Open Society

There’s a fine piece over at The Nation by Richard Sennett entitled “A Creditable Left” which proposes that progressives can gain lost ground in the U.S. by engaging with civil society rather than expending energy on electoral politics. Those of us who hail from historically marginalized positions know this is often true and I will add that civic engagement generally reveals and affirms progressive values, particularly at the local level.

One reason for this is that when they’re not watching television Americans are (for the most part) fair minded and generous. I remember a town hall meeting some years ago in Worthington, Ohio where the issue of installing two talking crosswalk signs for the blind was under discussion. I had been invited to speak as a disability advocate and I pointed out that since the town was using federal money to upgrade the crosswalks, a request to install talking street signs was actually a reasonable accommodation under the ADA–my point was that in essence installing these signs was not only the right thing to do, it was also required. I think I also made a reference to the old Fram oil filter commercial where the mechanic says “You can pay me now or pay me later.” In the vernacular I was telling the city council to “just get her done.”

An interesting thing happened when a firebrand malcontent (who was obviously a familiar figure at the council meetings) stood up and began haranguing the representatives about how entirely inappropriate it was for the town to be spending his tax dollars on street signs for blind people. It’s hard to capture just how venomous this guy was but I can attest he was the human equivalent of the famous Burgundy Goliath Bird Eating Tarantula of Venezuela. (The largest and meanest spider in the world.)

He tried to argue that a survey should be done to ascertain just how many blind people lived in their town.

I pointed out that civil rights laws don’t work that way. One doesn’t survey how many black people are in your town before segregating the public school, etc.

He tried to argue that a talking street sign would keep his children awake–his house was just a few steps away from main street.

I pointed out that his house was just a few steps away from the fire station. Did he really propose having no fire engines?

In any event, the town unanimously adopted the talking street signs. And Spider-Cum-Tea Party-Man went home as antisocial and poisonous as ever.

I shouldn’t generalize. I’ve had my share of local defeats. But never because people lacked decency. Fear will trump the common cause; people will vote down a new elementary school because they don’t want their taxes raised, and what the hell, their children are no longer of school age; locals will vote down a levee for the library–but not forever. Fear has a half life. Decency does not.

The Tea Party is not really a local phenomena and therein lies its true weakness.

S.K.

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