Walnut Creek Critical Mass

I understand critical mass being confrontational, since it's an in-your-face kind of bicycle/sustainable advocacy and a demonstration of our right to assemble. And I understand that a lot of people that drive a car when they're plugged up can be complete assholes, even rampaging dangerous assholes, but what does violence solve?

If you're defending your life or another person's life (and they ask for help or are about to become a bloody pulp), sure. If someone verbally assaults one of the riders in a sexist, racist, or elitist way, I would say they deserve a beating, but there's no reason to provoke them into one.

The reason I'm saying this is because I just moved up to the Bay Area, San Jose to be specific. I saw that Walnut Creek was gonna have a Critical Mass today and I thought, "Hell yeah! Where at?" So I clicked on the link and among the first things I see is "maybe we'll have a fit fight." Recently, I went to the most local bike shop, which has a bunch of pretty damn chill, real people. Not just profiteering business owners and their slave sales clerks/mechanics. I thought at least one of them would participate in Critical Mass, so I was hoping to make connections before I actually tagged along. Sadly, they reported that the local CM is full of macho assholes who try to start a fight every chance they can get, which from my experience, could be at each intersection! So none of them participate.

Look, violence and community do not go together. Violence and exploitation, privilege, elitism, sexism, patriarchy, racism, you name it ("it" being the shit we are trying, well, at least I'm trying, not to represent) do go together. So what I'm saying is:

When macho-dudes or high-hormoned people induce, or even agree to, a fight while on CM, we are displaying a culture of violence, exclusion, and elitism.

A lot of people, I know for a fact, drive a car because their job is far and they still don't make enough money to save up for a bike. Not to mention that they also have to pay for housing, food, AND the blood sucking goop they fill their tanks up with.

Now if y'all want to go on with your strong fisted ways of dealing with conflict between individuals, go right on. But please, don't disgrace the many CMs out there that actually represent sustainability, community, and a care-free fun ride. We're supposed to be encouraging people to join, not "driving" them away with our physical quarrels.

Maybe this group from Walnut Creek doesn't have music to jam with and that's why they're all tense. Really, I don't know. I do care however. I hate to see good movements appropriated for bullshit means, and by bullshit people who don't know how to handle themselves respectfully.

I invite your comments and disputes over what I have said. Like I mentioned earlier, I am new to the area, but from what I've heard and see in this event post really got my hope down. Prove me wrong about this group, and maybe I might actually feel honored to join. I've included my email for every one to see, so don't be shy. Or, what I would love, we can start a discussion via comments on this site. That way it can be a more inclusive and more perspective raising discussion.

Peace