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“... they do the essential, noble work of helping those they are capable of helping.<br />
my ilk, I furiously guarded my pathetic<br />
fiefdom and tolerated only<br />
minimal dissent. I also made myriad<br />
ideological connections and foolishly<br />
perceived them as friendships.<br />
In addition, I regularly tuned into<br />
the pages of the radical (sic) elite<br />
(sic). Believing I needed to “keep<br />
up” with such folks, I ignored oh-somany<br />
warning signs. I’m tempted to<br />
name names now but that would give<br />
such hypocritical manipulators infinitely<br />
more credit than they’re due.<br />
Instead, I’ll just say I now often forget<br />
these people are even alive. Without<br />
their delusional proclamations and<br />
sniveling sycophants soiling my news<br />
feed, I feel far saner and can finally<br />
see with clarity how they are absolutely<br />
part of the problem (as I was).<br />
Turn off, tune out, drop out.<br />
No symbolic gestures. Just action. Direct action.<br />
A white male “left” major league icon<br />
(Timothy Leary) once babbled about<br />
“turn on, tune in, and drop out.” Please<br />
allow a white male (former) “left” (minor<br />
league) icon (me) to counter: turn<br />
off, tune out, drop out… and wake up.<br />
We blew it, “comrades.” Big<br />
time. We’ve allowed things to get<br />
to the point where the best role<br />
any “activist” can play is like<br />
that of a triage or hospice nurse.<br />
Such nurses don’t come to work<br />
each day dreaming their patients will<br />
magically get better — or even live.<br />
Instead, they do the essential, noble<br />
work of helping those they are<br />
capable of helping. No symbolic<br />
gestures. Just action. Direct action.<br />
This isn’t to say “activists” should<br />
never ponder how to create systemic<br />
change and a less oppressive society.<br />
Mickey Z. on the streets of New York City, doing work.<br />
But it is to say that if we waste all our<br />
time and energy pondering grand strategies<br />
(sic) and “debating” on social<br />
media, we won’t even notice those in<br />
need. We’ll walk right past the vulnerable<br />
souls who are begging for our help.<br />
If you want to lend meaning to<br />
your daily life in a social-justice-y<br />
sort of way, I strongly suggest you<br />
turn off, tune out, drop out and start<br />
thinking like a hospice or triage<br />
nurse (or cat lady, for that matter).<br />
Creating a softer place land is<br />
the only work left to do and it will<br />
never happen on social media.<br />
[Article from World News Trust,<br />
Oct. 8, <strong>2017</strong>]<br />
Mickey Z. is the founder of Helping<br />
Homeless Women-NYC, offering direct<br />
relief to women on the streets of<br />
New York City. To help him grow this<br />
project, make a donation right now.<br />
And please spread the word!<br />
22/<strong>Penn</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong>/<strong>November</strong> <strong>2017</strong>
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