by David Demere
For years, Belfast-area activists have been involved in various anti-war protest rallies, Martin Luther King Jr. vigils, Stop the Hate gatherings, Walks with the One You Love, Common Circle for Human Rights Meetings.
Recently we had occasion to see Tough Guise --- Violence, Media & the Crisis in Masculinity, the first video to look systematically at the relationship between the images of popular culture and the social construction of masculine identities in the US in the late 20th century. In this innovative and wide-ranging analysis, Jackson Katz argues that there is a crisis in masculinity and that some of the guises offered to men as a solution (rugged individualism, violence) come loaded with attendant dangers to women, as well as other men.
Aware that Peace Action Maine has a database with about 100 names of people in the area, some of us decided to initiate activity among Belfast members with the help of Scott Miller, director of PAM, and Susan Lauchlan. Five people showed up for a Tax Day protest. We had great visuals and a priority poll, thanks to Peace Action Maine and got great photo coverage by both local papers.
We've decided to be a focal point for area activists, provide support for different causes, be an organizing tool, help bolster morale, and enhance the work of other P & J organizations. We discussed a vigil for the eve of the scheduled execution of Timothy McVeigh, to protest the reinstatement of federal executions.
Back to Peace Talk Index, Summer, 2001