from BLACK BART BRIGADE #1

 

A kind of Introduction

Elsewhere in this issue the Black Bart philosophy opens the subject of revolution as a personal thing. In so doing, it makes a passing reference to the idea that it seems somehow improper for a person in the middle age ranges to contemplate a radical restructuring of a life already half lived. This is a defense, albeit a reluctant one, for those who find themselves trapped midstream in life, looking longingly at those of lesser years who seem wise enough to avoid the traps before they are sprung.

We're not quite sure where this notion got started, but those who defend it often talk about the impossibility of teaching an old dog new tricks. That may very well be if we are talking about dogs and very, very old ones. The fact is that many men and women, not only in their 30's and 40's but well into the 50's and beyond, have discovered that they were on a treadmill to a rather hollow old age security, and realizing nothing of their vigorous middle years in the process. In many cases these folks formed the mature backbone of a goodly number of agencies for social change, and in many others they simply find their own quiet way into a life that is more rewarding, more living and than any they could obtain as a cog upon a wheel in a giant machine whose purpose no one really understands any longer.

The Black Bart Brigade is all about this phenomenon. We think that some agency has got to counteract the widespread tendency to relegate alternative lifestyles to the young in years. We believe that when life begins to seem pointless and devoid of real meaning, that it is not because the prime years are hopelessly behind, but rather that a whole new life should be opening ahead of us; that we are no longer to be constricted by the narrow vision of the past. We feel that the desire for change and freedom is a sign of a healthy and alive person at any age.

We have chosen an outlaw as our "patron saint" because of a single striking verse he wrote which so completely expresses our disdain for the system we reject. But he is symbolic of our purpose in other ways also. He was not only well into his middle years when he chose to revolt, but by choosing outlawry he was making a political statement to a structure which defined its morals by its own activities. The situation is not much different today, although perhaps a lot more refined. What used to be called trusts and monopolies are now conglomerates and corporations, which "tred upon the corns" of every single individual among us who pursues only a rightful place in the sun. We find at every turn that right and wrong, legal and illegal, are determined at a power level which is never penetrated by minorities or ordinary people in search of equity. It has come to the point where one is regarded as an outlaw merely for a refusal to participate in or do business with the corporate scheme of things. And if not actually tried and sentenced for heresy, we are nevertheless penalized in a hundred different ways, socially and economically.

And so it is small wonder that the fearful among us hide our meekness behind our age. Independence has never been for the shallow of heart, and it is not today. But perhaps among these pages you will learn that you are not alone or without resources. If we can help provide the spark which generates your own fire of confidence and determination, we shall consider the effort well justified.

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