Briefly, I fully agree with Mr. Stark's attempts, actions and media response after the staff of a United States Senator assaulted him this week. Further, I am appauled at the mainstream media's characterization of Mr. Stark as a "heckler" and "protester" rather than what he truly is: A "blogger" and a "constituent with the First Amendment right to approach his Senator in opposition." That said, I feel strongly that based upon his diary today, which outlines another incident, Mr. Stark may be approaching the boundary between his good intentions and a negative result despite what he was intending.
Too often in our just battle to express opposition, we make the mistake of looking inward at ourselves rather than projecting our dignified beliefs outward, thus spreading support for our opposition. Often, the actions of one person on one specific occasion is so explosive, it serves as a rallying cry, energizing both supporters of our cause and folks who were on the fence and because of recent events, are now `believers.' When this occurs, it is the other side that is left to respond and try to marginalize the impact. When the individual takes further action too soon, he or she often defeats the cause he or she was trying to empower. Sadly, the reverse impact is often greater than the initial act; whether or not the message from the other side is true is irrelevant. In these cases, the louder message prevails.
What Mr. Stark did (and did not do) the other day was heroic. It was a brave and powerful indictment of the ineptitude of George Allen. More importantly, it was a generous act, giving all of us a louder voice. Sadly, I fear that what happened today is potentially more beneficial to the other side, staged by Allens staffers or not.
And so, I hope that all of us can understand that when a brave act puts us in the limelight, we must always maintain our objectivity and fight the natural urge to believe that it is about us as individuals. We must balance our individuality with the realization that in these times, our cause is greater than ourselves.
I thank Mr. Stark for what he did; however, I respectfully hope that he would consider my opinion in this case.
PS: I understand that many of you will disagree and I encourage you to do so. However, before you sever my head and place it atop a pike, I ask that you review my comments and diaries and note how I respect others even when I disagree.