Fighting to Lose

by Michelle . · 2009-06-09 19:03:00 UTC
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Tonight's post is a bit of a rip-off --- a shameless, utterly shameless rip-off. My fellow Changester Michael posted an I.F. Stone quote, and related thoughts, over at the Humanitarian Relief blog today, that really hit home for me, and the way I often feel (especially lately, it seems) about the work we do:

"The only kinds of fights worth fighting are those you are going to lose, because somebody has to fight them and lose and lose and lose until someday, somebody who believes as you do wins.

In order for somebody to win an important, major fight 100 years hence, a lot of other people have got to be willing - for the sheer fun and joy of it - to go right ahead and fight, knowing you're going to lose.  You musn't feel like a martyr. You've got to enjoy it."

See the full post, Loving the Fights You Lose, for Michael's thoughts. All I have to add is: Even on the days when I feel like it's all for naught, like Sisyphus rolling the rock up the hill, I still don't know what else I would be doing, besides losing and losing and losing, and holding out hope that, perhaps someday, it gets us somewhere.

I wouldn't say, however, that I enjoy it.

Michelle . has been involved in various activist endeavors, including the Teach Against Genocide pilot campaigns.
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