tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957239885294456363.post334680866184286628..comments2023-08-10T00:42:45.754-07:00Comments on Uhuru Solidarity Movement: African people have a right to resist!Uhuru Solidarity Movementhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07880259845005099160noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957239885294456363.post-44783009953495146192009-05-25T17:16:18.960-07:002009-05-25T17:16:18.960-07:00Hi Miss Milo! I love this blog. Hopefully we will ...Hi Miss Milo! I love this blog. Hopefully we will not drive Penny nuts :)<br /><br />The college teacher in me cannot resist this Martin Luther King and Violence Topic. It is one I have studied and lectured on :)<br /><br />You write: " Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in peaceful, non-violent resistance as a form of protest in order to achieve a goal. This form of "resistance" was thoughtful, just, and empowered the people and their entire community. "<br /><br /><B> About Martin Luther King and Violence</B>If you are talking about King's early writings that is correct. In his early works he saw the job of black resistance as being an attempt to "prick the conscience of White people. He was sure that when White people would see the horrible violent reaction of the police to peaceful protest they would come in great numbers to support black people. He was convinced that no human being could allow such gruesome and inhumane treatment of another human person. <br /><br />He was rather shocked when year after year the white community seemed unmoved by these protests.<br />In his later work he gives up this idea that non-violence could be passive and that he could expect any response from the White community. His later works reflect this change in his understanding. <br />A great source for understanding the basis of his change which has fueled speculation that he was moving away from non-violence as a position can be found in the Black Liberation Theologian James Cone's book "Martin and Malcolm in America : A Dream or a Nightmare" (It is by the way a great source of understanding Malcolm X's differences with Martin Luther King. Cone explains that what King failed to understand is that White people did not view African/black people as PERSONS. Therefore, there was no conscience to be pricked. There were however a lot of beaten, jailed and even killed African people as a result of their peaceful struggles. While we praise these NOW it is not clear that these gained much for the African community beyond the bruises from police batons!<br /><br /><B>What Good Does Spontaneous Resistance Do?</B>Your second question is very interesting : You write<br /><br />"The person who killed those 4 Oakland police officers did not give a damn about his community. Blaming society & the status quo may be justified, but I ask you: What GOOD will it do for the oppressed people and their community? It only serves to further divide and perpetuate oppression."<br /><br />OK, so it sounds like we can both unite with the understanding that resistance is always justified. I was hedging some on this one... but I can see that I was making an illegitimate distinction between Palestine and African communities.<br /><br />That said, you raise the question "What good does it do?" and you ask whether this creates tensions that do not forward the struggle-- am I understanding your concern correctly? If so I would love to hear what others here would say (and I can share a lot from the experience of the Palestinian people.<br /><br />Just A PersonJust a Personhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03203301804481913542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957239885294456363.post-52353090991589833342009-05-25T15:39:01.615-07:002009-05-25T15:39:01.615-07:00Violence in any form is wrong. "Resistance&q...Violence in any form is wrong. "Resistance" is not the same thing violence. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in peaceful, non-violent resistance as a form of protest in order to achieve a goal. This form of "resistance" was thoughtful, just, and empowered the people and their entire community. It comes in many forms including labor strikes & picketing, boycotts, subversive literature,art, music, poetry and education, to name only a few. <br /><br />The person who killed those 4 Oakland police officers did not give a damn about his community. Blaming society & the status quo may be justified, but I ask you: What GOOD will it do for the oppressed people and their community? It only serves to further divide and perpetuate oppression. <br /><br />Instead of promoting violence and hostility, we should focus our energy & effort on coming together and coming up with solutions. That is the only way to empower ourselves!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3957239885294456363.post-51232639822971722072009-04-22T21:47:00.000-07:002009-04-22T21:47:00.000-07:00Uhuru Penny
You write:
" For what ever reason he...Uhuru Penny<br /><br />You write:<br /><br />" For what ever reason he fought back against the oppressive police force bearing down on his community."<br /><br />I do not know what happened in this case. I do know how brutal the Oakland Police can be. And I do agree that they play the role of an occupying army in the black community.<br /><br />Yet doesn't it matter why he killed 4 officers? Are you suggesting that any oppressed person who shoots Police becomes a hero regardless of the specific context.<br /><br />I have no problem when an officer is injured due to legitimate resistance. (Actually I do feel for the person as an individual and it saddens me that we live in a world where violence is so prevalent) Still resistance is necessary and at times violence unavoidable<br /><br />But your post seems to imply that any violence toward police in the black community is automatically a form of justified resistance.<br /><br />So I am thinking about that idea and about why, exactly, it does not sit right with me given my agreement about the role of police and the need for resistance. <br /><br />The easiest way for me to explain my view would be to consider Palestine. Given the role of Israeli forces and the systematic genocide against the Palestinian people I certainly can understand and have sympathy with any act of violence against an Israeli Soldier. At the same time I am very aware than random and unorganized acts of violence do not advance the fight for a free Palestine. I am also aware that in the midst of the terrible poverty and destruction there are those who are just criminals and have as little respect for Palestinian lives as they do for the lives of the Occupiers. It is one thing to support the PFLP, and the intifada...it is another to assume any act is automatically justified resistance. <br /><br />It seems to me that the same would hold for the black community in the US. There are forces in the black community who are participating with the oppressor's in feeding drugs and guns to the community. They may also shoot a cop. Yet I would not automatically consider that resistance. or the person one who is a hero or should be given solidarity and support.<br /><br />Again I do not know the specifics of this case. Yet your post implies that given the reality of the police role the specifics do not matter. <br /><br />Is this actually your position or have I misunderstood<br /><br />(It is good to see you guys online)<br /><br />Best<br /><br />ReneeJust a Personhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03203301804481913542noreply@blogger.com