When Rachel Heaton and I wrote about growing our courage last year to cancel Seattle’s the Blue Angels shows, I was shocked at how far the piece reverberated. Over 122,000 people read the piece, and a lot of people reached out to me about it. The most common response I got was “I’m glad somebody finally said it!”
People dislike the event for a number of reasons. They grow weary of the disruptive noise pollution, which stresses out humans, pets, and wildlife alike, and the air pollution hurting our lungs and burning up our planet. For some it’s the aggrandization of the American military-industrial complex that profits off war and suffering and has been used as a tool of oppression and colonization at dark moments in our country’s history. And for others, it’s the traffic jams as motorists swarm the shores of Lake Washington to catch a peek, making it hard to get around the region and adding another layer of pollution.
If so many people feel that way, why has everyone been holding their tongue about air shows? The ties to aviation in this region are so strong, they’re familial for most of us. Maybe it’s your grandfather who navigated in a B-12 Bomber during World War II, or your uncle whose entire career is at Boeing. You have to know that we can still love our ancestors while we ask for a better tomorrow.
Speaking of living ancestors, climate activist Bill McKibben was recently in town, rallying for the Third Act, his latest project after also founding 350.org. I submitted a question wondering “When you get bad mouthed on right wing radio, how do you deal with the haters?” Of course, he laughed and congratulated me. The truth is, he said, that the haters will come for you. They will try to intimidate you into silence. And that’s when you know you’ve got the upper hand.
To build on Bill’s point, I would say, we must not hide our disapproval of air shows. Re-envisioning Seafair could be such a great opportunity for pivoting the culture, but most people are afraid to be the first one to bring it up. Most people are hiding their opinion. Don’t hide it.
Go sign the petition to cancel the air shows like 3,270 people have already done. Or join a collaboration of groups for a picnic and a protest this year to say goodbye to the Blue Angels. Some of the folks leading the anti-air show activism have already met with the Seafair Board. How would you reimagine sustainable Seafair celebrations? One day at a time, the pendulum will swing, and you can help push it.
And when you speak up, remember this: courage doesn’t always feel good when you’re in the middle of doing it.
Think of your everyday activism like Type II Fun, where you have to embrace the suck to reap the rewards. There are temporary discomforts to my activism, yes, but I’m in this for the long haul. This is my home — this burning planet — and I’m fighting for our future. Are you?
When you lean into the discomfort, know that you are living out your values. And know that you are not alone — I know that ending air shows is in line with thousands of people’s values. The sentence that people said really spoke to them in the op-ed was this: What would it have meant to you to see your parents stand up for your right to clean air? It’s not the data or the policies that spark us; it’s the call to be the ancestors that we wish we had. Answer the call.
