By Maria Shaplin
Chapter 1: The Abridged Herstory of a 36 Year Old White Liberal from Vermont Who Once Upon A Time Fancied Herself a Radical (OR, What Brought me to the Women’s March)
I was raised with a daily immersion in American politics. Angry letters to the editor being frantically typed by my stay at home dad. Morning car trips to school with Rush Limbaugh. Politics at the family dinner table at 5pm. The evening news blasting from the boob tube at 6pm. Punks. Riot Girls. DIY. Distrust of power, distrust of leaders. CSPAN when there are votes, vetoes, press conferences. CNN when there are wars, bombings, riots, trials, shootings. South Africa, Iran, The Gulf War, The Iraq War, Bosnia, Afghanistan, Syria, LA, Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine, Snipers, Schools, Clubs, terrorists, violence, violence. Far away, but in my living room. Then the Internet. College: Globalization, The World Trade Organization, The World Bank, IMF, debt, slavery. More slavery in the world now than ever before. Protests. Organizing, violence, vandalism. Tear-gassed and shot with a rubber bullet in Quebec City. New-found fear, burnout, turning inward, getting back to art, refuge in theater. Feminism re-born out of the ashes of previous waves. Black Lives Matter. White terror and retribution creeping, expanding, engulfing.
Chapter 2: TRUMP (AKA The shittiest mic drop in American History)
LIGHTNING STRIKE. The largest wet fart noise you’ve ever heard x 1,000,000,000. End chapter.
Chapter 3: The Next 4 Years of Our Lives.
Clearly this chapter is already in progress. I started writing it the day after the election, slowly… These bones are a little creakier and less spongy. There is a little fear and trembling, settled in over the years from the catcalls, ass-grabs, the advancements in riot gear. The beefing up of private security forces, the stranglehold of capitalism. THE STRANGLEHOLD OF CAPITALISM WHICH FILLS ME WITH INDIGNATION AND RED HOT FURY. More confidence, self-knowledge. The hands and mind are strong. Busy, sharp, productive. The March. A March. More to come.
