“One day Henny Penny was picking up corn in the corn yard when—whack! —something hit her upon the head. “Goodness gracious me!” said Henny Penny: “The sky’s a-going to fall.” The phrase comes from a children’s nursery rhyme that suggests Henny Penny made an assumption based on flawed data…HA! There is a political message in this story that means we should investigate before we arrive at a conclusion which will dictate how we order our steps.
For example, if you arrive at the market in search of certain baby food milk and there are none there, you might be a little annoyed. Later, if you discover that none of the stores have this critical item, might be safe to make an assumption. For example, if you become aware that local police personnel seem to be abusive in working class neighborhoods and not so much in affluent communities, might be safe to make an assumption. For example, if you read that the American military budget during the present period of inflation is fully functional and flush with billions/trillions of tax-payer dollars and at the ready to purchase guns, tanks, aircraft, bullets, etc while poverty in America is on the rise, might be safe to make an assumption.
The truth is hard to decipher for some who don’t see the progression of economic crisis situations as they unfold in front of our eyes. That begs the question: ‘Can We Handle The Truth?’ Priorities have to be structured that focus on what is best for the 99% and not on the 1% who have the ear of elected officials. Capitalism cannot be managed because it feeds on the system of exploitation of one class and support for the corporate class. Capitalism is the modern-day body double of JAWS…it only knows one thing and that is to eat whatever stands in front of it.
The murderous death of Tyre Nichols is a shock to the nation only because we can’t connect the dots that prove race DOES matter, but class matters also. Tyre fell victim to yet another suspicious event with local police and it didn’t matter that the principal killers looked like him. Tamir Rice…dead after a suspicious event with local police. Sandra Bland…dead after a suspicious event with local police. George Floyd, Eric Garner, Jayland Walker, Freddie Gray, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain, Rayshard Brooks, Oscar Grant, and on and on while the words written on police cars read … ‘PROTECT AND SERVE!’ If you live in Pacific Heights, California, or Kennebunkport, Maine, or some other exclusive and wealthy community – thoughts of police brutality surfacing in those neighborhoods don’t readily come to mind.
Maybe the Tyre Nichols’ killing can convince the average blue-collar worker that class does matter and that the concept of building a ‘third party’ able to collect thousands of voices focused on influencing political trends in our favor can be imagined then accepted as a non-violent, powerful tool for change. An economic system-change is in order and must be achieved. We need a system in place that supports elders, feeds children, protects the poor, assists the disabled, forbids evictions, won’t allow water shutoffs, that establishes justice, insures domestic tranquility, promotes the general welfare as we work toward collectively forming a more perfect Union. I heard these words somewhere…
Author – Maureen D. Taylor is the State Chair, Michigan Welfare Rights Organization.
