Notes on Freedom

With books I do not think that if is not subversive and daring, dangerous and provocative, that if it does not poke a hole in the fabric of my universe I want to read it. With movements, If one placates oppressors and is pleased with superficial gestures, then I am not sure that I want it. Being a Christian means desiring to set the world ablaze, the blaze Jesus said he wished were already kindled. I am not satisfied with the world as it is.

A woman who plays the game, acts like a virgin or plays the tart is not free.
A homosexual who plays it straight or plays his part and attempts to fit in even in the role of clown and misfit is not free.
A man who tries to be a man through domination, laughing in scorn at what he does not understand because the laughter holds off the terror is not free.
Blacks who have chips on their shoulder and play up the chips, who excuse themselves from the larger world calling it “white” and pretending they want no part in it are playing a dangerous game. As are Blacks who gain place by ignoring the color of their skin, and acting as if the chains the fathers of the fathers of our fathers wore were never forged. And neither is free.

As long as we content ourselves with role playing we are not ourselves.
And we are not free.

Control, manipulation, guilt, shame, oppression, sarcasm, bitterness, derision and scorn: these are the tools of the powerless, their force lies in hatred and to resort to them is to possess only momentarily a false authority at the cost of true freedom.

It is to surrender to despair.