This is gonna be a long one, sorry. Just remember, you are under no obligation to read it. I have felt like a weaver these last few weeks. I go out and gather threads. Something will happen, and it will activate at thread - a connection, or a memory, or a song, or a person. Then, an hour (or a day, or a week) later another thread is activated. And, then I come home, and, eventually, they get woven together. Example. Thread: At the Arch grounds rally two weeks ago, I was talking to a friend who performs in one of my favorite punk bands. I was telling him about my experiences at the Ferguson Uprising, and how important I thought it was for everyone to get up there and experience it for themselves. He said he really wanted to, but he had a warrant in Jennings, and he didnt want to risk driving up there. Thread: A week ago when I almost got arrested at the QT for stopping to take a breathe for too long, I ran into a former client of mine. And, to be honest he had been a hard client because he was always missing his doctors appointments. His excuse seemed to be that he had a warrant out in one of the municipalities that he had to drive through to get to his doctors office. I even helped him switch doctors because of it, but then he got a warrant in the municipality where his new doctors office was! Thread: Last Wednesday in anticipation of Billy Braggs Ferguson solidarity show, I was listening to a lot of labor movement songs. Sixteen Tons is not really one of my favorite songs, but I was listening to original stuff, so I listened to the Merle Travis 1947 version, where he stops and explains what a company store is after singing the first verse: You load sixteen tons, what do you get. Another day older and deeper in debt. Saint Peter dont you call me cause I cant go. I owe my soul to the company store. Thread: Last Thursday, I read an article about the financial impact the uprising was going to have on Ferguson. And, there was a mention about the large amount of municipal government money that came from fines & court-related fees, Thread: Last night, a fellow activist who has been up in Ferguson all the time asked me if I could go to Wellston Municipal Court today and get information (case #, how to pay, etc.) for him on a warrant he had up there. He had been calling to try and handle it over the phone, but no one ever answered. He was also afraid to go himself to try and pay it because they might just arrest him. Thread: Standing in line at the Wellston Municipal Court today listening to the discussions of the folks in front of me and behind me. It was clear, that for them, to be in this line was not a rare occurrence. When I got to window, I figured I would just pay off whatever was owed, but I couldnt do that. I could only pay to release the warrants, which would trigger a new court date, which if my friend missed would trigger a warrant. which could be removed by paying a fee and getting a new court date. Stunning process. Weaving Cloth: The North County Municipalities must harass the population to keep the money flowing in. The Municipal Courts are a company store that keeps you coming back for again and again, but never getting caught up. The fear that this creates in the population effect the free exercise of first amendment rights, contributes to the health disparities in the region, and threatens the work and educational opportunities of the populace. Stop the flow of money. No money from tickets, fines, or fees should flow directly to the municipalities that issue them. Remove the financial incentive; reduce the harassment. Now, everyone else probably already knew that, but Im slow. Before my grandmother came to America, she worked as a spinner in the mill. This weaving is in my blood.
Posted on: Tue, 26 Aug 2014 05:23:36 +0000
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