It is interesting to note that of all the ink spent on the City Paper article that the one little quote about T. Merton is what got the comments. That says it all. The rant by Mr.Jedrzejewski doesn't even deserve a reply as it reflects absolutely no knowledge of POG. By the way Mr. J there are excellent anarchists writing right now in 2010. All the old guard at the TMC would do well to get a copy of Cindy Milstein's excellent book entitled "Anarchism and Its Aspirations." Oh yea and read the book.
The issue at the TMC was and is one of control and lack of trust by the old guard there. From 2001 through 2004 the membership at the TMC grew fast. Tim Vining who was the TMC director at the time moved the Center toward becoming a resource center for groups to organize out of. I was with Save Our Transit and the TMC became our home. Lots of social justice groups came to and joined the TMC. The place was booming.
Not in 2005 but a few years earlier Molly Rush stepped away from the TMC. I remember because we took up a sizable retirement collection for her. She and the old guard at the Center however got concerned because they began to sense that they had lost control of the place.
Molly came back and insisted that the TMC hire organizers. She did not trust the groups that organized out of the Center. She insisted that they be organized under the old TMC praxis of strict pacifism. She had video tapes on non-violent social movements that she wanted us all to watch. She wanted all the groups there to commit themselves to the principles of T. Merton. This idea of support for what is called 'diversity of tactics' which then director Vining accepted was and is anathema to Molly and the old guard.
Sometime around 2004 or 2005 there was a push to get the TMC back on the straight and narrow path. This is fine except that it drove away members -- not the members Molly is thinking of but the new members whom she never knew. members who did not want to be policed and lectured. The membership boom ended. People left not because of POG but because of an insistence on a strict hierarchical style of leadership there.
The TMC is back to its old self now. Its back to being a club for the catholic left. They can light candles and sing Kumbayaa and everybody can ask Molly what they should do or not do in any given situation just like in the good old days. The old guard has reasserted itself. I wish the TMC luck but the scapegoating of dear friends of mine at POG irritates me a lot.
Recent Comments
Not in 2005 but a few years earlier Molly Rush stepped away from the TMC. I remember because we took up a sizable retirement collection for her. She and the old guard at the Center however got concerned because they began to sense that they had lost control of the place.
Molly came back and insisted that the TMC hire organizers. She did not trust the groups that organized out of the Center. She insisted that they be organized under the old TMC praxis of strict pacifism. She had video tapes on non-violent social movements that she wanted us all to watch. She wanted all the groups there to commit themselves to the principles of T. Merton. This idea of support for what is called 'diversity of tactics' which then director Vining accepted was and is anathema to Molly and the old guard.
Sometime around 2004 or 2005 there was a push to get the TMC back on the straight and narrow path. This is fine except that it drove away members -- not the members Molly is thinking of but the new members whom she never knew. members who did not want to be policed and lectured. The membership boom ended. People left not because of POG but because of an insistence on a strict hierarchical style of leadership there.
The TMC is back to its old self now. Its back to being a club for the catholic left. They can light candles and sing Kumbayaa and everybody can ask Molly what they should do or not do in any given situation just like in the good old days. The old guard has reasserted itself. I wish the TMC luck but the scapegoating of dear friends of mine at POG irritates me a lot.