Burn Down The Walls That Say You Can't

The article below was written by Kathleen Hanna for one of her riot grrrl zines in the early 1990’s.

Burn Down The Walls That Say You Can't

Be a dork, tell your friends you love them

Resist the temptation to view those around you as objects & use them.

Recognize empathy and vulnerability as positive forms of strength.

Resist the internalization of capitalism, the reducing of people & oneself to commodities, meant to be consumed.

Resist psychic death.

Don't allow the world to make you into a bitter abusive asshole

Cry in public.

Don't judge other people. Learn to be yourself

Acknowledge emotional violence as real.

Figure out how the idea of competition fits into your intimate relationships

Decide that you'd rather learn stuff than prove you're right all the time.

Believe people when they tell you they are hurting or are in pain.

Recognize you are not the center of the universe.

Recognize your connection to other people and species.

Make additions to this list and/or think about why you don't agree w/some of what i've written.

Don't assume people invent pain in order to mainpulate you or make you feel bad.

Close your mind to the propaganda of the status quo by examining its effects on you, cell by artificial cell.

Trust