Friday, March 19, 2010

After yesterday's activism, what's next?

I neglected to post videos of Dan Choi and the sit-in at Nancy Pelosi's office:





Do you agree or disagree with the actions? I'm in the middle but leaning towards the positive. I'm not going all out and calling the folks here heroes but it was very commendable that they took a risky stance because let's face it - sometimes stances like this are needed.

But I'm also for tactics with coordination. People always remember the sit-ins and marches of the African-American civil rights movement but they are always willing to forget that these sit-ins and marches didn't happen spontaneously nor singularly. They were a part of a huge coordinated plan.

I guess I'm saying that I want to see what happens next. Have there been any planning and will we see other actions designed to spur attention to our issues or were these actions the result of scatter shot frustration?

So my immediate reaction is "way to go," but my pragmatic reaction awaits satisfaction.

Related posts:
 
Some thoughts about this day of civil disobedience



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4 comments:

Lewis said...

Civil disobedience and coordinated efforts both have a place in our struggle to achieve equal treatment under the law.

BlackTsunami said...

True, but acts of civil disobedience done without coordination or planning is nothing more than mental masturbation.

Jarred said...

First let me say that I'm impressed with Choi's behavior. He acted with a great deal of dignity throughout the whole situation, including his arrest. That's something to be admired, and I hope that even those who might disagree with the appropriateness of his actions will acknowledge that.

Personally, I think there is potential for "scatter shot frustration" to transform into organized planning. Sometimes, I think it's easier to have people demonstrate willing to take daring actions and then have those with organizational skills and larger vision to help channel those individuals' efforts into a larger plan.

Unknown said...

Lt. Choi is the very definition of the word HERO. He put his career & his freedom on the line, not to mention his life once the fundies take notice, for the freedom of others. I wish that the rest of our military officers, straight & gay, had even 1/2 of the integrity of this one man. Lt. Choi certainly wins my award for the biggest set of brass balls!