Shaving the Owner

My daughter was born recently. December 13, 2007 to be exact. The birth took place at home and was really wonderful. When I look at my daughter, I think of many wonderful ideas. I think that one day, she’ll be strong and capable of taking care of herself and others. I think that she’ll be aware of all the injustice, inequality, and oppression that surrounds us as we try to survive in the United States.

I told her the other day that this time ten years from now, she should meet me at the Eifel Tower at noon. She seemed to understand.

I’m on a paternity leave from work now. When I last spoke with the owner, he said, "Are you growing a beard?" I said, "I’m trying to save money by not buying razors." He laughed. Ha Ha. It’s easy to laugh when you’re the owner, when you’re the one responsible for the exploitation of every person who works for you, when your bank account grows while you chuckle. Truth is, the damn razors are expensive and wasteful too. Top it off, this happened in my own home, my own space for myself and my family. That’s bullshit. The owner thinks he owns me even in my own home! And again, the truth is, he does.

My last day of work prior to paternity leave, I asked a few people I work with if they realized that they are actually modern day slaves. Surprisingly, they said they did realize this. Not surprisingly, they also said they had no idea how it could ever be different. I said, "What if I call you a slave, will that anger you?" I could see the change in expression telling me that it would definitely be offensive. So, now that we’re in agreement that working people in the United States are modern day slaves, what are we going to do about it?

I used to rationalize the way suicide bombers fight back by asking myself and others, "If some stranger came up to you and forced you from your home, killed your friends, severely limited your freedom to move from place to place, oppressed and exploited you and your neighbors, wouldn’t you fight back in any way you could, even if that meant suicide?" I used to feel comfortable knowing that I would fight back. But, now that I realize I’m a slave and a stranger is trying to force me from my home, is killing my friends, is severely limiting my freedoms, oppressing, exploiting, and dominating me continually throughout my daily experience – and I further realize that I’m NOT fighting back in any way that I can – I wonder what it will take for me to start fighting back. What will it take? What am I waiting for?

I also liked to think that my words, my writing, is a way of fighting back. But I’m well aware of how capitalism eats opposition like candy and co-opts it into yet another system of oppression and exploitation. Writing this article isn’t going to change the world. If anything, it’ll help line someone’s pockets because it’ll encourage people to get on the Internet where someone will make money off them some way. So, what am I waiting for in order to truly start fighting back?

How to fight back:

1. Realize that you’re not fighting back.
2. Create a list of ways you can begin to fight against oppression, exploitation, and domination.
3. Do everything on that list even if it kills you.

Ok, I’m beginning to do numbers one and two, but when it comes to number three, that’s where I have problems. And I think that’s the psychology that gives current authorities most of their power … the fear of death … the attachment to life.

I have to ask myself, do I want my children to grow up and fear death, forever be attached to this life? Or, do I want to teach my children how to fight against inequality in the face of death? I suppose that should be number two and a half: decide whether or not you want your children to fight back or be slaves like the people in power want them to be.