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What I find troubling...
In the Gloria Allred threads, those that I've seen state they were glad to see Allred do this--not one has stated they believe there is a basis for Allred to seek monetary (or other) damages of any kind. Of all the things I've read, and I read most of them--people seemed to just be genuinely pleased that perhaps she was doing this to set a precedent--send a statement of "what was said can NOT be said by a celebrity to anyone, particularly not a person of color."
This is coming on the heels of the Mel Gibson incident. Perhaps Ms. Allred was sickened by the fact that Gibson chose to "persecute" a Jewish cop with his slurs against him and all Jews. Maybe Ms. Allred saw the Richards incident and thought, "hmmmm...racist celebs need some sort of accountability." I'm not a mind reader, so of course I'm just "supposing" here. lol. But I don't think it's a vast stretch, considering the timing of these incidents.
What is disturbing to me is the way so many on DU have crawled out from under their rocks to shout down anyone that dare say "why not?" As if by those of us that said, "why shouldn't she do this" are saying we want to see money changed hands, Richards jailed, etc., etc. There's a great deal of assuming going on. No one said or implied any of that.
I'm well aware of the tenets of free speech. I really don't need overzealous DU'ers shouting me down and dog piling me as if I need law lessons. If people like Gloria Allred didn't stand up and do what hasn't been done before, where would women or the women's movement be? If people like her didn't do that which wasn't done before--would blacks have ever been freed from slavery, given the right to vote, given the right to education in schools with whites, etc., etc.? I dare say...no. :think:
I find it beyond disturbing that too many in those threads even dared to consider any of what I just said above. Instead, they continued to argue "for" the rights of "racism." When do we as progressives say yes, this is a "right", it's a law on the books--but it's wrong, so let's see how far we can test that limit? Set new precedents, etc.?
While he has a right to speak and say what he likes in the context of his act, you will never get me to say he has the right to yell racial slurs because he was pissed off at an audience member. I'm sorry but I don't and refuse to see that as a tenet of free speech. A personal insult is NOT an opinion and I will NEVER argue FOR that.
The people that so valiantly defended the rights of free speech and the bill of rights to me are part of the problem. Yes, I know the rules, thank you very much. As the women before me, knew the rules PRIOR TO women obtaining the right to vote...BEFORE blacks could marry whoever the hell they wanted to...BEFORE blacks could sit anywhere they wanted to on the bus.
Telling me the rules and using them as a weapon against MY opinion is bullshit as far as I'm concerned.
There are very few true progressives on this board, in my opinion. They are sheep, completely willing to go along with the status quo, and defend it when anyone dare say that maybe it's time that status quo was challenged or amended. How dare they shout people down with laws on the books. Fuck that. We all know the laws on the books didn't take women, people of color, gays, jews, the disabled, etc. into consideration to begin with. The people that wrote the "laws on the books" were old, white men. Yes--they speak for me. :eyes:
Rosa Parks was a true progressive. The "law" said she HAD to sit in the back and she did not. Michael "racist piece of shit" Richards right to say whatever he wants is "law." Ask me if I give a shit?
If Gloria chooses to challenge that--she is a true progressive in my eyes. People that can't see that, and can't see that shouting down the few to say,"maybe" is not a part of any definition of progress. How do we get to progress, if we don't challenge what "is"?
I'm tiring of this board. Perhaps I need to spread my wings beyond it, the quote does say that well behaved women don't change history--does it not? Gloria Allred is not a "well-behaved woman" and because of it, she helps to change history. Maybe I should take my radical ideas, my "bad behavior" beyond this board and see what I can do. All I do on DU is get called names, flamed incessantly, locked threads and deleted posts. :( :cry::mad:
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