Reply #42: What a beautiful post.

[sabrina 1]

Thank you for taking the time to write it and for putting so much thought into this. I can't think of anything at all I disagree with in your comment.

I've lived my life on the margins of society and found that honesty, generosity, compassion and kindness comes most often from people who themselves have also suffered and struggled-

This is true and as you say, the rioters know how it feels 'to be victimized', they should know better. I agree. The only thing I want to correct is this Your wondering about how people could be so outraged by those who are rioting ... , no I do understand the outrage, I am outraged myself at what they are doing. But that presented a conflict for me, not because I, in any way could condone what they are doing, but because, and MLK expressed for me what I was having a problem with. That yes, condemn them, but, as he said, he could not condemn the Watts rioters without ALSO comdemning those who either helped create the circumstances that led to the riots or who are oblivious to them.

When people have dignity, something to work for, something they care about, they don't do this kind of thing. And I know that there is no excuse, yet it happens so often under these conditions that there must be some dynamic involved, while even though most poor people live their whole lives without ever doing anything like this, every once in a while something happens to cause this kind of eruption. And all I'm saying is that there is a responsibility for society as a whole to at least work towards not creating an underclass that is so alienated and marginalized, that as long as they behave themselves and no one hears from them, to assume that it's okay.

I don't know what they can do to get the attention they need. Protesting peacefully doesn't work. And rioting, while it gets people's attention, only alienates them further as MLK said.

I guess I just couldn't feel satisfied to just condemn them and leave it at that. That is easy to do considering the harm they have done, mostly to innocent people. People have to have hope to make life worth living.

As for the wealthy not understanding the dreams and hopes of people whose lives are far removed from their own, that is true, but it is not true of everyone. There are people who are capable of empathy for others even though they themselves have lived privileged lives. People like the Kennedys eg. Ted Kennedy used his position as a Senator to fight for the poor in his state. I used to watch him on CSpan and saw how angry sometimes he would be at Republicans for their inability to care.

Anyhow, thank you very much for the time and thought you gave to this. I don't know the answers, but there won't be any, if we just condemn and punish and then forget about this and it will happen again. That is what MLK was trying to say I guess. We're all in this together, rich and poor, even if many prefer to think otherwise.

I hope something positive comes of all of this. There are children in that neighborhood, they deserve a chance to do better than their circumstances right now allow. Mostly though, I do agree with you regarding the choices made by people who should have known better.