The Hate the Right Produced, by DU's H20

[MarcATL]

Another very interesting op-ed I found just a little while ago.

"Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary to create a tension in the mind so that individuals could rise from the bondage of myths and half-truths to the unfettered realm of creative analysis and objective appraisal, we must see the need of having nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help men to rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. …. My friends, I must say to you that we have not made a single grain in civil rights without determined legal and nonviolent pressure. History is the long and tragic story of the fact that privileged groups seldom give up their privileges voluntarily. Individuals may see the moral light, but as Reinhold Niebuhr has reminded us, groups are more immoral than individuals."
--Martin Luther King, Jr.; Letter from Birmingham City Jail.

In recent days, there have been events at "town hall meetings" that have caught the public’s attention. Some events have a tone that is of concern to many people: there is a rise in the amount of anger, hostility, and none-too-subtle hints of violence being expressed by some of what King referred to as "some of our sick brothers and sisters."

On a thread on DU, by my good friend Sidney Carton, I expressed why some of the growing tensions are of concern for a generation of people across the country – including some of the most thoughtful among the DU community. In response to one of my posts on the thread, another of my good friends, Uzybone, suggested that it would make an interesting OP. As a couple other friends agreed, I decided to try to include that in this OP, and then add a bit more. I hope that it is of some value here.

Some context: in the discussion of why people my age are prone to find the hate speech and gun-totting in the media and at town hall meetings toxic, I attempted to explain how it creates a dangerous path for society to follow:

"I think that you may find this interesting -- and I share it with you, because I have a very high opinion of you. And it is something that 'old folks' like myself know, and which is why the current atmosphere being created -- and it is being purposely created and fed -- catches our attention.

"Back in his day, Malcolm X crossed a line in America. Some believed it was his dispute; others, that he was connecting with members of the UN on bringing the issues of racism in America to the world stage, as a human rights abuse (rather than domestic, civil rights). Now, today, we know it was the combination of those two. This is synergism, which is two forces combining, to create a third energy force, greater than the sums of the two.

"A highly placed US intelligence operative inside the Nation of Islam (no question: his government role has been fully documented) began encouraging officials in the NOI to say, basically, "Someone should kill Brother Malcolm. He is a traitor, and a threat to our well-being." Soon, Louis X was openly calling for a patriotic NOI member to kill Malcolm. And some money was distributed to the mentally-dead, and soon there were more threats. Then people showing guns. Then more violent threats. Then physical confrontations, some involving groups. Then a dry run. Then they killed the man.

"There are those today who are appealing to the same emotional strings -- fear, hatred, and paranoid thinking -- and who 'hint' about violence. There is money being distributed to the mentally-dead. There are threats. There are group confrontations. And there are people showing up with guns.

"If we start on a road, and take it straight, without stopping, or turning off it, we will eventually come to its destination. And many of us have traveled this road before -- we recognize the road signs. We do not fool ourselves into thinking, "It can't happen here" -- because it has, and it will again, unless we get off the path that the dark forces are bringing us down now. And I'm not paranoid, not in a panic. I simply understand human nature .... and that includes group behavior."

And in case anyone mistakes this for "ancient history," keep in mind that it is exactly what has happened when fools like Bill O’Reilly rant about some doctors being "baby killers," and groups like those of Randall Terry recruit brain-dead, violence-prone people on the margins of society who pull the triggers from the shadows. Or the church pews, as they become more emboldened.

There are some folks who are either confused or damned fools, who confuse the recent events as being in the context of protecting the Bill of Rights. I addressed that misconception on a recent DU thread, regarding what Amendment 1 translates to in our nation’s recent history.

There are also some people with their heads in the sand, who do not believe the rabid right poses any serious threat to our society. Thus, in another OP, I posted information from the Southern Poverty Law Center, regarding the rise in the membership and activity among "hate groups." I would recommend that DUers become familiar with the work of the SPLC, if they aren’t already. It should come as no surprise that several republicans in Congress have ties with some of these groups.

This, by no coincidence, brings us to another Reinhold Niebuhr quote: "Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man’s inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary." In the context of the current social-political climate, that simply means that we need to make the most of the opportunity that we are being presented with today. If we fail to recognize that even in a time when sick people such as a Glen Beck are able to blather on tv about President Obama being a racist, who hates white folks, and who poses a "threat" to our country – and then whimpers about Tim McVeigh – that we have very real opportunities for creative actions, his sponsors would continue funding his show. By exercising our Constitutional rights provided by that Bill of Rights, in the non-violent manner that King advocated, we create the tension that he knew was essential for social progress.

Peace,
H2O Man

 

[Avatar4321]

Obama is a racist. All you have to do is read the mans freakin book to see that.

The only violence occuring at these town meetings is the violence trying to silence the conservatives protesting. It's not the conservatives beating people up.

This Op Ed is worth about as much as Britney Spears opinion on the matter. You need educated opinions not partisan bullcrap.

 

[CrusaderFrank]

''I don't regret setting bombs, I feel we didn't do enough." -- 9/11/2001 Obama's friend, Mentor and likely Ghost Writer William Ayers as published the Day the Twin Towers were falling

 

[DiveCon]

wow, using DU as a source


DU is the epitome of HATE

 

[JakeStarkey]

Obama is a racist. All you have to do is read the mans freakin book to see that.

The only violence occuring at these town meetings is the violence trying to silence the conservatives protesting. It's not the conservatives beating people up.

This Op Ed is worth about as much as Britney Spears opinion on the matter. You need educated opinions not partisan bullcrap.

You are one of those people Dr. King referred to as one "of our sick brothers and sisters."

Come clean with your religious and political affiliations, Avatar, so you can honestly discuss your beliefs. Glenn Beck did it (after much, much urging).

So can you.

 

[JakeStarkey]

Come on, Avatar, take a big girl breath and give full confession.

 

[Avatar4321]

What am i supposed to be confessing to? Ive been open about my positions and who i am since i started posting on this board 6 years ago. If you dont know where i stand its simply because you are too lazy to pay attention

 

[DiveCon]

What am i supposed to be confessing to? Ive been open about my positions and who i am since i started posting on this board 6 years ago. If you dont know where i stand its simply because you are too lazy to pay attention

he's a stupid n00b doing what stupid n00bs doo
assuming something without any proof

 

[MarcATL]

Obama is a racist. All you have to do is read the mans freakin book to see that.

The only violence occuring at these town meetings is the violence trying to silence the conservatives protesting. It's not the conservatives beating people up.

This Op Ed is worth about as much as Britney Spears opinion on the matter. You need educated opinions not partisan bullcrap.

Aren't you the same summamabatch that said in another thread that you don't feel rage toward Obama and got upset cause I insinuated that you couldn't possibly truthfully believed that?

I don't know how someone could possibly NOT feel rage towards a racist. I know I do.

 

[Avatar4321]

Aren't you the same summamabatch that said in another thread that you don't feel rage toward Obama and got upset cause I insinuated that you couldn't possibly truthfully believed that?

I don't know how someone could possibly NOT feel rage towards a racist. I know I do.

So because you are full of anger and hate for others for holding ignorant views everyone else must also?

I dont have rage over Obama. I don't have rage towards anyone. The only person I've ever come close to having rage towards is my ex gf. And even then I care about her and treat her as well as I can.

You see there are some people in this life who realize that getting angry doesnt solve anything. We realize there is no point to hate.

So an idiot feels superior to another person because of his skin color? Why should that anger me? Do you know how petty that is? There are billions of reasons one person might feel superior to another person than simply because of race. So why hate those who focus on race and not the rest? Why hate any of them at all? How does that persuade them to your point of view?

 

[Xenophon]

I don't know how someone could possibly NOT feel rage towards a racist. I know I do.

So, you feel rage towards Obama yet you still kiss his ass and think he walks on water.

That is interesting.