[CMI-CM] How Radical?

Fri Nov 17 17:34:38 CST 2000

I agree with Molly's points -- CM can certainly be invigorated by making 
explicit the connections it has with development, planning and 
environmental issues.

After the first or second ride this year there was a sort of "discussion 
session" after the ride where we all talked over the things that the folks 
there were looking for from the ride.  The reasons varied from very 
hard-core political stances to more simple desires to ride with a mass. If 
I remember correctly, I think there was a general reluctance to associate 
CM with any particular cause or issue.  Now this can lead to stagnancy, 
which is where I think we are, where the reluctance to assign a stance to 
the whole of the enterprise leads to nobody really being willing to speak 
out or bring his/her own ideas and issues to the ride.

However, I think that the lack of a single focus for the ride is important, 
but for the purpose of making it a sort of open forum for people to use to 
address their concerns that relate to the issues that the Mass ride 
naturally confronts, whether or not all riders wish to recognize it 
explicitly.  To me that is the strength of the CM idea -- any person or 
group of folks can organize around the ride for a whole variety of causes 
and issues that relate.  Not everybody has to agree, as long as there is 
some degree of tolerance towards each other's ideas.  Certainly, I've seen 
that tolerance so far on the CMI rides.

In a way, that's how I see things like community radio and independent 
media centers.   By their very existence they confront certain issues  , 
but are also tools for people to pursue other ideas and efforts.  Not 
everyone has to agree about these other ideas, but there has to be some 
fundamental tolerance and understanding.

So the question  to me is, then, how do one or more persons go about using 
CM to organize around other issues?  Is it as simple as doing 
publicity?  What kind?  Is there something more?

--Paul

At 04:41 PM 11/17/00 -0600, Molly Stentz wrote:
>Alright, I'll take Paul's bait as far as local energy and organizing...
>
>I think what this group needs is a clear political agenda to drive it.
>Right now to me CM is a nice excuse for a bike ride. I like riding my
>bike, and it is fun to ride with other people, but that is is not always
>enough impetus for me to get out there when I'm trying to finish up my
>workday. (and I'm a staunch supporter of the Mass!)
>
>I think what motivates folks is either the largeness and uniqueness of it
>(we're not quite there yet), the cameraderie/fun, and/or the sense of a
>larger purpose. I like the camraderie we've got going, but I don't think
>the larger purpose is visible enough yet. How do we link a bunch of rowdy
>bike riders on some random afternoon (at first first glance) to local
>urban planning issues, new highway building, nat'l transportation
>activism, etc?
>
>How many people followed the city's attempts to ban bike-riding in
>Downtown Urbana recently? How many of us went to the Urbana City Council
>meetings where the Atkins Group bullies the city into supporting their
>new massive car-oriented developments? How many of us protested, or at
>least wrote letters, when another person was injured and hit by a car on
>University Ave recently and the driver got away with a mere *ticket*?!!
>How many of us have called Tom Berns about the permanent gas tax repeal?
>
>Having been in SF and Chicago rides, I can testify to the "Mass" like
>feeling that is envigorating and exciting, and which draws random people
>in to participate. Before we can depend on that, and until we reach that,
>we need some good issues to link to and work on locally to envigorate the
>masses. (at least me anyway ;) )
>
>-Molly
>
>
>
>On Fri, 17 Nov 2000, Paul Riismandel wrote:
>
> > I think it would be a great idea to get more radical, though honestly I
> > think the group needs to be built up more.  The Buy Nothing Day is an
> > especially good idea, though I am not confident that a large enough group
> > can be gathered for then.  (For example, I'll be out of town, as I'm sure
> > many other folks will be--can we count on enough new people?).
> >
> > I think the biggest thing that's holding CM back is that not enough people
> > are taking to heart the leader-less nature.  There's just been a few of us
> > doing most of the organizing, including making routes and
> > publicizing.  Unfortunately these same few can only do so much--we're
> > mostly overcommitted.
> >
> > If CM is going to work here, more folks have to take it upon themselves to
> > publicize it, get more people out and contribute ideas for routes and
> > action.  I know it's tough to think this way in a culture where we're
> > always taught to obey the person who's in charge, but there's nobody in
> > charge here (even though some people have stepped up in the absence of any
> > other direction).  You don't need permission to make a flyer or some other
> > publicity--just do it!
> >
> > The whole point of CM is that it's an "organized coincidence," but if the
> > same folks are always doing the organizing, then the "coincidental" part
> > fades away, and when those core people fade away, so does the Mass.
> >
> > If everyone took a little time to make just a few flyers and posted them,
> > sent e-mails, got a few more friends to come, contacted someone in the
> > press, made a website... etc., then nobody would have to put in too much
> > effort and the Mass wouldn't live or die based on the efforts of just a 
> few.
> >
> > So, in sum, I think the Buy Nothing Day idea is great, but I doubt that
> > there is Mass big enough to make this a useful and safe venture for those
> > who choose to participate.  I think that some more building of the group
> > (our peak number were during Summer Break, for cryin' out loud!) is
> > necessary before more radical actions can be undertaken.
> >
> > And please, everyone chime in with your thoughts and disagreements with my
> > assessment.  I don't want to argue, I'd love to be disputed--in fact,
> > silence would sadly only prove my point.
> >
> > --Paul
> >
> >
> > At 06:02 AM 11/17/00 -0600, Zachary C.Miller wrote:
> > >Hey folks don't forget Critical Mass is on the Friday after
> > >Thanksgiving. The biggest shopping day of the year. It is also Buy
> > >Nothing Day. Lets see if we can do something to make this mass
> > >MASSIVE. Lets start brain storming now what we can do to really get
> > >people out to this thing. Lets try to aim for getting more townies out
> > >since a lot of students will be away for the holiday.
> > >
> > >I had one crazy idea. I don't know how radical and crazy people want
> > >to be but I thought it might be fun and in the spirit of Critical Mass
> > >to take a ride _through_ market place mall. We could do it in a fairly
> > >orderly manner and if we plan it out ahead of time we can try to be in
> > >and out before mall security knew what hit them. If we do this we
> > >would have to be really tight and prepared and we should have a very
> > >serious message ready, lots of signs, flyers to hand out. Lots of
> > >boomboxes with fun tunes to keep spirits high and attract attention.
> > >
> > >If there is a significant number of people who want to do this but
> > >some other people are uncomfortable with actually going in the mall we
> > >could always ride to the mall and then split up, one group goes
> > >through and the other goes around and meets us on the other side.
> > >
> > >Comments? Discussion? Alternative Ideas?
> > >
> > >My main goal is to start making Critical Mass rides more
> > >interesting. Rather than just ride around and yelling we should have a
> > >special theme/event whenever possible and try to tie into things.
> > >
> > >--
> > >Zachary C. Miller - @= - http://wolfgang.groogroo.com/
> > >IMSA 1995 - UIUC 2000 - Just Another Leftist Muppet
> > >  Social Justice, Community, Nonviolence, Decentralization, Feminism,
> > >  Sustainability, Responsibility, Diversity, Democracy, Ecology
> > >Take it easy...but take it. - http://www.greens.org
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >_______________________________________________
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> > >http://lists.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/critical-mass
> >
> >
> >
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> >
>
>***************************************
>Molly Stentz, Coordinator
>Computer Learning and Mentoring Center
>115 W. Main Street, Second Floor  *  Urbana, IL
>217.278.3933  *  www.clamcenter.org