Reply #22: I'm not clear

[marions ghost]

what your question is...somehow you don't think I would appreciate the approach of MLK?
MLK--he is one of our greatest Americans and his inspiration is invaluable. But he was living in different times. Some of the things that were effective then just don't work as well now. MLK was calling for peaceful resistance when there was a lot of pent-up anger that needed to be contained and focused, in his wise thinking. If MLK were around today to help us with these latest social and political crimes, he might have to figure out how to get people off the couch or out of the mall. He would have to wake people up.

I am suggesting that the example of the Amish after the tragedy, while admirable, does not really apply to the situation we find ourselves in politically right now. I suppose it might later, if we get to the point where it all seems like a bad nightmare that is more or less over...but that could be a long time. There is a danger in feeling that one does not have (inner) permission to resist abuse. This is a common problem actually. You don't want to negate the emotion of anger, you want to use it. Passivity and powerlessness is more of a danger than over-reacting IMO.

I don't know what you mean by fighting fire with fire here. If you mean becoming like Repugs, stealing elections, lying and cheating --that is absolutely what I DON'T mean. I mean fighting by the usual honorable means of peaceful resistance that MLK embodied.

Of course everyone deals with an abusive scenario differently, and it makes sense to discuss it so people can figure out where they individually stand. This situation we find ourselves in right now is unprecedented in American history IMO. Many rational people just don't know what to make of it. They didn't bargain for it. They don't even know if voting will work anymore.

<Sorry to use the misleading word "cheerfully"--although there are some people who cheerfully take it, they aren't on DU as a rule.>