"Brett, speaking only for myself, I agree with your point that the principle of peaceful, non-violent protest and the observance of the rule of law is of utmost importance in any society. MLK, Gandhi, Mandela, and all great opposition leaders throughout history have always preached this precept. Further, it is critical that in any democracy investigation must be completed and due process must be honored before any government or police members are judged responsible.
That said, my greater source of personal concern, outrage
and sympathy beyond this particular case is focused neither upon one night’s
property damage nor upon the acts, but is focused rather upon the past
four-decade period during which an American political elite have shipped middle
class and working class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around
the U.S. to third-world dictatorships like China and others, plunged tens of millions
of good hard-working Americans into economic devastation, and then followed
that action around the nation by diminishing every American’s civil rights
protections in order to control an unfairly impoverished population living
under an ever-declining standard of living and suffering at the butt end of an
ever-more militarized and aggressive surveillance state.
The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives
and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses
of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, an ultimate price, and
one that far exceeds the importance of any kids’ game played tonight, or ever,
at Camden Yards. We need to keep in mind people are suffering and dying around
the U.S., and while we are thankful no one was injured at Camden Yards, there
is a far bigger picture for poor Americans in Baltimore and everywhere who
don’t have jobs and are losing economic civil and legal rights, and this makes
inconvenience at a ball game irrelevant in light of the needless suffering
government is inflicting upon ordinary Americans.”
2 comments:
It's not accurate to call Mandela an advocate of peaceful, non-violent protest.
Agreed. The ANC under both Mandelas was a communist front that perpetrated lots of violence. It is a sign of the success of modern education that he is universally hailed as a poster child of nonviolence.
MLK, was an advocate of nonviolent protest, but no saint, as I've posted before.
The point of my posting Angelos' remarks are for what follows his preface.
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