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Keep loving, keep fighting
By Zoë Williams
williamz@mscd.edu

It turns out that I have a reputation for being a killjoy when it comes to holidays. While I would argue that brutal history and corporate culture put the ax on most celebrations long before I came around, I would like to attempt to redeem my image. After all, I was born on a pseudo-holiday that has some potential.

I am talking about St. Valentine’s Day – the day that ceases to have any charm past fifth grade. Believe me, I have better luck bathing my cats than I do getting my friends to feel good on my birthday. Between Hallmark and heartbreak, V-Day has a lot of nasty baggage following it around.

However, in these times, love could do this world some good. My generation is known for its passion toward iPods and its participation in some of the most tragic international invasions since Columbus hit the Americas. The love of two consenting adults has to be debated on the Senate floor if it involves homosexuals, yet celebrity marriages earn the blessings of millions. Partner abuse is an epidemic in this country. Meanwhile, I hear more people speak about their love for cars and computers more than for any person or meaningful principle of existence.

I am not advocating for more lace doilies or contrived hippie good vibes. In the words of Che Guevara, “At the risk of sounding ridiculous, a true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love.” I feel a bit ridiculous writing a column calling for love, but I think it is needed.

Love – for a friend, relative or partner – gives us something for which to live. When we have a lot to live for, we are not likely to risk losing it. This means we probably are not willing to support wars that will take our beloved from us and risk our safety unless they are for something more than greed and conquest.

But love goes beyond that. Love gives us a reason to fight.

Right before Christmas, one of my best friends hopped on a plane to Palestine to volunteer as a human-rights worker and journalist. My friend has the skills to do anything he wants. Naturally, he headed off to a place where, as he described in his blog, “fear rips through from the center, flies outward and away without pausing to reconcile, leaves you breathless and faint.” Hundreds of activists are doing this same work every day and not for fame or profit. They have a passion for justice, a strong sense of compassion and the love of a cause.

Sure, Valentine’s Day sucks for most folks, but the emotions it symbolizes are no joke. Love, both for a cause and for each other, must play an integral role in this world if we are to make changes. There’s an anarchist standby that says, “The heart is a muscle the size of a fist: Keep loving, keep fighting.” So there you have it. May your Valentine’s week and beyond be filled with love and rebellion.