The Politics of Kindness

This is sort of a love letter to my political home, because I really want things to work out between us.

For those of us who weren’t born in to radical families but arrived at their politic through a series of events or questions — there were people that stewarded our curiosity along the way. There were people that were patient with us who did not condescend when we didn’t have the “correct” opinion right away. We were on the road for years before we ended up where we are now ideologically. I am a socialist and anti-imperialist because I’ve met many kind people who have taken time to teach me a lot and were patient with me when I was still getting a grip on things. The same group of people brought me from my rage to real, tangible action. These are high school teachers, professors, other organizers, close friends and oftentimes strangers.

More and more people every day are falling into poverty while they get left behind by our winner take all economic system. While experiencing this hardship, they are seeing headlines about the billions of dollars being sent to carry out the genocide they see on their phones. They are told we live in the richest country in the world but can’t afford to go to the doctor for a basic check-up. Our nation values liberty and justice, but the state executed an innocent man last night. Then, there are dozens of other things people in the United States could notice that just don’t feel right.

The contradictions are becoming sharp and the masses are beginning to ask the right questions. More people are meeting their radicalizing moment, and even more people will look for a political home after November. I have a fear that the fascist-right wing is more equip when it comes to attracting the disillusioned masses than we are. It’s easier to be apathetic or cynical than it is to go against the current for a brighter, hopeful future. If we (the “left”) aren’t prepared, the right is an easy place for people to end up.

As a human being first and organizer second, I’m constantly asking myself if I am the kind of person that can meet someone in their radicalizing moment and steward their curiosity and learning curve as so many others have done for me. I try and remember how many new things I learn every day, and how long it took me to get exactly where I am now. At a series of convenings of movement folks over the last few months made me ask the question of our movement:

Are we being the kind of movement that can effectively meet people where they are?

I know we throw around that sentence all the time, but lately it feels like an hollow phrase. With all love to my comrades, I think many of us have noticed that a lot of time is spent talking shit about one another and mediating internal movement issues. Sometimes people are more concerned with being right faster than others than actually winning. Some of it has to do with ego, but a lot of it is just natural human error that sometimes we aren’t so good at checking. We say we want to “build the movement” but new people are met with hostility, condescension, and shame.

Outside of a political movement, the qualities I just described are the make-up of a person you don’t want to be around and would certainly not spend your free time with doing unpaid, uncomfortable political work. We don’t have to be friends, but we kind of do have to stop being assholes. Why fight for the people if you can’t be nice to the people?

Over the weekend, I attended the Through the Portal conference in Chicago — convened by the brilliant Dr. Barbara Ransby. We discussed the idea of prefigurative politics — practicing the world we want to see as we build it. If our politics include things like extending grace, forgiveness, community care, and understanding then why can’t our movement reflect that?

This isn’t just something that would be nice to have in movement spaces, it is something we have to get good at very soon if we are interested in winning. A movement that can’t coordinate can’t win. A movement that resents one another can’t win. A movement that can’t be patient to people coming around to our ideas — even if we find their timing ridiculously late — can’t win. We are nothing without the people, and we have a responsibility to be receptive, patient, and kind to them and each other.

Unfortunately our work will never give us instant gratification, so practicing patience in tangible ways with one another is great calisthenics for the months ahead as we go toe to toe with fascism. I’m not sure what will happen in November, truly. Either way I hope we don’t despair — I hope we see it as an opportunity to be with people, wherever they are with our messages of hope and a much, much better future.

Another idea presented at the conference over the weekend was that “the left” makes the critical error of mistaking popularity for power. It’s true, I think our values only reflect human nature. We wan’t to live easier, more equitable lives than we are living now and I think our inclination is extremely popular. However, even if the masses thoughts are on our side, it won’t mean much if their bodies aren’t. Like 2016 and 2020, there will be people looking for a place to take the logical next step with their rage; they will be looking to act.

Are we ready to make them feel at home? Are we being the kinds of people that can nurture someone through the steep learning curve? If we aren’t, there are other places for them to go, and we risk not just losing them, but the fight for a just future entirely.

Lately, I’ve been trying to ground myself in the radical responsibility to be kind, thoughtful, curious, and patient with everyone. Actually accomplishing our vision for the world is more important than any fleeting urge to assume bad intentions of my comrades or condescend to someone who is just coming around to our ideas. It will always be.

This is a self critique as well as an invitation for ideas for how we get better.