On Tyranny: Maria BC Reflects on ICE’s Minnesota Murders as Trump’s Vigilante Goon Squad Still Goes Unchecked and Terrorizes American Communities
About a month ago, AllMusic rolled out our interview with Maria BC that mostly revolved around Marathon, an album that teems with more sincerity and human emotion than their past two releases, as it addressed Americans and the hardships they are currently experiencing. So as to focus on the trials and tribulations of the “average American,” we mostly avoided discussion of Trump, even though the majority of U.S. citizens are finally waking up to the reality that he is the source of so many of the country’s seemingly intractable problems.
Today, following the much-needed and frankly long-overdue “Power to the People” music festival/ extravaganza that Tom Morello hosted earlier this month, we bring you an excerpt from our interview with Maria BC that was left on the cutting-room floor but nevertheless deserves to be heard and read by those who care about the survivability of democracy; how Americans treat each other regardless of legal status; and what it will take for us to finally put a stop to the lawless, sociopathic atrocities that ICE is inflicting upon citizens, legal immigrants and other residents of the so-called “greatest nation on earth.”
Here is an audio clip from our conversation, which took place in February:
And here’s the transcript of our exchange:
I’ve been following the news really closely. So ICE was planning to go into Oakland early on – before L.A. even, I think – and they decided not to. Is that right?
Yeah. My understanding is there’s some kind of strong resistance around the Coast Guard Island by Alameda, and it was actually Customs and Border Enforcement that were going to come in a wave, but they were pushed out. Since then, I haven’t really heard much news about new people being sent in. But I’m not directly in the loop with that, so I don’t know if that’s accurate.
Yeah. Even so, even not obsessing over the minutiae of the situation, do you find it affirming that the resistance efforts – at least right now – seem to be having some sort of impact? For decades – I’m older than you – [there was a sense that] protests are great, but they usually don’t change anything. This is the first time I’ve seen in my lifetime where they actually are having an effect. I’m trying to tie this into your album, because it talks about resistance. [So I guess my question is,] is [what’s happening now] validating for you?
Yeah, definitely. I think that’s the most beautiful thing that could transpire. There are victories and also there’s the reality of the fact that what’s been going on in Minneapolis with Alex Pretti and Renée Good being killed. It’s the first time, I think, since the George Floyd protests, that people actively resisting have been killed in the process of [protesting] in the U.S. I don’t want to be wrong about that, but at least these are very visible instances of that and have evoked a really strong reaction.
And as devastating as it is that those people’s lives were lost, I think there’s also something to be said about how people are uplifting their names in the wake of [the murders].
Yeah. I think there’s a slight difference between George Floyd in that what happened with Renée Good and Alex Pretti were just outright executions on the street – murder. And the case could certainly be made that that’s what happened with George Floyd, too. But there’s just enough ambiguity for there to be a debate about what happened – not to George Floyd himself, but with the uprising that followed, and the people who were killed during the protest. That’s more the comparison that I was making.
Can I ask if you actually participate in protests or what other measures you take to be part of the resistance?
Yeah, when and where I can. I jump around a lot, which is something that I want to change.
I have more trouble with people who are aware of what’s going on and just say, “Well, there’s nothing I can do about it.” Do you have friends or colleagues or family members who think like that? Those people are still better than the ones who are supporting these horrors. And I respect that. People want to stay anonymous with some of the stuff that they do.
hose people are still better than the ones who are supporting these horrors. And I respect that. People want to stay anonymous with some of the stuff that they do.
I hear what you’re saying, and I agree, but the most pernicious thing is cynicism. And I feel cynicism is so [prevalent] and really deeply entrenched in American culture. And that, to me, is something that just has to go. There’s no other way around it.
I could go on about this, but what I see happening in Minnesota is a dissolution of cynicism. Just the idea that you can really love your neighbor in a real way and get out there and fight. I mean, those people are all heroes in my book.
A hundred percent, yeah.
They’re setting a model for what’s going to be happening all year, because with ICE getting 40 or 30 billion dollars, they’re going to use it to build detention centers. … But Minnesota was just phenomenal. And that connects with Marathon in that the record is about the true importance of community, in a real way. “Community” is one of those words that’s been co-opted by corporate culture.
Yeah.
But maybe the dire situation we’re in will actually result in true communities where neighbors will be there for each other. Do you feel that too?
Totally. Yeah. That’s all we’ve got.
For more on Maria BC, go to their Bandcamp page.
Check out The Bad Penny‘s ever-growing On Tyranny archive, which features interviews with artists ranging from Low Cut Connie to The Locust to J Robbins to Alan Sparhawk to Tino to Cheap Perfume to Carcass.
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