Congressional sit-in and dashing to judgment (op-ed)
Recently, civil rights icon and congressman, John Lewis, along with over 50 House Democrats staged a sit-in in the Capital building to force Republicans to vote on new gun control legislation.
The sit-in followed a mass shooting at a gay night club in Orlando, FL that is recorded as the worst single shooting in American history. (49 dead, 53 injured)
Democrats chanted, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”, and supporters outside of the Capital sang “We shall overcome”.
Rep. John Lewis stated the sit-in reminded him of his early days protesting segregation. Lewis continued, “I felt like I was reliving my life all over again. During the sixties, the sit-ins started with 3 or 4 people (At a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina) and it spread like wildfire.”
North Carolina Republican lawmaker Mark Walker responded, “They [ the 4 blacks at Woolworths] sat-in for rights. The Democrats are ‘sitting- in’ to strip them away.”
Walker suggested to label what his Democratic colleagues were doing a “sit-in” was disrespectful to the spirit of Woolworths and the comparison was a disgrace.
I wrote a similar sentiment last week when black death tolls in race riots were compared to the number of dead in the Orlando gay night club shooting. I felt the only purpose of the comparison was to make light of a tragedy in the gay community and to reinforce the permanence of oppression, an ideological inheritance from the
20th century black Millennials can do without.
Historical analysis should correct contemporary misconceptions, not indoctrinate.
For example, a Fox News contributor called the sit-in uncivilized. She also said, “I’ve never seen anything so uncivilized in my life. And in the house chamber, I mean, to behave that way.”
On May 19, 1856 Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, a leading voice in the anti-slavery movement, delivered a speech denouncing all the forces that aided in the continuance of slavery.
The speech “offended” South Carolina representative Preston Brooks, and three days later, Brooks entered the senate chamber, found Sumner at his desk writing letters, and beat Sumner nearly to death with a walking stick.
(And in the senate chamber, I mean, to behave that way.)
Afterwards Southern newspapers published editorials praising Brooks for defending the South and slavery, and loyal readers of these newspapers wanted pieces of Brooks’ shattered walking stick to preserve as “holy relics”.
Now, Paul Ryan, Republican speaker of the house, called the sit-in a “publicity stunt”. When The Fox News contributor agreed with the speaker her opposition was noted, but to call a sit-in in favor of gun control after a historic tragedy “uncivilized” is to engage in the same mean-spiritedness of the segregationist media of 1856.
The congressional sit-in lasted one day.
John Lewis said, “Sometimes you have to make a way out of no way. We have been too quiet for too long. There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise, when you have to move your feet. This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. Now is the time to act. We will be silent no more.”
Now, that quote was pointless, but I added it to demonstrate my point. Pointing out pointlessness speaks for itself and everything else is propaganda.
First published in New Pittsburgh Courier 6/29/30
The sit-in followed a mass shooting at a gay night club in Orlando, FL that is recorded as the worst single shooting in American history. (49 dead, 53 injured)
Democrats chanted, “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”, and supporters outside of the Capital sang “We shall overcome”.
Rep. John Lewis stated the sit-in reminded him of his early days protesting segregation. Lewis continued, “I felt like I was reliving my life all over again. During the sixties, the sit-ins started with 3 or 4 people (At a Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina) and it spread like wildfire.”
North Carolina Republican lawmaker Mark Walker responded, “They [ the 4 blacks at Woolworths] sat-in for rights. The Democrats are ‘sitting- in’ to strip them away.”
Walker suggested to label what his Democratic colleagues were doing a “sit-in” was disrespectful to the spirit of Woolworths and the comparison was a disgrace.
I wrote a similar sentiment last week when black death tolls in race riots were compared to the number of dead in the Orlando gay night club shooting. I felt the only purpose of the comparison was to make light of a tragedy in the gay community and to reinforce the permanence of oppression, an ideological inheritance from the
20th century black Millennials can do without.
Historical analysis should correct contemporary misconceptions, not indoctrinate.
For example, a Fox News contributor called the sit-in uncivilized. She also said, “I’ve never seen anything so uncivilized in my life. And in the house chamber, I mean, to behave that way.”
On May 19, 1856 Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts, a leading voice in the anti-slavery movement, delivered a speech denouncing all the forces that aided in the continuance of slavery.
The speech “offended” South Carolina representative Preston Brooks, and three days later, Brooks entered the senate chamber, found Sumner at his desk writing letters, and beat Sumner nearly to death with a walking stick.
(And in the senate chamber, I mean, to behave that way.)
Afterwards Southern newspapers published editorials praising Brooks for defending the South and slavery, and loyal readers of these newspapers wanted pieces of Brooks’ shattered walking stick to preserve as “holy relics”.
Now, Paul Ryan, Republican speaker of the house, called the sit-in a “publicity stunt”. When The Fox News contributor agreed with the speaker her opposition was noted, but to call a sit-in in favor of gun control after a historic tragedy “uncivilized” is to engage in the same mean-spiritedness of the segregationist media of 1856.
The congressional sit-in lasted one day.
John Lewis said, “Sometimes you have to make a way out of no way. We have been too quiet for too long. There comes a time when you have to say something, when you have to make a little noise, when you have to move your feet. This is the time. Now is the time to get in the way. Now is the time to act. We will be silent no more.”
Now, that quote was pointless, but I added it to demonstrate my point. Pointing out pointlessness speaks for itself and everything else is propaganda.
First published in New Pittsburgh Courier 6/29/30
Comments
Post a Comment