This perfectly illustrates my point about how all too often the Left exhibits no desire in participating in honest debate. On the contrary they would prefer using the tactic of disruption and shouting down those with whom they disagree rather than debating in a civil way the issue at hand.
"The meeting was disrupted by an opposition group, By Any Means Necessary, which recruited students from Cody, Cass Tech, Crockett and Mumford high schools in Detroit and Oak Park High School to swarm the meeting and keep the board from voting."
"At one point, many of the protesters rushed toward the board members, overturning a testimony table. Lansing police officers were called to restore order."
"Mitchell, an African-American, earlier had said he was prepared to vote to certify, and tried to explain that to the angry crowd above shouts such as "be a black man about it."
Ashley Boykin, a protesting 15-year-old student from Oak Park High School, said it was "a great day. It made me feel good. It gives us a chance for a future."
That's nice Ashley.
8 comments:
Disgusting, anti-democratic behavior. The term, "By Any Means Neccessary", is very troubling. Malcolm X used it in the '60s, when laws banned blacks from participating in the democratic process. That is no longer true. These kids are demonstrating through their behavior that they truly intend block a law, even if they can't convince a majority of voters to agree with them. At this point, they have abandoned democratic, civil, and yes, civilized conduct, and opted for straight authoritarian tactics.
Imagine if these students put as much focus and energy into selecting meaningful classes, and studying for them, or -- if they are already doing this -- getting their peers to join them in this conduct, rather than attempting to halt other people from expressing themselves. Did they miss class for this?
I agree that the right does not behave this way. But anti-democracy thrives well enough on the right, though in other ways. For example, many Bush voters want a law that puts people in prison for burning their own American flag.
I wonder what the Asian immigrant parents think of this.
Why don't these kids protest the banning of black actors from Willy Wonka, and from King Kong? I consider those to be true acts of racism. I was appalled that Tim Burton not only unconsiously picked only cracker kids for Wonka, but a print interview documents him stating that he considered casting non-honkies, but decided that would have been wrong for the film. And what is Peter Jackson's excuse for failing to award any principal roles to blacks? Making Fay Ray a black chick would have represented an act of liberal holliwood actually backing up what it claims.
Because the banning of black actors doesn't have shit to do with their future or their access to higher education!
You guys advocate legalized discrimination??? And don't give me that crap about AA being discrimnation. White women are still the greatest beneficiaries of affirmative action.
Laws should be created to serve the public. These students were using a protest to block the passing of what they feel is an unjust measure, which is well within the spirit of Malcolm's teachings.
Apparently only one person broke the law because there was only one arrest.
Paul, I would bet the students who are involved in this action are bright, intelligent and well-educated students. Most poorly educated students would be playing video games or watching tv instead of being involved in something that will affect their future. For you to say they should be home studying is not only disingenuous, it is the opposite of what you would have done when you were their age.
Rightists use so-called "civilized" or "legal" forums to push through unjust measures or to color the debate all the time. Bill O'Reilly doesn't allow real discourse on his show. Until a couple of days ago George Bush didn't allow unscripted questions to be asked in press conferences.
The Democrats and Republicans refuse to allow other parties to participate in presidential debates. There is an unwritten blackout of non-Dem and Repub candidates in the media.
When you are being disenfranchised or blocked from the public debate, what other course of action do you have but to RAISE YOUR VOICE??!
===Nadir===
Because the banning of black actors doesn't have shit to do with their future or their access to higher education!
=====
But at least they'd be protesting actual racial descrimination. No univerisy in the US any longer denies admission to people due to their classification as "black". But many film productions limit most or all major roles to actors who are "white".
======Nadir===
Laws should be created to serve the public. These students were using a protest to block the passing of what they feel is an unjust measure, which is well within the spirit of Malcolm's teachings.
===============
Everyone thinks that the laws that they support "serve the public." These students were not merely protesting. They were stopping other people from speaking, and they proclaimed that they sought to prevent a law with which they disagreed stopped "by any means neccessary." For a people who have full access to democratic participation, such a statement is either rediculous or frightening.
Whose mind do they think that they will change by such conduct? And why would they think they have changed such a person's mind? Due to the superioritity of their articulation? Or intimidation?
======Nadir==========
Paul, I would bet the students who are involved in this action are bright, intelligent and well-educated students.
=====================
Probably so. And thus they will have no problem gaining admissions to UM without Affirmative Action. And their concern is for the disproproportionate number of black students who have trouble gaining admissions. Instead of a temper tantrum (that caused them to miss school), the more effective and intelligent extra-curricular activity would be for them to work with the black students who are not studying. Those are the ones causing laggard black academic showings, not any failure of crackers to lower admission standards for "races" that have disproportionate numbers of laggards.
PS: In my original post I stated that these protesters shoule either spend this time studying, or helping those who are not studying.
And I'm curious to know about the make up of these students. How did they get to the protest spot? If this was organized by a big group, I can easily imagine a scenario in which a bunch of "C" students jumped on a bus to go protest rather than go to class.
Post a Comment