Quote:Doc is right, but to a degree.
That's just the thing, Doc's point isn't about degree. It's about pedal to the metal, fight for your rights tooth and nail every time.
The problem I have with imaging a society that functions such a way is there's no flexibility. There's no room to let bygones be bygones, to turn the other cheek. If you truly follow the maxim 'defend your rights', then you're forced to push back anytime you get pushed. Just take a moment and really think about what a society like that would be like. I'll tell you point blank it'd be very far from the civil lives most of us enjoy.
Now, I understand the knee jerk reaction. And I don't blame many of the posters for reacting to my point negatively. And that's why I wanted to respond, I feel I need to clarify my point. First and foremost I'm not against fighting for your rights. Personally, I have a deep love for the black civil rights movement, womens suffrage and womens civil rights, a love that an entire bookshelf of books can attest to. Not only do I think their actions were warranted, I think they were hero's for fighting against true injustice. They were smart, organized, and fought through as many channels as they could. And when those didn't work, they innovated and pushed on until change started to happen.
But the truth is this man isn't a hero like Ella Baker. It wasn't an effective and organized protest for change like SNCC's freedom rides. Standing up for your rights is about a goal. It's about fighting off true injustice and inequality in order to create a caring, peaceful, and functioning society - whether that be done as a great melting pot of homogenized culture, or as independent fingers on the hand of American culture.
Justice may be blind, but fighting blindly for your rights isn't just. The greater goal of this man's actions wasn't to create change for a better and more peaceful society - I believe if it was, he'd of started through the correct channels of protest (to the corporate level etc), and then upon their non-action, organized and committed civil disobedience. This man's actions were using the right to our Civil Rights as a sword, to exact the privilege guaranteed by being an American.
I know people will still disagree with me, and believe that fighting for your rights no matter how its done or in what context is correct. I know Doc will disagree with me vehemently, which I accept. But if you really stop a minute and think about a society of people blindly wielding their rights as a sword, I think you'll agree that it's not a better society. But just take a minute and really ask yourself, is this man a hero like the MLK Jr.'s of the world, or is he more like the DC Judge who wants 56 million dollars for his lost dry-cleaned pants (they did say 'satisfaction guaranteed', and after all isn't it his right to sue them when they don't live up to that standard?).
Cheers,
Munk
Edit: Left an extra paragraph at the bottom.