General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Fuck Civility [View all]summer_in_TX
(2,800 posts)being passive or "nice." I think in a larger sense civility includes disobedience against immoral laws. Martin Luther King's tactics didnt include what I think of as incivility. He didnt denigrate or put down. But he didnt hesitate to confront immoral, unjust laws.
There are pragmatic reasons to not take the approach of asking someone to leave. It becomes a cudgel used against the one who did it, and it hardens the attitudes of those who could be allies. Bill K, David Frum, George Will, Steve Schmidt, and others show its possible. It also hardens the attitudes of the media, who will not let it be forgotten.
I personally believe this situation calls for massive protests, churches and others calling out the immorality of these policies, and a dialogue with individual Trumpistas with conveying the moral authority and passionate conviction about the unrighteous policies as the focus. It may not change their minds, but some of those who witness it may be changed.
MLKs approach changed many hearts and minds. The sit-ins and protests in the face of police dogs, fire hoses, and beatings by law enforcement carried on TV and brought into homes all over the country were powerful because they had right on their side.
I'm in my mid-60s and so my experience includes watching (and admiring) Martin Luther Kings leadership, and that of other civil rights leaders not all of whom believed in civil disobedience, Vietnam-era protests, the 68 Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Seattle G8 protests, and Occupy. Those experiences gave me a pretty good idea of the approaches that are most effective and ones that are counter-productive.
I fully expect with all the emotions running high to have my opinions savaged. I notice no one else has disagreed with the OP. I completely understand and sympathize with the emotions. But I have to disagree because I am convinced that following Maxine Water's urgings will be a terrible mistake and will be enormously counter-productive. I think violence is not beyond the realm of possible responses from Trump's cultists: violence, vandalism, threats. They may come anyway. But if people admire our restraint and sense the nobility of our cause, we are more effective in making our case than we could be if people think we brought it on ourselves and deserve what we get.