Civil Disobedience

[Cary]

I find myself thinking of the time Henry David Thoreau was jailed for not paying a poll tax.

https://historyofmassachusetts.org/henry-david-thoreau-arrested-for-nonpayment-of-poll-tax/

I am shocked at how many smug white people of my generation are oblivious to this history. Even we, who are more aware, have not embraced this tradition sufficiently.

On second thought what are these mass shooters doing? I guess I need to think some more?

I don't mean to suggest that mass shootings are appropriate. I am simply contemplating civil disobedience.

[johnp3907]

1. What?

[Cary]

4. Please be more specific

[johnp3907]

6. My thoughts exactly.

But never mind. Plenty of other stuff to read on the internet.

[Cary]

8. How about giving me the courtesy of answering my question?

You responded in the first place. If you weren't interested in the subject you didn't have to respond. You so didn't need to double down with an insult.


l

[zaj]

2. Your last 2 sentences...

... may fall into the "report this thread" realm.

I assume you didn't mean to suggest people consider shooting up stores. I suggest you edit your post and fix that implication.

[Cary]

3. Sorry.

I just see some irony. I.e. an idiot walking into Walmart with an AR 15 and body armor yesterday.

Obviously that differs from an NFL player kneeling.

[Cary]

5. It is not as clear as you suggest. John Brown the abolitionist.

I have never been able to reconcile that.

[Cary]

7. See my reply to myself re John Brown.

I meant to say that to you.

[George II]

9. Civil disobedience is what was behind the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s/1960s and....

.....also helped bring an end to the Vietnam War.

[Cary]

12. Indeed which is why I am disappointed in my own generation

I am a late Boomer, born in 1960.

[Hotler]

10. I don't think the American people have it in them to protest.

Apathy, laziness, lack of critical thinking skills to understand issues could be part of the problem. There was 1.1 - 1.8 million people at President Obama's inauguration. there should be that many or more there now.

[Cary]

11. Speaking for myself...

I accept your diagnosis.

Not so much apathy. More just not having the right stuff, like Thoreau.

Thank you for not mistaking my invitation to discuss civil disobedience for an invitation to be trolled. I do try to he the beat I can be. Of course I have a family that depends on me so ending up in jail or the hospital affects others.

[Cary]

13. It isn't my fault that Republicans are so fucked up that ...

... attempts to ponder their pathology are fucked up too. They turn logic and reason on their ear.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

14. What is it you're looking to protest?

Protests are effective when you have a coherent message against something specific.

[Cary]

15. I.said "ponder"

Not protest.

I ran across the story of Henry David Thoreau. I hadn't heard it in many years. It struck me "conservatives" were oblivious to this tradition. It then struck me that walking into a Walmart with an AK 47 and body armor was a perversion of our tradition of civil disobedience.

That's fucked up. 35% to 40% of our population is fucked up. Up is down and down is up.