sake of humanity, come out to the streets to fight back against the bleak, ugly world of A.L before it overwhelms us. It’s almost too late.

Lillian Forman (in “NO!” shirt)