Zines, freedom and hoboes
So do zinesters start and push things, or merely report?
I suspect that those who represent the Muses in any way
have much more influence than some think.
Anyway: Freight train hopping has been a popular topic
in zines during the last 10 years I’ve been reading them.
It’s a perfect fit with the typical zine agenda. I’ve pushed
it myself.
Does anyone think that the zine ‘endorsement’ has resulted
in more folks giving it a whirl?
Even if it hasn’t, it seems like a stand now needs to be taken
by all who publish to push for an UPLIFT of standards of those
who call themselves free. I believe this applies to more than
train-riding—-it applies to our whole culture.
Does GenX understand that with ALL freedom comes HUGE
responsibility??? The more of one, the more of the other.
As we increase in any real way, our *duty* increases.
Basically, hoboing is a tradition that actually built America.
It was tolerated because it had a STRUCTURE and
CODE. Because it was FREE it was MORE disciplined.
Such was the ONLY way it could work. (And the only way
society can work also.) Hobos aren’t bums. They took
care of themselves except for accepting person-to-person help—
scraps from the backstoop. They weren’t panhandlers.
They were HARD WORKERS until they decided to
kick back. They were POLITE and as clean as possible. The exceptions
proving the rule. But in the heyday of the hobo, many sent money home to
families while they worked on the road and followed the work with the seasons.
I’m not talking about exceptions, I’m talking about millions of laborers.
As you can perhaps predict, yet another aspect of free culture
is disappearing under the indulgent violence of GenX. The new
breed of young rider is (often) rude, dirty, mooching, ignorant, lazy.
Thus, the railroads will now crack down like never before
and yet another option for those who wish to live FREE will
be extinct, due to the behavior of CHILDISH people.
Real people work to rise above childishness as soon as possible.
Only in indulgent America do we have those who wish to prolong it
and wallow in its signal helplessness.
(There is another sector provoking the shutdown of freedom as well:
an organized rail crime gang called FTRA. Whether anyone is responsible
for the demise of the hobo as legit outsider is almost beside the point:
in this day and age of massive LUXURY, we must all raise our standards.
Image takes on greater significance, for better or worse. It’s no skin
off our back to add the discipline of leaving something better than you
found it to our repertoire.)
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