Working towards respect and equal treatment in society is threatened by inaction and indifference more frequently and severely than the rantings of the theologically intolerant. Those who would persecute a religious or social minority are not an activist's biggest enemy. Rather, those who are afraid of, uncomfortable with or threatened by acts that "rock the boat" are a much greater threat to achieving social justice. For Pagans, this means we have to start dealing with the apathy that drags down our efforts to make change ... outsiders and insiders alike.

   One Wiccan I know lives with three roommates. The first is a former Catholic; now lapsed into Agnosticism. The second tends to be non-theistic but has been exploring Shamanism. The third is a generic Pagan with no specific affiliation or training. Now, none of these people's religious beliefs are an inherent problem. In fact, the latter two have -while not being activists- donated their time and efforts in helping their Wiccan roommate with participation in letter-writing campaigns, marches, setting up rituals and educating their co-workers and family. They don't have a vested interest in doing any of this, but they still get involved and help out for the good of others.

   As you may guess from how I shaped my words, it is the First Roommate of the three who is the primary problem. He is a cynical, anti-activist - often voicing sentiments like: "People shouldn't get all worked up over things; it'll work out all right in the end." For this one man, rocking the boat makes him uncomfortable. Even something so mundane as watching the news has provoked angry outbursts when CNN reports on racial bias lawsuits or marches for equality.

   Basically, this First Roommate doesn't like controversy. It threatens him and his own views of the world by forcing him to examine the possibility that he's contributing to a bad state of affairs through inaction.

   Even though it's a given that not all inaction compounds existing problems, it's often a part of many people's beliefs. Many people share the ethic that it is wrong to stay neutral and allow an evil to be perpetuated. Now, keep in mind that it's also impossible for any activist to get involved with more than a tiny fraction of the available struggles that face us. There are too many battles and too little time. But people like the First Roommate don't see it that way.

   Down deep, they feel that any inaction is cause for alarm and action should be taken; yet higher-up in their consciousness, they feel helpless to change things. Sometimes this feeling rises from a loss of youthful idealism ... at other times, they've been made to feel helpless by their social, occupational or familial status. But regardless of the reason, the root of the willingness to identify a problem and then not get involved is almost always fear.

   This is probably why they feel that any controversy is a threat to them. There is a conflict within them that controversy inflames. Seeing the deeds of others to make life better runs contrary to their ethical underpinnings of taking action because they know that they didn't want to threaten their stability. Fear, being irrational, lends itself to dark fantasies in which upsetting the apple cart eventually turns a person's life upside down, threatening what few things they have managed to acquire. The First Roommate's psychology makes them fear that they would be persecuted -just like the status quo that they see themselves as a part of, and that the activists are fighting against. Even if the First Roommate is not racist, sexist or theologically intolerant, they see an attack on The-Way-Things-Are as an attack on themselves and their mountain of justifications for not getting involved.

   This is the real enemy. The mere existence of activism causes The First Roommates of this world to become uncomfortable and angry. It makes them want to resist the changes and actually fight against them ... sometimes even if they already believe in the tenets espoused by the activists. First Roommates can be teenagers, seniors, adults, Christians, Pagans, straight, gay or just about any group you can imagine. But how can they be addressed and the damage of their aggressive inaction be countered?

   There is no cure-all for this problem save long and hard work. Even then, unless the First Roommate decides to change their outlook on life, direct attempts to change them will probably fail. However, the key to addressing the militantly status-quo-clinging First Roommates is to effect their environment. In short, help this type of person to face their fear through showing them one of two things...

   Either demonstrate that the activist's views are -in actuality- not a threat to the people of the world and the First Roommate's livelihood will not be threatened or attacked should the activist's movement prevail, or show that the world already agrees with the activist and -by extension- the First Roommate. Assuage their fears of inaction by showing that even a strident activist cannot get involved all the time. We all have lives outside our movements, religions and political beliefs!

   The problem is, that this approach won't always work.

   We can't always win over the undecided. Changes, as hard as it may sound, seem to work best when slowly built up by adjusting the environment of the society in which the changes are needed. Those who are undecided and unafraid of change are the ones who are needed in any movement. It's through this approach that we can hope to can surround the First Roommates with reassurances, appealing to their underlying beliefs and show them that they won't lose it all in the pursuit of justice.

   But, failing such attempts to bring the apathetic over to the side of the activist, the best bet is to simply continue on your own despite admonishments that change will happen on it's own.

   Because, as we all know, it won't.

   Blessed Be,
   Sylvan SilverNight
   Solitary Celtic Wiccan
   Minneapolis, Minnesota

   March 16th, 2000