Page 142 of Nearly Roadkill
I got letters from the Rainbow Coalition, the Latina Hermanas group, on and on and on.
What do you mean, speak to people? What would we say?
Let’s go chat.
—S.
To:Scratch
From:Winc
Subj:Armed rooms
Meet me in room Arms.
—W.
*** You are in room “Arms” ***
Winc:See what I mean? Maybe we didn’t intend it, but we stand for something.
Scratch:::waving hand impatiently:: People are bored. We’re just the latest thing to hit the charts.
Winc:I don’t think so. And while I respect your cynicism, *I* think you secretly hope something will come out of this.
Scratch:Come out of this? What do you know about what I secretly think?
Winc:::hiding a smile:: You’re sputtering. It’s a sure sign I’ve hit a nerve.
Scratch:^&*(()#@!
Winc:Uh huh.
Scratch:OK, so I hope they all fucking turn off their computers, stop buying stuff, and refuse to Register. What’s so bad about that?
Winc:::laughing:: Nothing. What do you mean turn off their computers?
Scratch:Ghandi’s idea: Home Rule. If we stop using the damn things, they’ll have to stop with the invasions. What’s driving them anyway? Moneylust. Never mind how much they’re getting already, they always want more.
Winc:They?
Scratch:Same old They.
Winc:I think it’s a different They this time, dear.
Scratch:Government, advertisers, online providers—all They to me.
Do you think They make any distinctions about different kinds of users? Like this group is white females or that one is Black disableds or whatever?
Winc:I suppose not.
Scratch:They look at money. Not whether we have it, but whether we’ll spend it. Poor folks get more marketing shit leveled at them than anyone else.
Winc:But the govt says this is about porn trafficking or hurting innocent children.
Scratch:Still comes down to $.
Winc:::thinking:: When we refused to Register, and then other people didn’t either, ACI swarmed all over all of us, and so did the feds.
