The Maelstrom of Violence

[Bob Butler 54]

(09-03-2017, 11:50 AM)Ragnarök_62 Wrote: 1960's equality fights:  I'll admit those are hazy due to my age at the time. With that said, and I can be off base here due to said age of those times. I do recall lots of marches where there was no violence, but lots of symbolism on one hand [which I don't recall any fear/anger.  On the other hand and I think it's another case of what was old , is new again.  Antifa reminds me of icky things like the Weather Underground and the SLA.  The other demonstrators besides antifa who haven't been violent, I see no issues with.

I feel many who on the surface demonstrate for free speech are really looking for a right to demean, insult and display their self proclaimed superiority.  I’ll advocate for free speech in general as loudly as many.  The First Amendment is a fine thing.  I just see demonstrating superiority is more about oppressing others who aren’t in one’s group.  That is the class of ‘free speech’ that folks are in disagreement about.  To me it is about the desire for some who perceive themselves superior trying to make it so.

I don’t perceive those who practice identity politics, prejudice and hate as superior.  Don't tell me that those wearing Nazi and Confederate symbols aren't practicing identity politics.  Don't tell me what they do is harmless.  Those wearing neo nazi and neo confederate symbols do so to invoke the ideas behind the symbols.  Those who wish to harm others ought to find the law focused accordingly to stop them.

The old days were quite violent enough.  There was more acceptance, more arbitrary rejection, more love and more thoughtless hate.  It was different.  It was a very good thing in small doses.  It is likely wise and prudent to sleep walk through compromise, to play the unraveling game for a time.  The old hate was never gone, but neither was its rejection.  The intensely passionate stalemate so hated by younger generations is still there.  The old America of white only, male men only, live draft cards, coat hanger abortions and stinking polluted water is to a great extent gone and not coming back.  So says this blue boomer.  Try for the worst of yesterday and watch the ashes of the old hippies burn back to life.  No.  Just, no.

Some of the old hate lingers.  Trump made use of it, allowed it to the surface again.  It won’t win.  It resurfaced wimpy and weak compared to the old days.  A generation or two underground will to that.

The idea of protests though mocking seems interesting, though I may take the old culture too seriously for that.