I’m just now recovering from the communal kick in the head many of us suffered last week. I know many of us have sweated out dark nights of paranoia. We’ve crumbled under fathomless sadness and stood up again. We’ve admitted to ourselves that we can’t honestly say we understand emotionally or psychologically what happened to our country and over slightly half of its citizens last week. I’ve tried to own up to my sense of despair and defeat, and work to dispel the bitter fog it produces. I woke up this morning with the desire to write you a note. I had a particularly deep sense of gratitude for my sons, Jody and Keir, who have taught me to love music that is not from my generation. And so I went online and found the exact quotes that were running through my wee little head from the wise and wonderful family of the Grateful Dead: “Well, the first days are the hardest days. Don’t you worry anymore.” And then the rhymes appeared. “I will get by. I will survive.” “We can have high times if you’ll abide.” “At least I’m enjoying the ride.”
So I’m writing you this morning to thank you deeply for your support and inspiration. I’ve been writing this column for 53 years. The last 14 or 15 years of them have been made possible by my partner Benito Aragon. There must be close to 4,000 of them by now, all told. And while I’ve struggled this week with the thought of just crawling into a hole and badgering down for the rest of my days — I’m 84 and pretty beaten up — I’ve decided not to shut down and abandon the chances ahead.
When I say I don’t honestly understand what happened, I mean that in the sense that I don’t really understand cruelty, war, maliciousness and hate. Of course what happened last week was all about the horrors of racism, the hideous crushing of sexism, the heartlessness of xenophobia, the brutality of homophobia, the evils and devilish dishonesty of propaganda, and a medieval view of science that could come close to being a death sentence for many of us. And yes, too, it was all about the winners being better at politics then the losers. It’s next to impossible to operate a democracy when large numbers of people think that politics is dirty and below them. And while I feel ever more incompetent writing about foreign policy, Netanyahu runs Israel and burns Gaza alive on the power of a six-vote majority rule. That’s all. Six votes. Which, of course, prompts me to add the obvious, that votes matter, even to monsters.
I’ve wondered what I could write about anymore. Is there anything I understand enough to be able to side step the locker room platitudes, the “lets fix it” recriminations, and ideological blather and jargon that comes so easily to mind? I know teacher friends of mine who have trans students in their classrooms who are worried for their very lives right now. I know my immigrant friends feel threatened and heartsick. I know that slowing down climate change has taken what could be a fatal blow. I know that many of us survived the last pandemic because in New Mexico our elected leaders had the courage and public health savvy to mandate sensible precautions that saved thousands of lives, most likely mine included. I know that tens of millions of women are in physical and domestic peril far greater than at any time in the last 50 years.
This is not a time for me to cut and run. It is a time for something different, something, dare I say, radically different. I honestly don’t know right now what that means. I plan to stick around, though, as long as I have the brains to do so, and try in some tiny way to be useful. And when something appears that makes sense to me, I’ll try to write something about it. The columns may be few and far between. Or they might come in clusters.
Thank you with all my heart for your many kindnesses over the years. Here’s to trying “to enjoy the ride” and to being as helpful as we can, VB.
Barrett, thank you so much for this note. I haven’t been able to look at news since last week and am trying to figure out how to keep sane over the next four years. I am not at the point yet of feeling like I have the energy or strength to fight yet, but I hope at some point I will. I never thought the majority of my country would vote for a rapist, con-artist, and horrible person, knowing full well what he is. I am very glad my parents and my brother-in-law aren’t alive to see the state of our country. They wouldn’t recognize it.
You are right. This is not a time to cut and run. And for those of us who write, perhaps it is not so much right now about deciphering what happened as it is simply continuing to say what we need to say, politically and otherwise. The world needs art, music, poetry, expressions that help us keep our balance and resist. And again, I don’t mean resist only in the political sense, but as makers of new things. We counter the hatred, sexism, homophobia and transphobia, xenophobia, and derision by producing work of value… and by being attentive to the needs of the most vulnerable among us. I believe that what we experienced on Tuesday night was part of the crisis of late stage capitalism. Whether it will turn out to be a period that can be turned around, giving us one or a few more democratic cycles, or the prelude to a much more prolonged and darker period, I think it’s too early to say at this point. But whatever the case, we must not let them silence us. Speak out and resist. Which you do eloquently with your columns, whatever their periodicity.
We as artists and creators need to continue. Both for the good of our own mental health but also the health of our culture. Change had never been made by people hiding away. We need to stay vocal and keep producing art and literature that makes people think. One person at a time.
You are an inspiration!!!
Thank you so much for sticking in there—it is inspiring me to do the same, even if I want to shut down. You are always a voice of reason and compassion.
Barrett, you are an inspiration to us all. Thank you for what you do
No one can say it better. Thank you
Keep on going ,Barrett—your missives matter! Dave Stuart
Never doubt that what you contribute is, as you say, useful.
The wisdom, stability, and poetry of it has warmed my heart for many years now.
A bounty of thankfulness to you.
Thanks for your continued positivity in the wake of a disastrous election.
Trump will surely screw it up, and we should remain alert to act when appropriate.
Hang in there.
Ray Twohig
Michael and I were just wondering yesterday when you might be expected to send us a timely article, and here it is. As always, heartfelt, realistic and inspiring. Thanks for continuing to be a voice for us. Your work does not fall on deaf ears.
If you want to consider radical change, then consider sortitional democracy. Our electoral democracy has devolved to the nightmarish base state that was always possible: a very small core of people able to run for office because of the cost, leading to officeholders who (de jure) represent the public but (de facto) are not representative of the public. A sortitional system replaces representation with participation, which is sorely lacking at the moment in this country as a jaded voting public stays away from the polls in great number.
For excellent discussion of and compelling arguments for sortitional democracy, I recommend The Keys to Democracy by the late Maurice Pope and the March 1, 2023 edition of the podcast DemocracyNerd.us (online).
Thank you for your kind and caring missive. I value your words and heart and look forward to the long strange trip ahead with you and so many other friends. joan robins, pulling self out of the muck and seeking sunshine; it’s coming!
Thank you for your message today, VB. I’m a loyal reader of your column who needed to hear what you said this morning. You are one of New Mexico’s treasures. I’m with you.
It is VITAL that the rest of the world knows that there are still some Americans who believe in ” not shutting down and abandoning the chances ahead ” as you so clearly stated. Thanks for remaining VOCAL .
Thank you for your column, feels like being brought together in a group of like minded and caring people. We will have a lot to do in the coming years. Your column helps us keep in mind that there are many, many people, including ourselves, with talents, skills and knowledge that will help us see the many ways to protect, educate and acknowledge each other.
Your words and thoughts are welcome and apropos. I will be doubling my efforts for the mid term and continue to help liberal candidates prevail in NM and in swing states. We seem to be doing better than most here in NM and we should be proud of that. I am an immigrant and having come here after WWII in a little family of 5 from a war torn country, I have nowhere else to go. This is my country now and I will continue to fight for the Democracy that my parents hoped to find here. It is alive in all of our hearts. It is difficult today to be encouraged but as Obama said to us on a staff call when Trump was elected the first time: “I know you’re disappointed, I am too. So take some time to grieve, then get up and get going.”
Thank you for these thoughts. It’s really helpful to me and I share your words with people who also try to understand how we got here. I continue to look forward to your insights as little or as often as possible. Cheers to your health and your wisdom!
Barrette, you have permission to edit and cut any of what I wrote below. These are stressful times. Ron Dickey
For those of you who have never seen or heard VB Price, He is on YouTube. Reading poems and interviews from 3 to 11 years ago.
I have worked in retail for over 50 years. A co-worker once asked how can you handle it. My reply is you ride with the bumps in the road. This is going to be a rougher road then usual. Those of us who like Poetry, Art, and Photography have a place to run to. A place to meditate and find new direction.
In 4 years we may or may not be able to vote. If they destroy Democracy as we know it. Some have said there will be civil war, others that the states will break up into separate countries. This all was a plan by the far right long ago. But the far right is famous for in fighting. Called Me Me Me each wanting power and not good a working together.
We were doing so well!! But not every one of the populace were with us. Biden was to old and Harris got given the ball to late. The writing was on the wall, but we could not read it, or see it. Prices were rising and those who wanted it to stop did not see the weak little man behind the curtain. The mighty Oz has spoken. You need change and we can do that for you said the mighty OZ. Many people be leave that if they goofed they can fix it in 4 years.
As I have said in the past This man is a fascist he admires all the bad leaders. In his last time at the helm he wanted the Army to march down Wall Street, to celebrate him.
Look up the worth of the US Dollar. Gold may not be worth anything in the US. There have been folks housing prices will fall and banks will close many branches. Leaving you with only banking on line.
We do not know that is at stake but we do know that we need to learn and learn fast. They say the center of the US will suffer most and those on the coast be ok.
We do not know what is at stack, we only know that reading a good book, looking at a beloved painting, hearing or reading a well written poem will relax us and help us think with out pressure from the unknown.