Before the law

 

Trying to work for economic justice in West Virginia often reminds me of the literary work of  Franz Kafka (1883-1924), who came from a German speaking Jewish Czech family. His works are characterized by weirdness (whence the term "Kafkaesque").  For example:

*His Metamorphosis is about a middle class commercial worker named Gregor Samsa who one day woke up as a giant bug. Then things got REALLY weird. I made my kids listen to this when they were little and still remember my daughter saying "so this guy just turned into a bug and he's worried about being late to work?" 

(In case you were wondering, the answer was yes.)

*In The Trial, the protagonist Josef K. is arrested for a crime although he never learns what it was. He desperately tries to work on his defense, although he has no clue about any of it. In the end, he's killed. His last thought: "Like a dog."

*In The Castle, the character K. is summoned to a village to meet and presumably do some work at a castle but despite his best effort he never gets there. The book was unfinished, which makes it even better. It's like one of those you-can't-get-there-from-here jokes.

You can see in his many stories alienation, confusion and incomprehensibility. People have interpreted this in many ways, ranging from theological bewilderment to bureaucratic confusion to existential despair. Good though.

The story on my mind today is a one-pager titled Before the Law. It came to mind after spending over a year pushing to continue or reinstitute an expanded child tax credit along the lines of the one that expired at the end of last year. Lots of people I know and work with hit it with all we had, with media work, quilts, teddy bears, street actions, meetings, rallies, etc.. We were even part of a last minute push to include it in yearend congressional legislation. 

No proverbial stone was unturned. But we couldn't get there from here.

In the story, a man spends his whole life waiting to make his case before a judge, although the gatekeeper never lets him enter. He eventually tries to bribe him. The gatekeeper accepts, though he says  “I am taking this only so that you do not think you have failed to do anything.”

At least we have that consolation.

Before the law

Every time I testify at a public hearing at the WV legislature, I think of Franz Kafka's very short story "Before the Law."  In it, a man spends his whole life waiting to present his case before the court of justice but a gatekeeper refuses to let him through.

After a while, the man, now older, tries to bribe the gatekeeper, who accepts it but says "I am taking this only so that you do not think you have failed to do anything.”

He never gets justice or even a real chance to achieve it.

A lot of times, especially these days, when you speak at a public hearing, the issue you want to address is a done deal but they do give you a minute or two to speak "only so that you do not think you have failed to do anything."

I was one of many people who spoke yesterday in defense of SNAP food assistance for low income people and against a mean spirited bill. Only two people, both paid to stick it to working and poor people, spoke on the other side.

The committee later voted to forward the bill to the house floor, with a few slightly less evil amendments.

I guess our consolation for the moment is not thinking we failed to do anything. Or thinking the fight is over.