Debating Big Questions of Revolution in an Oppressed Neighborhood

September 23, 2013 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us

 

From readers:

Our team made some important headway in opening up debate on the big questions of revolution among people in an oppressed neighborhood on Sunday, struggling with them to join this movement and calling on them to meet the leader of the revolution by coming to our showing of BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! In this way, people's questions and differences on religion and Obama, among other things, were spoken to as part of our message on the only real solution.

The days are still hot and humid in the South at this time of the year, but we found people out in scattered groupings on their porches or at the neighborhood corner stores. Some took fliers, and a number of them said they felt challenged to come see the film. A woman who has seen the book BAsics, from the talks and writings of Bob Avakian at a local bodega read the quote BAsics 3:8 that was in the centerfold of the Revolution newspaper we were distributing, about how "The interests, objectives, and grand designs of the imperialists are not our interests...." She looked through the book to study it further and said that she is planning on buying it. One man insisted on joining us in marching down the street. Another man was at first speechless and then moved to tears by the poster with BA's "Three Strikes" statement.

Overall we summed up the most important accomplishment was the level of engagement with this revolution, the impact of challenging people with this revolutionary science that stirred interest even as it provoked challenges back from them. People were struck by the whole ensemble—of BAsics, the handbook for revolution, and the film of the speech by BA bringing out the strategy for revolution—and they took it as a serious proposal for the possibility of a whole better world.

On the first block we took out the Revolution—Nothing Less! banner and bullhorn. Right away a youth challenged us with, "You're outnumbered. Besides, communism is worse." Or so the history books say. But when we challenged him about "who writes history," his friend right away jumped in to agree with us. Down the way, an older gentleman wanted to know, "What's with the procrastination (in making this revolution)?" When we brought out the role of BA in confronting and resolving the big questions of strategic conception for revolution, he wanted to know, "What's the next step?" He took some materials on BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! and is considering coming to the film showing.

Religion and god is always a contentious issue. Having just reread “Two Different Approaches, Two Different Epistemologies—Two Different Worlds” from revcom.us/Revolution, we were determined to take the question on rather than look for validation. At several points along our way, women stepped out to tell neighbors not to listen to us because "They don't believe in god," but our stance on the need for revolution kept drawing people back to us.

The companion of one of these women spoke of his efforts in trying to help people out but wondered if it's worth it given others don't reciprocate. "What about me?" he wanted to know. “How can I be happy?” He thought that's what we were trying to do too—help people. We struggled with him over what people really needed—revolution. "It would make us happy for people to be free!" We were not able to get him to see how the system itself enforces those "dog-eat-dog" relations he was talking about.

A young woman agreed the world was a real mess, but then said, "You don't believe in god? Then we are on two different sides." Nevertheless she insisted that she was definitely going to be at the BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! film showing, and took fliers to get out too.

"Revolution? This is something you dream about," said a 40-something-year-old guy watching an NFL game with his buddies. But when we brought out the new Revolution article "More Lies from the Liar in Chief" exposing Obama's speech on Syria, he insisted Obama was being forced to continue what Bush started. It was instructive that nationalism affected his view of the Syria situation too. His sentiments were that "we have to worry about the poor people here" rather than a concern for the U.S. murdering more people there. We struggled for him to see the connection, but he wasn't hearing it.

Among the few youth we found on the streets there was some interest in what this revolutionary leader has to say. Several listened to the section "A Radically Different and Far Better World Is Possible" from BA Speaks: REVOLUTION—NOTHING LESS! Off of that, one of them said, “That guy is deep,” and took a stack of leaflets for the upcoming film showing to distribute. 

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