#helped organize protests for gun violence. blm. pride.....
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Pretty sure the op of the Hamilton art is a terf and zionist
I looked at their blog and they definitely have some weird takes. I didn't scroll down super far but from what I could see, they're just very lukewarm about being pro-palestine. Which is super lame but not a crime.
As for the terf claim, I didn't really see anything abt that other than their bio. I know I "should" care, being trans and all but I tend not to vex myself over people whose opinions deny my personhood.
Idk what you expect me to do about it tho? Deleting my reblog doesn't help anyone, it's not like I'm giving them money, the post isn't about those things, etc. I hate both terfs and zionists to be sure but it's a lot more helpful to reblog Palestinian funds and such rather than try to maintain moral purity in regards to random reblogs of silly, non political art.
I'm not particularly concerned with making sure every single thing I reblog was originally posted by someone with all the "right" views on everything. It's a fruitless endeavor and it's completely useless to folks that need actual help :/
I understand if you're worried about whistleblowing but taking one look at my blog, it's fairly evident that I'm both pro-palestine and very transgender. So like. Breathe. If you're gonna give info but not your opinion on what I should do w the info, then like... What's the point?
While I disagree with their takes on the best way to protest and several other things, I'm certainly not one to throw the baby out w the bathwater and they do make a lovely point w this post... I feel it's applicable here.
#i find it interesting tho that this ask was sent anonymously#say it w ur chest if you care so much my beautiful knight in shining armor#sighhhhh#i dont want to be antagonistic but like... be so fr#miku binder Thomas Jefferson isnt saving Palestine or transfolk from the evil global powers that rule us#its a waste of time to care about it#go help a homeless person in your area my friend#and b4 anyone asks... yes ive gone to great lengths to help my community including but not limited to:#helping to raise ~4000 USD for the ali forney center in ny (a homeless shelter for queer youth)#talked to local representatives on the school board to help secure rights for queer youth in our school (name changes. gn bathrooms. etc)#provided food for local homeless ppl (we borrowed from grocey stores owned by amazon lol... for legal reasons this is a joke)#helped organize protests for gun violence. blm. pride.....#idk man don't talk to me abt shut like this unless you are willing st stand your ground publicly#asks#im being mean but idc tbh#this shit is so fucking asinine#sorry if you genuinely had good intentions ig?
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http://invested-in-your-future.tumblr.com/post/165331225385/white-fang-is-not-blm-but-rwby-sure-as-hell
Yes, it is. You just donât want to admit it.
First of all let me begin by establishing the key arguments for why I am saying that.
White Fang is not like BLM.
ThereââŹâ˘s no Equivalent of BLM in Remnant.
Activist organization is a necessity.
False Equivalence Between the two is problematic narrative direction
Those three key points basically explain my thoughts on this matter and  highlight a HUGE flaw within RemnantââŹâ˘s worldbuilding as well as  problematic approach RT is taking by assuming a ââŹĹmoderateââŹÂ stance that  violence of any kind invalidates the cause instantly.
So letââŹâ˘s dive in into each of those points after the cut.
And as we will soon see: Sheâll prove herself to be quite racist and problematic herself.
And thatâs the thing: The White Fang ARE like Black Lives Matter. BLM has been causing damage through out the country such as hijack a pride parade (http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/pride-parade-toronto-1.3662823) and a prominent leader attacked a police officer (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/baton-rouge-officer-sues-prominent-black-lives-matter-activist-deray-mckesson/). Hell, if I brought in a certain friend of mine I could get even more dirt because he hates BLM a lot more than I do. And heâs black so whatâs your excuse there?
White Fang is NOTHING like #BLM
LetââŹâ˘s be frank, White Fang is basically ISIS in its presentation. Its shown as being a terrorist group that preys upon those who suffer  from oppression and prejudice and converts them into their warriors for  some imaginary world-wide racial war their leader perpetuates. Its an  organization that is not interested in actual peace. An organization  that THRIVES upon there being conflict.An organization that threatââŹâ˘s  itââŹâ˘s own members like shit and at least one of itââŹâ˘s higher ups(Adam) is a highly abusive psychopath, which yet again draws  (unintentional?)parallels to ISIS treatment of women and civilians.
The thing is - BLM is nothing like that. Its an organization that is very much a continuation of MLK Civil Rights  movement. Its an organization that is willing to put themselves in harms way for what they believe in  and longs for a solution but does not sit there playing moderates and  ignoring the need for action.
LetââŹâ˘s be frank -  Remnant NEEDS something like that. An activist organization that stands  up for the oppressed. Ă Since thereââŹâ˘s nothing like that White Fang is  basically using that vacancy for hteir advantage.
...No, no it is not.
ISIS is not motivated by oppression or prejudice: In fact, ISIS THEMSELVES spread oppression and prejudice and are self aware of that. Why? because they take the tenets of Muslim belief way too far. In this sense, ISIS is more like the Crusaders from the old days of the Catholic church being motivated by a severe misinterptation of a religious ideal. To say they are the same in their presentation is misrepresenting the facts at hand. Thereâs only two reasons why you would say this: A. You think Muslim is a racial term which I highly doubt or B. Youâre drawing false equivalency.Â
And...No, BLM is NOT like the Civil Righst Movement. Their methods are far too violent and far too forceful to be that. Proof, here: (https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/08/24/i-was-a-civil-rights-activist-in-the-1960s-but-its-hard-for-me-to-get-behind-black-lives-matter/?utm_term=.f9e030d0da39 /Â http://www.wnd.com/2015/10/civil-rights-leader-black-lives-matter-angry-godless-hateful/ /Â http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-black-church-activism-20160801-snap-story.html) Numerous people who do embody the ideals of Martin Luther King Jr. outright disavow Black Lives Matter because they donât embody those ideals.Â
Yeah...Just like the White Fang was in itâs conception, back when Ghira was leading them. Yeah, your ISIS parallel falls apart more here because ISIS has ALWAYS been violent but civil rights movements? THey have slowly degraded from the proud Civil Rights Movement to the far less effective Black Panthers to the outright contradictory and useless Black Lives Matter now. Itâs a story about not becoming the evil you fight and being self aware of your problems...Huh, I guess thatâs why you want the White Fag to be absolute good: You want your self blindness to celebrated.
The Vacant Throne of Social Activism
Remnant is a violent and dangerous world. Paranoia runs high and communications are limited between the four kingdoms. Faunus, those who are ââŹĹdifferent from thenormââŹÂ make easy scapegoats to externalize that paranoia. And  the said paranoia is an easy scapegoat for externalizing your own  bigotry. Some people might be prejudiced out of paranoia. Others on  other hand will hide their prejudice and bigotry BEHIND excuses of  paranoia. Either way it is minorities that suffer.
LetââŹâ˘s be  frank - its a world where it has been just around hundred(or less) years since a big World War kind of scenario which also happened to involve  genocidal intentions and nation-wide racism against the faunus. Faunus  are the people who had to FIGHT for their right to be recognized as  EQUALS.
There has only been a century of ââŹĹpeaceââŹÂ after that.  World does not fix itself just via that. As show most often said(yet  somehow not shown), humans might have ââŹĹrecognizedââŹÂ faunus as equals, but most of it is just on paper and not in reality. Prejudice, racism,  bigotry, etc, are still everyday occurences. Hell if to continue  drawing parallels to our world - there has been approx a century between the start of MLK movement and the end of US Civil War. Our world  did not magically fix itself via a war ââŹĹbeing wonââŹÂ. Hell even now,  another 60 years latter, its still filled with racism and bigotry. Why  would Remnant a world with giant terrifying monsters and society less  advanced be any different in shorter period of time?
So yeah, Remnant has itââŹâ˘s oppressed. Faunus even now are treated like slaves in  Atlas and Mistral is still trying to force them out of Anima continent  into Menagerie. Even Vale, the self-proclaimed ââŹĹcenter of the worldââŹÂ has problems like ethnically-fueled bullying. The issue is still there.
And when there are oppressed, situation arises where thereââŹâ˘s a position to  be filled to stand up against oppressors. The oppressed will obviously  flock towards those who stand up, starting a chain reaction of oppressed minorities standing and resisting their oppressors. Oppression is like a barrel of dynamiteââŹÂŚand the choice to stand up against it is the fuse  that changes everything.
It just so happens that that  position is filled by WF, who currently are more interested in  consolidating power and fueling conflict rather fighting for actual  rights.
What Prejudices? What racism? What examples?
See, you canât claim that everywhere is racist when you only have...what, one example? And yes it is one because I donât see any racism in Mistral yet so youâre making that up and Atlas is very much an isolated incident which isnât even TOTAL racist to begin with Neon Katt being a student. And Cardin? Cardin was looked down upon and treated as a villainous idiot for thinking that way.
Which leads me to my next point: You say that it isnât logical for Remnant to get rid of Racism and bigotry. While that is true to an extent:, you treat the situation of both our world and Remnant as if they still hold the values of 1950â˛s when in actuality: Bigotry and racism is heavily looked down upon in our society and it is the same for Remnant. You give off this message of the situation being like Fanaus canât get jobs and are frowned upon in society when in fact, they are not as a whole. In a few select areas, yes but thatâs total consistent with our world as well. So stop misrepresenting the facts.
And you talk about how fear and paranoia are rampant in Remnant...butr you treat the actions of groups like Black lives Matter, who cause violence against people for race (http://www.cleveland19.com/story/32814897/men-chant-black-lives-matter-before-viciously-attacking-white-victims) (http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/nov/16/black-lives-matter-protesters-berate-white-student/) as a good thing. You talk about how bigots will try to use that fear as a reason to be racist...which is what they do with Black Lives Matter in real life. Yeah, youâre whole post is starting to crumble.
White Fang is a mistake, but Social Activism is a Necessity
LetââŹâ˘s be frank. ââŹĹPeacefulââŹÂ activism might sound nice on paper but it is a  naive idealistic pipe dream. Being peaceful works only as long as the  other side does not decide to bring combat vests, guns or cops against  youââŹÂŚ.or drive a car into you. Now there are EXTREMES which should most likely not be reached, but Remnant or our world, you canââŹâ˘t fight for what you believe without FIGHTING. ThereââŹâ˘s a reason why word activism starts with ââŹĹactââŹÂ.
Moderacy(synonymous with indifference)  is not gonna tip the scales towards equality. Its a cool pipedream  to ââŹĹbe in the middleââŹÂ, but the thing is - the middle between two points  is usually closer to the one side that is far more extreme than the  other. If you meet racist in the middle, you have already strayed far  far right from the norm. The idea of ââŹĹmoderate middleââŹÂ presents the  toxic ideology that wanting things like equal rights, equal  representation, etc is somehow ââŹĹextremeââŹÂ or ââŹĹout of the norm. Ă MLK is  often quoted having said that White Moderate is pretty much one of the  biggest enemies and it is true - to be ââŹĹin the middleââŹÂ in most of cases  means to NOT stop the oppressor AND to not help the oppressed.
To attain equality you need to be able to actually push back. To take  action instead of being indifferent. The thing is - for that you can be  easily labeled as an extremist. But as, once again, MLK put it - the  question is what KIND of extremist are you gonna be?
Its easy to  take the path of White Fang and use the existing problems as path to  power. And sure that is what we see with the White Fang in Remnant.  Whoever is leading the WF is seeing a power vacuum and susceptible  people that can be radicalized into serving the leaderââŹâ˘s needs.
But Ă the thing is - one should be able to chose the other way and actually participate in activism FOR the actual minorities. You donââŹâ˘t need to be ââŹĹISIS-type of extremistââŹÂ, you can be BLM type of activist.
The problems donââŹâ˘t disappear just by removing the White Fang from the  equation. It just returns the situation to status quo. You still need  SOMETHING willing to stand up and tip the scales back to balance and  equality.
While its weird that thereââŹâ˘s no opposite  organization to White fang, you could write that off to ââŹĹcreative  libertiesââŹÂ and stuff - writers could have needed WF to be the only Ă ones to set up WFââŹâ˘s power.
So it should be easy right? Just have  Blake amass power and create her own organization that stands up for  actual rights of the faunus and is willing to do anything to protect  them. Sure Faunus are not about skin color and it is about species, but the comparison still works ideologically.
Its easy but thatââŹâ˘s where the show starts walking a REALLY slippery slope of false equivalence and bad writing.
âNaĂŻve pipe dreamâ...
With those three words, you have lost any right to debate this topic: IT HAPPENED IN REAL LIFE. NUMEROUS TIMES. Thatâs how black people got equal rights and thatâs how women got equal rights. It canât be a pipe dream if IT HAPPENED. You are seriously blinding yourself to reality if you try to argue THAT.
Uh...Yes you can: Civil Rights Movement did it. See your entire point is invalidated by the existence of the Civil Rights Movement...which you used as an example earlier!
... âthe question is what KIND of extremist are you gonna be?âÂ
... You bitch. That is NOT the full quote!Â
The full quote reads as follows:Â âSo the question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremist will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for love?â
Yeah, donât you dare try using him to justify your bullshit. You choose your extreme of hate a long time ago: Donât try painting yourself as good anymore. And DONâT GO DISRESPECTING A GREAT MAN.
ISIS IS NOT AN ACTIVIST MOVEMENT! I lost my temper with you a while ago, donât push me. Youâre only saying that to make BLM look good. ISIS is not, never has nor will it ever be an activist movement. BLM is and you just wanna paint them as a good guy when in fact, they are the negative extreme. Being a BLM activist is being a terrible activist and actually harming your cause because it gives your opponentâs a reason to exist. At that point, you are creating your own villain.
No oone is saying âget rid of the White Fangâ: The show is actively against that idea. Itâs just saying âGet the genocidal manic and racist murderers out of the organization to get it back on the right trackâ: Are you so egotistical that you believe yourself right in every action you take. That you can cross whatever extreme you want and itâs fine, that people who call you out are automatically wrong? God damn it!
There is an opposite organization: The White Fang of the past, the White Fang that Blake originally joined, the one her family built up, the one that Adam stole and corrupted. You act like the White Fag has always been this way which just shows you either donât watch the show or youâre blyinga nd misrepresenting the information at hand.
... Youâre an idiot: The White Fang can still be salvaged and redeemed. Just like the SDC can be redeemed from itâs horrible past. Just...stop talking
Oh go right ahead: Give me more ammo.
Problematic False Equivalence and Bad Writing
The problem with worldbuilding in world of remnant and narrative themes in  RWBY overall is that writers seem to instantly equate ALL kinds of  activism to extremism.
Blake creating BLM equivalent is  logical step for her. Its logical step towards challenging Adam and  challenging the new WF leader who took the position from her dad.
The problem is that to RWBY writers BLM and ISIS seems sort of the same kind of maybe????
With the release of Blake character Short, it seems writers thing the viewer should see Ilia punching the bigot school friends in the teeth as some  sort of warning sign or bad thing. ThereââŹâ˘s a preachy Ă underline to the  conflict in BlakeââŹâ˘s story that you can only achieve something by being completely peaceful.
Its the same kind of idea perversion as those claiming that MLK would  somehow find BLM abhorrent - the idea that MLK preached purely peaceful  activism and condemned all violence. LetââŹâ˘s be frank - thatââŹâ˘s not what  MLKââŹâ˘s Civil Rights movement was and MLK was not some holy moderate god.  He understood the importance of standing up and taking action. Civil War was not won by simply waving a white flag and meeting others in the  middle. Civil War took resistance. MLK condemned needless violence sure  and wanted a peaceful solution, but he understood that it wonââŹâ˘t come  from just talking. The problems and inequality and bigotry was something that was needed to be SHOWN to the world. MLK understood that. He understood that you canââŹâ˘t just sit and wait, you  need to SHOW it. A lot of Civil Rights Movement revolved around standing up against white privilege and trying to turn the populationââŹâ˘s  attention towards the issues racial minorities face. And the world HATED that back then. Civil Rights movement was viewed as ââŹĹneedlessly  polarizingââŹÂ and ââŹĹextremistââŹÂ by your average white people. But now MLK is lauded as a hero by children of the very same people and it is very  clear that the said movement WORKED, even if it did not finish itââŹâ˘s job.  Activism is NEEDED for change to occur. It is still needed. If you are pushed into a corner you need to push back, you need to punch Ă back.
So why should Remnant be different? Why canââŹâ˘t Faunus make their voice be heard loud and clear and stand up for themselves?
Hell, even in terms of Remnant history the preachy message makes no sense - The faunus Civil war was not fought by Faunus sitting down and talking it all over and over again. It was a war. Part of great war. Where not just faunus but whole kingdoms stood up against certain ideas and to protect certain values.
Why making your voice heard is suddenly wrong now? The issues are the same, they are just more in background. The racism is still there, just more  systematic and less open.The bigotry is still there. It might not be a  ââŹĹwarââŹÂ, but as BlakeââŹâ˘s very same character short shows, the faunus still  keep dying in counts of dozens everyday.
ThereââŹâ˘s nothing  wrong with opposing WF with violent force, yet it is somehow wrong to  push back against systematic oppression and acts of bigotry?
Its somehow RIGHT to throw dozens of WF members off the moving train(and  into a tunnel cave in full of grimm, but somehow it is WRONG for Ilia to punch bunch of insensitive racist pricks who are laughing at DOZENS OF  PEOPLE DYING?
Activism is not same as extremism. BLM is not same as ISIS. Standing up for equality in is not the same as acts of terror. Taking a stand against white supremacy is not the same as driving a car into a crowd of protesters. Punching a racist in the teeth for being a racist is not the same as staging an invasion into a whole peaceful country.
... NO! The writing does NOT equate all activism as extremism: The White Fang of the past PROVES THAT! The show is just saying that anyone can become like what they fight, that the path to hell is paved with good intentions, that you should beware staring into the abyss lest the abyss stares back! The only reason you say that is either because you are so blind to reality that you cannot comprehend what is actually going on or YOU ARE LYING in order to force people to see your side as the absolutely right.
THE CURRENT WHITE FANG IS THE BLM EQUVILANET! Stop treating a homophobic, racist, violent, self defeating movement as some pinnacle of humanity and stop ignoring the existence of the previous White Fang and the Civil Righst Movement to suit your narrative.Â
No, the only person here who thinks that BLM and ISIS are the same is the person who tried comparing a racial radicalist movement to ISIS IE you.Â
HE WOULD! He was a man of God! A man of peace! A man of love and acceptance! BLM literally lacks all of that! They instigate violence, they show nothing but hate and when people tried fighting for their own races, they threw a bitch fit! Seriously, you only think that because you are so blind and arrogant and egotistical that you cannot see the destruction around you.
âPunch backâ huh? I didnât know a MAN OF GOD, a follower of JESUS CHRIST, IE The guy who literally said âTurn the other cheekâ would advocate VIOLENCE! For Christ's csake, he was a PACIFIST. THEY DONâT FIGHT BACK! Great, now thatâs TWO PEOPLE I respect that youâve insulted: Wanna try for three with Monty Oum or Fredrich Nieztche?
THEY DID! Previous White Fang! Showâs lore contradicts you!
Gee, maybe people donât like it when you start murdering everyone who disagrees with you...Including other Fanaus! yeah, Vale, that place that the White Fang unleashed Grimm on, had FANAUS living there. Itâs a problem because PEOPLE ARE DEAD.
It WAS wrong to oppose the previous White Fang with violence because they were peaceful...and the people who did were wrong and the show treats them that way. PREVIOUS White Fang , not CURRENT White Fang because since they want to kill, they get killed. Law of the universe.
Considering those White Fang members where trying to destroy Vale, killing millions of innocents...HUMAN AND FANAUS: yes.
And Illa was wrong: because now they can always talk about how that awful, disgusting Fanaus assaulted them. They now have a REASON to be bigots. All because of Illa. They werenât right in laughing but Illa was wrong in attacking.
No, BLM is not like ISIS...only that BLM uses racism as an excuse and have roots in something good whereas ISIS uses religion and was never good.
No...But it is the same as advocating the genocide of an entire race and killing innocent people that you are supposedly fighting for. Yeah, Adam contradicts your arguments.
Its an issue that really makes RWBY worldbuilding and intentions take a huge nosedive.
Its so easy to fix and its so easy to give thematic empowerment to minorities and it is needed for thematic coherence, but it seems writers are too busy with their ââŹĹboth sidesââŹÂ bullshit it seems. Its especially problematic in the world we live in.
Nope, it doesnât d any of that. The real world supports RWBY and itâs message with the likes of the Civil Rights Movement being peaceful and being the only one that succeeded.Â
But why are you saying that? Easy:
P. S: Its weird because its the complete opposite of what RVB did in latest  season with making evil enemy grunts be alt-right tangerine-supporter  assholes before the main characters murder the fuck outta them. Is there any coherence in company values at Rooster Teeth or not?
See, you are so obsessed with being justified that you confuse âinternet trollsâ with âconservatives.âÂ
You hate moderates because they expose your thoughst for what they are: Sick, twisted, backwards and wrong. You are basically General Kimball if she refused General Doyleâs lesson: You refuse to see the other side as human and see your own flaws. You want to be right because you are egotistical and insane.
Well, Too bad. RT is a moderate place and company and theyâve always done this. What you want is to be locked into an echo chamber and have everything you want agree with you but since RT doesn't pander to you: You refuse to see your reflection and you donât want any reality to show you.
My only response: Go somewhere else and take your bullshit with you.
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Can David Cole Save The ACLU?
Like Walter Olson, I had been highly critical of the ânewâ ACLU which had forsaken the defense of civil liberties for the appeal to social justice. So when Wally posted that the ACLU had filed an amicus brief in support of the NRA after being targeted for destruction by Governor Andrew Cuomo, I was shocked.
After the Nazis and the KKK, the National Rifle Association was perhaps the group most hated by the ACLUâs fan base. And having reaped monumental financial rewards from tapping into the emotions of the newly woke, the ACLU was not only fabulously wealthy but empowered to limit its largesse to only those issues and parties that were worthy of its patronâs tears.
Yet, there is was, the ACLU coming out in support of its mortal enemy because Cuomo was using his regulatory apparatus to silence an organization because he hated its message. This was so . . . principled. Following Wally, I was inclined to applaud the ACLU and, maybe, concede that it wasnât dead yet. David Cole, the ACLUâs legal director, remembered why it was there and would not compromise civil rights for the whims of donors.
And then Mark Joseph Stern at Slate reminded me that Cole is just one person. An important person at the ACLU, but alone.
âIf the state can penalize gun promotion advocacy groups by threatening their service providers,â Cole continued, âit can do the same to other groupsââincluding Black Lives Matter. Thus, the ACLU had decided to urge the courts to âcarefully scrutinizeâ whether Cuomo has tried to unconstitutionally punish the NRA based on âhostility to [its] viewpoint.â
Cole explained, in a staff email, why he chose to help the enemy. That he felt compelled to explain at all is remarkable. For the ACLU, this was akin to sending out an email asserting it was Wednesday, and relying upon an analogy to justify it. The action was once at the core of ACLUâs mission and its staff and supporters would have taken perverse pride in defending positions which it found repugnant. No more.
Within hours, the organizationwide listserv had lit up. Staffers at both the national office and state affiliates wrote back to register their frustration with Coleâs decision. The ACLU of New York sent out a statement on Monday explaining why it had declined to support the national officeâs position.
The argument against the ACLU supporting the NRA was threefold, first that Cuomoâs attack on the NRA wasnât really a First Amendment issue, as there were legitimate questions about regulating its insurance product, Carry Guard. This was a nonsensical argument, as Cuomo was quite clear that he was using insurance and banking regulations as a wedge to take down the hated NRA.
The second argument was that the NRA had sufficient resources, and the ACLU should save its âlimited resourcesâ for the more deserving. This, too, was nonsensical, as this was merely an amicus brief, not representation of the NRA, and the ACLU had tons of cash in the bank. This was no more significant to the ACLUâs cashflow than buying a donuts for the staff meeting.
The third argument, however, was the real beef.
A number of staffers made this final point in starker terms, directly criticizing Coleâs analogy between BLM and the NRA. One litigator at a state affiliate wrote to the listserv: âWhile I do respect the reasons others posit for taking this case on, I donât respect the continued refusal of privileged decision-makers to recognize how deeply problematic it is to use BLM as a shield for actions that support white supremacy, particularly [from] an organization that enjoys the immense level of privilege we do.â
The use of Black Lives Matter for the analogy might not have been the best choice of analogy, but for the fact that it was a cause dear to the hearts of most staffers. Then again, the need for any analogy at all was like Cole using small words to explain principle to children. And the reaction demonstrated that his words werenât small enough.
Another attorney at a state affiliate also argued that BLM was being used as a âshieldâ and added, âComparing BLM to the NRA is a false equivalence. Show me one BLM rally/march/protest where a bunch of people of color are allowed to run around with guns hoisted on their hips.â Cole told me he did not mean to âequate the NRA and BLMâ but rather to point out that âif a governor can get away with this against a well-resourced group like the NRA, then groups with fewer resources, like BLM, could also be targeted.â
There was nothing about Coleâs analogy to suggest that BLM and the NRA were equivalent, but social justice argumentation isnât limited to substance when there is a litany of twisted irrelevant and fallacious rationalizations, such as âfalse equivalence,â to be pulled out and thrown back at oneâs adversary. And its these warriors for social justice, not civil liberties, who now show up for work at the ACLU.
Most of the ACLU staff members I spoke with echoed Strangioâs belief that by rushing to aid the NRA, the organization had failed to learn the lessons of last year. âThe events of Charlottesville prompted a long-overdue internal discussion about how to balance our First Amendment advocacy with our work advancing other constitutional principles, like equal protection, and serving coalitions working with marginalized communities,â one ACLU attorney told me. âIn that context, this decision feels like a step backward.â A state affiliate attorney told me that âour choices reflect little understanding of how power and privilege work in the real world.â
David Coleâs my contemporary, steeped in the old school understanding that protecting constitutional rights is its own virtue. The staff shares no such view, instead having been indoctrinated to the âpower and privilegeâ theory which enables one to rationalize why rights are absolute for some and undeserving for others, based upon who can come up with the saddest story of marginalization and victimhood.
âIn the real world,â an ACLU litigator wrote on the listserv on Friday, âwhere our black allies live all the time, the single thing that is most impeding the speech of vulnerable communities is the fear of violence and targeting ⌠every single day, everywhere.â The NRA has contributed to that horrific reality, helping to create an epidemic of gun violence that has disproportionately affected communities of color.
David Cole deserves appreciation for taking a principled stand in support of constitutional right that needs no analogy to explain. But heâs a dinosaur in the eyes of his staff, who are waiting for, maybe hoping for, his extinction so they can resume their march toward progress of supporting only those who they feel are worthy of their efforts and relishing the destruction their enemyâs constitutional rights. Cole may not be the last person at the ACLU to stand for principle, but principle is certainly marginalized at the ACLU.
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Can David Cole Save The ACLU? republished via Simple Justice
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