The Party’s Over (Party) in California
R. Martin Oxman

“The Party’s Over Party, I like that.” — Cynthia McKinney, 2003 at OneDance: The People’s Summit http://www.counterpunch.org/mickey02102004.html

“How ’bout The Party’s Just Begun Party?” — Abbie Hoffman, in a 2004 dream

Neither Genetic Caucasians nor Honorary Caucasians have to be afraid of me. Contrary to popular misconception, I am all about everyone’s best interests here and elsewhere. All the time. So help me God, I am.

I know why People of Color glance and gesture skyward when receiving awards, recognition… being interviewed, and thank God. I know some of the reasons… on more than an intellectual plane.

Listening to a representative of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement in Oakland (KPFA) and watching the Black Entertainment Television Annual Awards Show recently has moved me to write this. I want to take the History of People of Color and blend it with a practical step vis-a-vis our impractical electoral arena… and force desired change virtually overnight.

I know that some things take time, but there’s no need to move at an arthritic snail’s pace respecting matters which should have — and could have — been addressed YESTERDAY.

Maybe my old friend in the Music Industry — I cut a record for Harlem’s Fury Records in the fifties — will be able to connect me with at least one winner from the recent BET Awards. My friend could simply ask The Black Celebrity to read this piece. Or perhaps one of my connections in the World of Sports could be tapped in the same vein. That should do it. There are a lot of infuential souls out there who merely need a new hook on which to hang their socially-conscious vision.

One would think that the Brothers and Sisters would welcome a plan that would spring People of Color+ from California’s Prison Industrial Complex, and put an end to the Death Penalty to boot. Plus, plus, plus. I’m personally really down with the idea that some of those very young teens serving life sentences and many others could be the beneficiaries of Executive Clemency by early 2011.

Which is when Our Governor will be taking over the State of California. See http://oxtogrind.org/archive/268 (”The Dream Team Governor”) and http://oxtogrind.org/archive/262 …and http://oxtogrind.org/archive/261 (”Please, Dr. Tommie Smith!).

It’s easy to see why a lot of people would be investing lots of “hope” in Obama the way in which so many of the BET Award participants did the other night. However, any of Paul Street’s articles on ZNet (See http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/18472 ?) will make clear why the Audacity of Hope is really the Audacity of Hype. I wouldn’t presume to turn people away from a candidate who — they believe — they have mucho reason to support. BUT he will NOT deliver* like Our Governor, and getting with our California program doesn’t preclude devoting misguided heartbeats to Obama.

*Of course, there is nothing more false than deliverance. Whites and White-appointed People of Color in political positions can only join or abet an impulse for change generated within a given community. Normally –and this principle is at play with Obama — one is faced with the choice which is no choice at all: Whether one picks Secret or Old Spice as one’s deodorant, they’re both owned by Proctor & Gamble, yes? One addresses an odor, but something still smells.

Following a new paradigm in the electoral arena, we plan to pull something off that’ll be a bigger feat on certain terms than The Emancipation Proclamation. With respect to the number of people freed, for one.

Few people know how few slaves were actually freed by Lincoln with that famous act. And, arguably, even less citizens know how 19th-century slavery continued following the two executive orders which comprise the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862-63.

Only a very tiny number of citizens acknowledge what institutionalized slavery continues to this day. But that’s going to change, along with a lot more very soon.

Virtually overnight our Prison Industrial (Unconscionable) Profit in California will end. And sweatshop conditions outside of prison walls, along with vigilantism and police brutality will be reduced beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. A Governor can’t do everything on his own, but he/she can do a million times more than what’s been done to date.

There’s so much a truly well-intentioned, compassionate, knowledgeable, non-politician Governor can do unilaterally. Quite easily.

Hardly anyone knows that. But soon the whole world will have a new model to emulate.

A handful of free Wall Street speculators dealing in derivatives cause infinitely more murder and mayhem each day than the sum total of ALL crime represented by incarcerated people of color throughout this nation at present. In short, that means that if we were to release ALL of those prisoners at once — with absolutely no preparation whatsoever — they could not possibly inflict more harm on society in their remaining lives than that which is perpetrated daily by our White Collar Sociopaths (WCS*). In terms of robbery, homicide, irreparable damage to the environment, you name it.

*I’m not even including members of Big Pharma here… who intentionally create diseases for profit (with the imprimatur of our precious FDA, by the way), killing way more citizens with prescriptions annually than traffic accidents. Nay, those people make Big $$$, and are virtually immune to prosecution, safe — thus far– from sleepless nights.

On top of that, as we all know (or should know), the scorecard’s in regarding the fact that there’s a disproportionate number of people of color behind bars, including some very young teens serving life sentences for non-violent crimes; see www.eji.org. Which is to say nothing about the huge number of documented cases of prisoners of all races who should not have been taken out of society at all.

I would be getting sick writing about this again if I didn’t have a plan for springing lots of so-called criminals — who should be called “so-called” until our WCS have their Bad Day in Court — beginning just a little over two years from now in California. Which will have an historic impact nationwide, of course.

The releases will take place as per Executive Clemency. Look up “Gubernatorial powers” under http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_of_California, and you’ll get a taste of how such unilateral action by the Governor of California works. In addition, please note that we can look forward to the end of the capital punishment in the state, and a lot of other positive changes in the areas of education and health care… and the good ‘ole bank account, to name just three realms. Even for people who don’t get along with People of Color.

Enlightened self-interest, if nothing else, demands that everyone get behind what I’m proposing. Gated communities and second homes abroad won’t save anyone. Agony is infectious. Particularly if one’s privilege and unwarranted fear is a contributing factor.

Even if you are racist, permit me to suggest that you at least get on board so that we can get behind imposing a 1% tax on futures, forwards, options and swaps. Such an enormous source of $$$ would quickly solve California’s immediate budgetary crises, creating jobs and benefits for virtually EVERYONE. I’m sure that people — 98% of our population — haven’t put together what it means that we all pay, say, sales and related taxes, but that speculators involved in billion dollar transactions pay zero each go ’round. Duh.

The freeing of political prisoners and others in California is part and parcel of a larger plan to improve life by establishing justice on a number of planes simultaneously… in short order. Money doesn’t solve everything (can even hurt), but on the mundane plane a leg up can be provided by $$$ in the short term; especially if derived from those who never pay their fair share.

Keep in mind that we’re not talking about raising taxes here. Simply taxing. Again, not raising taxes, requiring tax.

If anyone embraces what I’m proposing, they absolutely will not have to stop what they’re doing in other realms, whether focused on a very personal agenda or socially-conscious activity… such as what the good people at Free The SF8 ( http://www.freethesf8.org/ ) are doing.

I’ll conclude for now with an excerpt from a missive I just sent to an SF8 organizer and a necessary context (quote from Adolph Reed, Jr.). The email tries to reassure my new-found activist friend that work on my proposal will help, not hinder, efforts being directed on a daily basis which address very real, immediate concerns. By the same token, private citizens who are mainly concerned with their own pocket book would do well to join hands with us also… as our energy and aims are directed toward healthy profit for one and all.

“I look forward to continuing our conversation.

Blessings in solidarity,
Richard”

The quote from Reed:

“It’s a mistake to focus so much on the election cycle; we didn’t vote ourselves into this mess, and we’re not going to vote ourselves out of it. Electoral politics is an arena for consolidating majorities that have been created on the plane of social movement organizing. It’s not an alternative or a shortcut to building those movements, and building them takes time and concerted effort. Not only can that process not be compressed to fit the election cycle; it also doesn’t happen through mass actions. It happens through cultivating one-on-one relationships with people who have standing and influence in their neighborhoods, workplaces, schools, families, and organizations. It happens through struggling with people over time for things they’re concerned about and linking those concerns to a broader political vision and program.”

Your move, reader.

R. Martin Oxman can be reached at headburg@yahoo.com. The means by which the above can be implemented is something which demands in person contact… upon request.