Hand in Glover
“The world is charged with the grandeur of God….”
by The Ox

“‘Glover for Governor’ does have a ring to it, Papi.” — The author’s 8-year-old son (1)

“You can’t just be alive. Life don’t mean something unless it got meaning.” — from August Wilson’s Joe Turner’s Come and Gone

This is NOT at all about whatever The Smiths’ “Hand in Glove” was addressing around Wilson’s Jitney time… since which quarter of a century ago+ too much has gotten worse for far too many people.

No, rather, this is about taking over the State of California. Legally, non-violently. So that the entire nation can be helped to self-educate. Expeditiously. So that the organic relationship between racism and (mostly) all of our ills can finally be fully acknowledged. And so on.

Please forgive me, I’m forced to be telegraphic here.

Hand in glove = to do something in close combination with someone or something else. The computer chips are designed to work hand in glove with this new micro-processor. Sometimes the expression is used in the form go hand in glove, meaning to be closely related: Researchers believe that mental well-being and physical strength go hand in glove.

That third paragraph above, with its definitions, really touches upon the spirit of what I’d like to spearhead regarding organization in The Golden State for the upcoming 2010 gubernatorial race… making use of Danny Glover as Our Candidate. Possibly.

If Danny is reading this — which I trust the good people at Black Waxx will encourage him to do (2) — please note that being Guv would not entail an inordinate amount of time. Not at all. Au contraire! Not unlike how it was in Venice for ages back in the day, being Our Guv would mean being part of a team, not following the traditional way in which past governors have served in the Executive Office. As per “The Dream Team Governor” at http://oxtogrind.org/archive/268. (3)

“Hand in” is close to “Write-in,” as in Write-in Candidate. Our candidate would not have to even be on the ballot, wouldn’t campaign, all else being equal.

But before readers — including beloved Danny — begin with all the understandable questions respecting HOW? HOW? HOW? could such a feat possibly be pulled off in this day and age, I humbly ask one and all to go through a simple exercise… first. To wit, imagine what the impact would be on the general public if a candidate got into Sacramento’s Executive Seat as a “Write-in” candidate… with zero budget… and virtually zero mainstream media attention.

I’ve asked that question in one form or another in previous articles, but it’s essential that readers really get down with imagining what the historic impact would (surely) be. Before rejecting my proposal… out of hand.

For such imaginative groundwork will firm up motivation, and clarify exactly what the stakes are here. What potential exists with my outlandish, unprecedented proposal.

An old buddy once said that if I were going to commit a crime… it would be best, he stressed, to know what the consequences might be. As in the worst legal case scenario should things go wrong.

Imagine a very best case scenario, if you will. What might it do to The People’s will+?

Again, I’m not proposing anything illegal here in talking about “taking over the State of California.” Rather, I am asking readers to bolster their resolve, to open their minds to considering the proposal because the stakes are so high.

The NEED is unquestionably begging for something new. And I am all about acknowledging that, putting something fresh on the table that can bring about historic results in short order. Lasting, meaningful change that is very cost-efficient.

And on that business (language) note, permit me to relate a recent experience with Danny Glover:

I was sitting in the audience at a labor rally held in an historic downtown church in San Jose, California not too long ago, where DG was the main speaker. He spoke well, as you would expect, bringing the crowd to its feet in cheering the righteousness of workers demanding decent wages and benefits.

One cannot detract from the value of that contribution. However, a great part of what I am all about has to do with wanting Danny and all sweet souls who are devoted to pushing for a humanitarian agenda to simultaneously address The Big Picture as they focus on specific issues of dire importance. Meaning (in the case of that UNITE! rally) that workers need to understand that even if they receive ALL their demands… there is a darker road that they’re going to have to travel shortly thereafter.

That is, there is no way of getting around the fact that the very companies whose profit they understandably want a larger piece of the pie from are dooming all of our children… with their rape of resources, spread of toxicity, and other horrifying aspects of their operations, their way of life.

That’s a huge statement above… which I will be glad to elaborate upon… upon request. But, for now, I trust that there’s no confusion about the fact that Danny and other fighters for what’s right on immediate grounds should be enthusiastically applauded for their efforts/accomplishments.

The Black ‘n Blue Brown Party? The Robin Hood Party? The Party’s Over (Party) in California? The People of Color Party? The Cancer Party? The Pajama Party? Goodness, those kinds of decisions are premature at this juncture.

All I’m trying to do is have a sit down with Danny Glover and his mates. (4)

I am looking for the mate to this (g)love of mine.

Footnotes:

(1) Coming from our Marcel ( www.marcelsgeo.blogspot.com ), this means something. His site, for what it’s worth, might also serve as a decent family introduction of sorts… along with www.cancerfreeitaly, www.parisgraves.com and http://www.counterpunch.org/mickey02102004.html (albeit a very general one). I was about Marcel’s age when my family was among the pro-Robeson crowd at Peekskill fending off that infamous ‘49 attack, and Marcel has benefited from all that. He would love Danny’s work, I’m sure; it might get him back into activism. More bio+ upon request, of course.

(2) If for no other reason (and there are many other reasons for doing so, obviously) the primary desire expressed in Black Waxx’s “Disappearing Voices” ( www.disappearingvoices.com ) would be implemented virtually overnight with a daily dose of Glover & Co. on the air waves… in lieu of the hypnotic horror which is a function of current mainstream outlets.

(3) All the governor-related articles in the Archives for August and July at www.oxtogrind.org are worth a glance, I believe.

(4) A long enough sit down to avoid sound bites such as this article. And, by the way, in case it isn’t obvious… organizations such as TransAfrica Forum… with their focus abroad… would benefit enormously from this proposal; worldwide organic links could be easily underscored with those daily doses from Glover & Co.

Richard Oxman, The Ox, can be reached at headburg@yahoo.com. The author believes that all of this makes for a great story to inspire others, along the lines of what Araminta achieved. And he looks forward to someone helping to write the script, and act it out. Perhaps a resurrected August Wilson, a man whose imaginative powers were impeccable. There are others out there, he knows. Would like to know.