My response to Frank Bruni’s “An Abominations. A Monster. That’s Me”.http://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/opinion/sunday/villifying-white-men.html?comments#permid=25166570
Martin Luther King, Jr. must be spinning in his grave:
"When we are judged not by the color of our skin but the content of our character."
Showing posts with label Martin Luther King Jr.. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Martin Luther King Jr.. Show all posts
Sunday, December 10, 2017
Saturday, October 21, 2017
Content of character over party
Many commenters are calling for a change in or a replacement for the Democratic Party. Isn't partisanship one of our problems? You're either conservative or liberal, right or left. And then there are degrees of conservative and liberal or right and left.
Maybe we should have people without labels who run for office. Taking advice from George Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr., we should avoid factions and judge candidates on the content of their character. We need candidates who consider the common good above special interests. And we definitely need candidates who can change their minds with new information.
Posted at http://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/20/opinion/sunday/trump-resistance-radicals.html?comments#permid=24540138.
Maybe we should have people without labels who run for office. Taking advice from George Washington and Martin Luther King, Jr., we should avoid factions and judge candidates on the content of their character. We need candidates who consider the common good above special interests. And we definitely need candidates who can change their minds with new information.
Posted at http://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/20/opinion/sunday/trump-resistance-radicals.html?comments#permid=24540138.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
How to protest successfully
Many people are showing up at Trump rallies to show their opposition. However, their actions often just rile up the Trump supporters. A much more effective tactic would be to show up and do nothing. A quiet audience is the worst possible insult to the likes of Donald Trump.
By wearing anti-Trump T-shirts or carrying anti-Trump signs, protesters just energize the Trump supporters. But if a large part of his audience never applauded, never jeered, but just remained quiet, Trump wouldn’t know what to do, nor would many of his supporters.
Passive resistance like this can defuse many situations and make those who are the targets of the resistance feel very uncomfortable and unsure of their own positions.
I was very disappointed when Occupy Wall Street changed from lots of people carrying signs to a few people camping out in public spaces. These squatters generated more antipathy than sympathy.
When somebody is shot, whether by police or by a bad guy shooting a cop, riots or demonstrations are not the answer. Riots reduce the sympathy for the victim, and even distract from getting justice. The best possible response is flowers at the site of the shooting.
Gandhi and King led the way on non-violent protest. We dishonor them by even unduly disruptive behavior.
By wearing anti-Trump T-shirts or carrying anti-Trump signs, protesters just energize the Trump supporters. But if a large part of his audience never applauded, never jeered, but just remained quiet, Trump wouldn’t know what to do, nor would many of his supporters.
Passive resistance like this can defuse many situations and make those who are the targets of the resistance feel very uncomfortable and unsure of their own positions.
I was very disappointed when Occupy Wall Street changed from lots of people carrying signs to a few people camping out in public spaces. These squatters generated more antipathy than sympathy.
When somebody is shot, whether by police or by a bad guy shooting a cop, riots or demonstrations are not the answer. Riots reduce the sympathy for the victim, and even distract from getting justice. The best possible response is flowers at the site of the shooting.
Gandhi and King led the way on non-violent protest. We dishonor them by even unduly disruptive behavior.
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Facebook comment on Charles M. Blow's editorial on MLK and leadership
I posted a link to Charles M. Blow's New York Times editorial "The Most Dangerous Negro" on my Facebook page with the comment:
"I won't remonstrate if you don't demonstrate,
but I will if you don't put down the remote and vote!"
This was considering that demonstrations sometimes have a better turnout than the elections.
In other words, demonstrate if you will, don't demonstrate if choose not to, but be sure to vote if you demonstrated for a cause. My take on voting turnout in state after state is that many will sign petitions or show up at a demonstration, but their number too often far exceeds the votes actually cast in support of that cause.
"I won't remonstrate if you don't demonstrate,
but I will if you don't put down the remote and vote!"
This was considering that demonstrations sometimes have a better turnout than the elections.
In other words, demonstrate if you will, don't demonstrate if choose not to, but be sure to vote if you demonstrated for a cause. My take on voting turnout in state after state is that many will sign petitions or show up at a demonstration, but their number too often far exceeds the votes actually cast in support of that cause.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
"Sacred places": The shoe is on the other foot
Civil rights leaders are upset that Glenn Beck has proposed a big gathering at the Lincoln Memorial, a sacred place to followers of Martin Luther King, Jr., who gave his "I have a dream" speech there. Beck's "Restoring Honor" gathering is on the anniversary of King's speech. ("Conservatives' plan to rally at site of famed King speech sparks debate, Kathleen Hennessey, Duluth News Tribune, 2010-08-25)
One can read many things into this. Was the place and time just happenstance, or was it deliberately planned that way. If Glenn Beck is upset about a mosque being built two blocks away from the World Trade Center site, shouldn't he be equally concerned about upsetting people over his choice of venue?
I'm not going to keep a scorecard on who is complaining about what, but I do hope we all would get on with life instead of turning everything into a monument to the past.
One can read many things into this. Was the place and time just happenstance, or was it deliberately planned that way. If Glenn Beck is upset about a mosque being built two blocks away from the World Trade Center site, shouldn't he be equally concerned about upsetting people over his choice of venue?
I'm not going to keep a scorecard on who is complaining about what, but I do hope we all would get on with life instead of turning everything into a monument to the past.
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