A quick followup to the July 28th post, “Why nonviolent protests are smarter, even/especially today”. The point, to reiterate, was that lots of academic & private polling research, plus my own movement experience, confirms the idea that nonviolent protests move public opinion in a progressive direction, while violent demonstrations nudge it toward the reactionary right, … Continue reading Stick to Nonviolence: A Followup
One of the less useful of the recent media tempests involved a report about the fate of David Shor, a somewhat lefty data analyst. Shor had tweeted a summary of a paper by Princeton scholar Omar Wasow. Wasow argued that his research on 12 years of Black-led protests, particularly in election years, moved public opinion … Continue reading Why nonviolent protests are smarter, even/especially today
Yesterday I published what I thought was a mildly-worded post stating my preference for not renaming the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. In saying that, I was following what I believed was the stated view of the late Rep. John Lewis, whose passing is being marked across the country this week — just as … Continue reading John Lewis Said DON’T Rename the Pettus Bridge. Here’s Why:
[NOTE: See also this UPDATE to this post, here.} I feel torn about renaming the Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama. On the one hand, Pettus was all those odious things: traitor, KKK leader, etc., etc. On the other hand, John Lewis & many others shed their blood under that sign, and seared its letters onto … Continue reading Rename the Pettus Bridge? I’m in no hurry.
I. Summary SAYMA’s Representative Meeting gathered on Zoom the evening of July 20, and lasted amost four hours. More than forty persons were on the line. It was not an easy session. The main agenda items were a summary review of the 2019-2020 budget, and the initial reading of the 2020-2021 proposed budget (their fiscal … Continue reading SAYMA Representative Meeting: Summary & Comment