tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336643719537144495.post366745159238173848..comments2023-11-27T16:58:56.996-08:00Comments on Off and On: The Alaska Parkinson's Rag: It was self defensePeter Dunlap-Shohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06286710554254177150noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336643719537144495.post-85586732451889809792010-03-26T15:58:51.241-07:002010-03-26T15:58:51.241-07:00Hi Bill,
Rosa Parks might make a good comparison a...Hi Bill,<br />Rosa Parks might make a good comparison as well. Just too tired to argue any more she put her self in harm's way. All three showed eloquence comes in physical acts as well as speech. <br />One ironic difference. This man was threatened not by his government, but by fellow citizens.<br /><br />Glad you're up and out of bed,<br /><br />PeterPeter Dunlap-Shohlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06286710554254177150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336643719537144495.post-69767280925020656752010-03-26T15:14:09.527-07:002010-03-26T15:14:09.527-07:00This gentleman was just as brave as the iconic fig...This gentleman was just as brave as the iconic figure who stood in front of the column of tanks in Beijing. He is emblematic of the bravery it takes to just get out of bed some days when you have PD.Parky Billhttp://parkinsondiary.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336643719537144495.post-43156306673045835592010-03-26T14:27:40.474-07:002010-03-26T14:27:40.474-07:00Hi Jamie,
Thanks for your thoughtful post, it rea...Hi Jamie,<br /><br />Thanks for your thoughtful post, it really is a potent incident, and you bring out a number of threads that are interesting and troubling.<br /><br />Just to confine myself to your comment about editorial cartoons, they've been around since long before the current coarsening of the culture. To borrow an argument from the NRA, it's not the cartoon that is the problem, it's where you point it and whom you point it at.<br /><br />Cartoons could coarsen the culture if deployed coarsely. (my guess is that they reflect cultural coarsening more than they lead it.) Well thought-out, sharp cartoons will probably sharpen the debate. The distance between the two is equal to the distance between, say the work of Sean Delonas and the work of Clay Bennett.Peter Dunlap-Shohlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06286710554254177150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8336643719537144495.post-28189090711618287392010-03-26T12:59:01.068-07:002010-03-26T12:59:01.068-07:00Even though I’d previously seen this: your post is...Even though I’d previously seen this: your post is poignant because it reminded me that these issues aren’t ever as anonymous or isolated as the internet makes it: personally knowing someone with a vested interest in educating and spreading awareness puts a real face on understanding it.<br /><br />A diary was just posted over on Daily Kos re: linking a CBS story about one of the participants depicted in the protest, who in retrospect now apparently has some sincere regrets about his behavior: <br /><br />"He's got every right to do what he did and some may say I did too, but what I did was shameful," Reichert said. "I haven't slept since that day." ... "I wanted this to go away, but it won't and I'm paying the consequences," Reichert said.<br /><br />So the widespread public exposure was a factor in this change of heart, but I suspect there’s also some degree of fear from the backlash that’s helped open his eyes – probably moreso than the newly discovered empathy with fellow human beings.<br /><br />Personally I’ve sometimes second-guessed occasional editorial panels by thinking that it’s not contributing anything; worry that it’s participating, perpetuating and even escalating the general negative tone; and in fact may be hastening the race to the bottom of civil discourse - effectively negating any opportunity for making a positive change. I’m still trying to find that balance between thoughtful introspection and poo-flinging from the sidelines.<br /><br />Then again, every so often (as in this instance), I’m reminded of just how powerful a tool open mockery and shame can be. <br />But this assumes the folks being make fun of even possess enough of a conscience to maybe doubt themselves for a minute, let alone humble themselves into admitting they were wrong.jamiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09929486289400863627noreply@blogger.com