"A riot is the language of the unheard"

[Triana]

"Condemning riots while ignoring the grievances that led to them is pure hypocrisy."



SOURCE: https://twitter.com/KenKlippenstein/status/537131481886633984

[Cooley Hurd]

1. Exactly what I was saying last night:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10025865563

[KittyWampus]

2. I am ambivalent about this sentiment. We condemn those rioting because their football team won/lost.

But we accept them if the cause aligns with our political causes?

We condemn mob behavior in Abu Grahib but not in other cases?

Note- I said ambivalent. I agree and also disagree. Unlike many other DU'ers, I am okay with ambivalence.

I see it as a huge gray area.

In the end, humans will let off steam one way or another. Pent up energy will release itself. Like electrical charges building up creates sparks.

Someone posted a poem that sums it up for me in being beautiful and full of truth:

What happens to a dream deferred?

Does it dry up
like a raisin in the sun?
Or fester like a sore—
And then run?
Does it stink like rotten meat?
Or crust and sugar over—
like a syrupy sweet?

Maybe it just sags
like a heavy load.

Or does it explode?

Langston Hughes, “Harlem” from Collected Poems.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

3. Are you really ambivalent about that sentiment? Note that it's not justifying riots. It's just

talking about a reason they happen. I don't think think it's saying riots are not condemnable, but that the injustices that lead to riots should not be ignored. And that I agree with.

Then again, when riots are related to whose sports team won or lost, I'm OK with condemning them.

[KittyWampus]

6. "A Riot Is The Language of The Unheard" How exactly is a football riot

about a group of people being unheard?

Did you read the rest of my post? Apparently not.

I understand the sentiment being expressed by MLK but the quote itself is an incomplete sentiment.

[jwirr]

8. I was going to say that other than sports riots which are pure idiocy the other things you mention

all have someone in them that feels unheard. Loved you LH poetry.

[KittyWampus]

10. Another DU'er captured that LH's poem. It is so utterly & exquisitely perfect in this case.

I am happy to kick this thread, btw.

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

12. What we have here is a failure to communicate. I wasn't clear.

I was saying football riots are not about the unheard, which is why I noted them separately. Which didn't quite make sense since I'd already implied that I thought all riots could be reasonably condemned.

It's not that I didn't read you entire post, it's just that I misunderstood it. Sometimes posting at 4am isn't wise for me.

[BeanMusical]

4. Interview from 1966 - Mike Wallace

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mlk-a-riot-is-the-language-of-the-unheard/

[Triana]

5. +1 - thanks for that! n/t

[jwirr]

7. I would like to K&R this a million times. Nothing truer was ever said.

[TBF]

9. Letter from Birmingham Jail -

Also a good read of Brother Martin's - talks about just vs. unjust laws

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10246730

[Triana]

11. Recommended and bookmarked. Thank you. n/t