day of silence

today, we at brookline high, observed a day of silence for the gays and lesbians who do not feel comfortable in expressing themselves. little stickers were handed out which indicated if you were a silent or vocal supporter. a silent sticker meant that you would not talk for the day, while a vocal sticker gave you the right to do so. the day before, a number of students and teachers spoke in the auditorium. many were gay, while others were "straight allies." the audience was well behaved, and seemed either supportive or silent.

for sure, that such an event can happen at a public high school says much about the relative tolerance and progressivism at brookline. such an event would have been impossible at my high school. so, i applaud it in that regard. however, i must speak to how i feel such an event symbolizes the limits of liberalism, as i will now do.

first of all, today was may day. was the day acknowledged at brookline high? what do you think? this so called progressive town doesn't even take a second to educate its students about the struggles of working people. who among the sticker wearers has heard of the haymarket affair, the iww, eugene debs, and so many more? the limits of liberalism are found in its inability, and lack of interest, in challenging the fundamentals of political and economic power. therefore, liberals prefer to focus on issues of identity and life style, which are significant, but not as central to the power elite. they don't want wealth redistributed, they don't want wars ended, and they don't want their corporations taken over and run democratically. so, if progressivism doesn't incorporate the redistribution of power as its fundamental goal, it becomes a feel good story, and therefore, not a threat to the powerful.

so, the day of silence is practiced both for gay rights and is also practiced in the silence that surrounds may day. on this day at brookline high, no one informs the students of parsons and the others. the thousands of workers brutalized and murdered by strike breakers are too met with the silence of the ignorant. for to speak of the oppression of the working class would mean to speak of an oppressor class, the ruling class, and that would get too close to the heart of the matter.

furthermore, how many of the liberal students, so concerned with gay rights, shed a tear, never mind recognized a day of silence for, the bombed and brutalized of iraq, gaza, and afghanistan? many of these progressive young students are jewish. are they bothered by the butchery committed with impunity by the state of israel? are palestinian refugees invited to speak in the auditorium about what they have gone through? funny, but all of the compassion felt for homosexuals seems to vanish when the fate of straight and gay iraqis and palestinians is at issue. so, when israel destroyed gaza, the students continued to talk. they didn't mourn, they didn't hand out stickers. in fact, most of them blandly and blindly supported the brutality, and likely would have strongly objected if the school attempted to tell the truth about the matter.

again, we come face to face with the limits of liberalism, and that is essentially that the liberal can not challenge power. he is often better on issues of culture, and on treating people decently. he is more tolerant, more open to diversity. this is a good thing, in that it beats the alternative, and helps to create a more open culture and interactions amongst individuals.

but the bombs keep falling. the children keep dying. the earth continues to be consumed.

and brookline high is silent.

not just today, but everyday, for the limits of liberalism guarantee that this be the case.

happy may day, whether the schools, conservative or liberal, celebrate it or not.