"We will give him a family and he will be our brother"

Remember this?

"Dear President Obama,
Remember the boy who was picked up by the ambulance in Syria? Can you please go get him and bring him to [my home]? Park in the driveway or on the street and we will be waiting for you guys with flags, flowers, and balloons. We will give him a family and he will be our brother..."

(At this point, I cannot read this caption without tears coming to my eyes.)

(Ref: https://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/09/six-year-olds-letter/501203/)


[Originally published Feb 3, 2017 at https://plus.google.com/115608553892438743738/posts/fapk4NdA9Re]

Why We Do Not Punch Nazis And We Oppose Those Who Do

On punching Nazis: It is NOT OK to punch Nazis in the street. Stop it. Anyone who is doing this is hurting the cause. Everyone who cares about the civil rights needs to yell at people doing this, stop them where possible, and allow the police to arrest them.

I hope that position is clear. If you want to argue against this, or you want arguments for this position, please read on.

Why We Do Not Punch Nazis And We Oppose Those Who Do

1. We stand for civil rights. One of those rights is to anyone regardless of their beliefs to be able to walk in public and not be punched. This reason is sufficient.

2. It is a stupid and self defeating strategy. It gives talking points to the Nazis and lets them be victims (even if they were using "fighting words" and inciting violence). This reason is also sufficient, so even if you disagree with me on #1, please seriously consider #2.

Here's some ridiculous stuff I've heard on the Internet and why it's ridiculous.

Argument: "But We Punched Hitler!"

Yes we did, when we declared war against the Axis and defended the free world from fascism last time around. (And thank you, Greatest Generation, once again.)

But we are NOT at war and you do NOT want to open that door. Know why? Because in a war, you don't punch Nazis, you shoot them and kill them, preferably from a long distance with lots of technology to multiply your effectiveness. And they will be doing the same thing to you. You want a second Civil War? No? OK, good, you're sane.

Argument: "But I Want to Take Action!"

Awesome! Take action. Start with calling everybody in Congress you can get ahold of starting with you representatives. Write letters. March. Talk to people and convince them that there is a clear and present danger to the Constitution. Resist fascists and yell at them and make them mentally uncomfortable. Put your body on the line when necessary. Nonviolent resistance has a proven track record.

If you really, really, really want to punch a Nazi after all this, go ahead and challenge one to a boxing match in a ring with legal waivers. If they accept, put it on YouTube and contribute the ad proceeds to the ACLU, OK?

(Side note: This is all playing out in front a big audience. If only 5% of the eligible voters WHO DID NOT VOTE in the recent election become mobilized and voted on our side, we will have a totally different government.)

Argument: "But Protests Alone Didn't Work Against Nazis Last Time"

Studying history, excellent. Please read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichstag_fire. Punching Nazis didn't work last time. Now read about the history of the Civil Rights movement, especially the nonviolent resistance. This month is a good one for it. It appears that the current administration doesn't know anything about this history, so we can crib from it and it will surprise them.

"None of These Arguments Convince Me, I Want to Punch Nazis and Burn Things"

OK. It's a free country and you have every right to have those feelings and thoughts. If you take action on those feelings and thoughts, I will do my best to stop you and hand you over to the police, because those things are wrong and they are hurting the cause of civil rights. You're not part of my cause.

Argument: "None of These Arguments Convince Me, I'm Actually a False Flag Operative Trying to Delegitimize Your Cause"

Hi there! Thought you might show up. Yep, you can try, but you'll be unmasked by your own actions and if possible handed over to the police (see above). Enjoy your night in jail.
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Addendum: As always self defense is perfectly acceptable. If Nazis are punching YOU then you have every right to defend yourself with appropriate force.

[Originally published Feb 2, 2017 at https://plus.google.com/115608553892438743738/posts/5jgzZL3Gcnu]