Borf You

A group of teenagers known as the Borf Brigade give voice to the issues of depression and suicide.  They insist that the high incidence of suicide among teens cannot be marginalized by politicians using the rhetoric of "trouble at home".  They point to root causes of depression including the dispossession and alienation that occurs in the current neo-liberal climate.

Standing in a darkened room, one young person, backed by a group of ten or so, speaks to us.  From the Video Communique:

On October 22nd, 2003 our friend Borf hung himself from a basement pipe in a suburb of the nation’s capital. This was not a solitary act. Over 30,000 people in the US alone fall victim to this conspiratorial violence. It is the 3rd leading killer of young people, ages 15-24, and outnumbers homicides 3 to 2. This epidemic cannot be medicated into remission. It is not a problem confined to our family bloodline. “Trouble at home” is not the only trigger for depression.

People like [D.C.] Mayor Anthony Williams and developer Jim Abdo who maintain the gentri-fucking of our neighborhoods, establish 10 o’clock curfew laws targeting youth, ultimately deciding D.C.’s fate without the consent of its residents; as well as politicians and CEO’s around the world–these are the conspirators who would rather see us fight their wars and work in their sweatshops than see us develop and build supportive communities and relationships. They would rather see homeless shelters be turned into condos and would rather profit off of our misery through the funding of programs that stifle our creativity and imagination than spend a dime on programs that empower youth and give us the tools to think independently. Given these offenses, would anyone be surprised that so many young people feel so worthless? The message is clear: Leurs actions systematiquement se rendent a la perpetuatien de notre isolement et notre condition de precarite’.

I feel solidarity with these young people having been repeatedly medicated and even locked up as a young woman because I was "unresponsive" to treatment for depression.  People who get depressed threaten the powerful by calling attention to systemic problems (in my case, violence against women).  People who refuse to remain quiet about their depression, and underlying causes, are viewed as particularly dangerous. 

Our voices are the power of the weak.  We are dangerous.

See the full Borf Brigade Video Communique, via YouTube

For more information on Borfism:

John Tsombikos and "Borf" graffiti artist, Wikipedia
Borf Brigade Communique, via Visual Resistance

Comments

[The Fat Lady Sings]

Adults as a rule rarely listen to the voices of youth. That automatically sidelines the kinds of problems generally associated with younger people. Its funny, really; we ask 18 year olds to die in wars created by 60 year olds – but we as a culture marginalize them to the point of invisibility. Just like the elderly, actually. Interesting that the youths you put the spotlight on target liberals. The more usual target is arch conservatism.

[here here]

im pretty sure it was a young woman reading the statement in the video..

[Polly Jones]

I agree, FLS, that it is less common to see youth, or anyone for that matter, targeting "liberals". I think it is great because I feel that the neo-liberal policies fucking so many people over in this world are supported by most mainstream parties in most Western countries.

I've ammended the original post - you're right, here here, the group leader/members may be women.