Who here has not dreamed of setting off the largest direct action event in the history of the human race? That is what happened last week end.

The legend (and it should be) has it one woman said she wanted to march in protest to the election of tRump. We have seen the public manifestation of her wishes, and of course reports of all the motivations, emotions, and rational reasons are still coming in. What ALL of us should do now is Learn how this came about, the people, networks, means of communications, the messages sent.

My god! millions in the street within a few weeks! That is some organization. Let better minds than mine report in on how it was done. It is our future.

For some years, I and several friends have despaired over the newcomers to Austin who have worn their un-involvement on their sleeves. These Militant Apathetics seemed to glory in their status, even as they prowled their new Austin environs, looking for some elusive authenticity, stopping only to piss on the political foundations that drew them here in the first place. Things changed last weekend.

I talked with just 3 folks who were in the 50,000k march, or the earlier Unity March. Each said it was their first demonstration, each said they had never been involved in politics before, each said they were NO LONGER AFRAID.

There is a lost alchemy in direct action and protest actions. Certainly this alchemy puts paid to hours of philosophical sophistry and silence. But it also rejuvenates the soul. All the talk of fear, of being scared, and of anxiety (sublime music to the ears of bullies) is suddenly, roundly pissed off in the sweat of a few miles and the shoutings of 50,000 marching beside you. Now, perhaps, the bullies and swaggering barroom fighters will listen to another refrain, from us, "the children of the night."

If there is a yin yang to politics, we saw it last week end. And we need more of it.