Ok,this is a quickly- written diary for me, no time for my usual hours-long revisions required by my mediocre writing skills. Please indulge me. I just saw 2 diaries with titles about today's protests with the word "fight" in them. One about the counter- protest in Boston,which begins in half an hour. Fight back, fight the neo-nazis. A word that can convince our worthy protesters that the purpose is to fight them. Rhetorical or not, words matter. The idea of fighting matters, and it's not a good one.
Please try to be nonviolent. Even non- reactive. Don't be provoked by these people! Let them show who they are. Any fighting on our side, like last time, will take on outside significance as the press will focus on it. If that poor woman hadn't been killed, I wish,I bet the media would have shown equal amounts of violence on each side. They leaned that way as it is. The Nazi sympathizers are disciplined and will be more so today as they learn. I have a feeling they will attempt non-violence thenselves in places.Will we learn too?
Look, I want to punch these horrible people in the face...perhaps one punch for each relative slaughtered by Nazis in the Holocaust. And one also for my Uncle who survived with a number engraved on his wrist.They terrorize, right now in 2017, many Jews and People of Color,with actions reminiscent of previous Nazi endeavors imprinted on the psyches of both peoples. It takes a ton of self control not to fight them, especially fight them back. Those torches in the dark of night...
But We. Must. Not. Please. Let them show themselves as the hateful thugs they are, attacking completely Innocent Appearing protesters.
Civil disobedience works so well because of appearances, as well as maintaining the moral high- ground as being entirely nonviolent, even when provoked. It is even more important now that everyone can instantly take video and share it with millions. We saw video- the country saw video-in Charlottesville of two sides fighting. Yes, most people came out against the Nazis and their ilk. But not so many Republicans did. Yes, compared to other instances Republican lawmakers responded better, in higher numbers,but let's not fool ourselves, the majority didn't say a peep. And their constituents and the public at large apparently didn't apply enough public pressure/outrage for them to be compelled.
I have relatives and Facebook friends in the Midwest and South. Good people appalled by the protests itself, and the murder. They also saw both sides fighting. When it came to the fighting, they see it as equal. It was shown as equal.
Reverend Barber is using nonviolent civil disobedience. It draws much more attention than the appearance of a equal fight. I've noticed that Black Lives Matter gains much more mainstream positive attention and perception when there is no fight or violence. Any bit of a fight draws outsized attention by the press, they show the fight over and over in a loop, diluting the convincing power of the message.
Reverend Dr. King knew his.
Ghandi knew this.
It has been obvious for almost a hundred years that nonviolent protest garners more attention, the contrast garners much more positive attention.
Be safe,but Please. Don't. Fight!