I was making my usual rounds downtown, when I come across a man making incredible silhouettes. He is feisty, and I like that. He wants none of my politics, and while I believe him to be a fool, I respect his convictions.
A few months later I see him again, still making his silhouettes. His daughter is starving and I am worried about her. He still won’t join my cause.
I travel to Lawrence, Mass to work with the unions there and I see Tateh again. He looks haggard, even worse than he did back in New York. It is as if his spirit has been crushed. I want to bring attention to the plight of the worker and the suffering of the children, and his story stays on my mind as I write my speech for the rally at Union Square.
My speech went well, until two police officers arrested me. I should say, tried to arrest me, they only succeeded in removing me from my platform before they released me into the chaos of the crowd. I say, however, that it went well, because there was a young man there who clearly did not belong. Sometimes I run into these men who have tired of their charmed lives, and they are seeking guidance. I know that if I can get through to these men, I can use their connections, skills, and education to truly make a difference.
I went to the Presidential rally today out of a morbid curiosity about what new puppet the party is trying to put into power. The Secret Service officers beat a young woman to death. When will the violence end?
Things with the young man have gone too far. He has joined Coalhouse’s gang and essentially become a terrorist. He has much skill as a bomb maker, and it frightens me. Violence cannot be solved with violence.
My suspicions about the young man’s activities with the gang were accurate. They have blown up several firehouses and now they have taken hold of the Morgan library. I do not support his violent ways, but perhaps they are understandable. The media, the bourgeois, the politicians, the people – they have finally taken notice of the injustices in this country.
Coalhouse was killed in cold blood. Slaughtered in front of women and children. This time it has gone too far.
