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What do you do when Hate comes to town? In Cincinnati, we are faced with this decision as a Neo-Nazi group plans to march next week through a racially diverse neighborhood. Cities all over the country face this all the time when the Klan comes a calling. So what do you do? Do we revoke their permits to march? Do we show up and shout at them? Do we demonstrate to show them how wrong they are? Do we write to our paper and tell everyone we know? Personally, I think you do none of the above. These guys are seeking attention, and the more attention they get, the more they are convinced that they are right. Even negative attention. Ever heard the proverb about arguing with a fool? Consider Proverbs 18:2 ” A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions.” Or Proverbs 23:9 “Do not speak to a fool, for he will scorn the wisdom of your words.” Lastly, Proverbs 26:4 “Don’t respond to the stupidity of a fool; you’ll only look foolish yourself.” There are many more, but I’ll stop there. Fools aren’t interested in wisdom, in knowing what’s right. In their mind, they are right. They have rushed to judgement, and all the wise arguments in the world will not change their minds–it will only elevate their own “rightness” in their own mind. So what can you do? No one wants hate to prosper! I have seen a tactic used very succesfully that I want to recommend to those dealing with this issue. Send money to an opposing group. If its the KKK, send a donation for every minute that they march to the NAACP. So for every minute that they march, they are raising money for those they so vehemently hate. It doesn’t matter the group you support, pick the appropriate group. Then let them know! Send a note to a reporter or an editorial in the paper. I’ve seen this be successful. I remember living in a small city in Indiana several years back, working on a political campaign. The Klan wanted to come into town and march, and were granted a permit. The local churches came together and sponsored the fund-raiser, and guess what? When the Klan heard how much money was pledged to African American causes, they decided not to march! No hate monger wants to raise money for their intended targets! Oh, and the most important part–pray. If you are a believer, a follower of Christ, you should pray for their hearts. Pray that God would open their eyes and soften their hearts, and let a little wisdom pass into their lives. Only God has the power to reveal their folly. Comments6 Comments so far |
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Another approach is to go to the event, record what you can, then rebroadcast it with your own editorial comments to the effect of, “Why would anybody listen to these people?”
I like the donation idea. But I think you’re right to ignore them as much as possible. A group like this came to Fremont (an artsy and very liberal part of Seattle) last year and there were more immigrants looking for work than Nazis. In fact they stuck around for about an hour and left. Such people are so warped in their view, so extreme, that no one can pursuade them to think differently.
I agree with the donation idea, too. John Edwards’ campaign did something like this with the “Coulter Cash” fundraising drive after you-know-what. In fact, I think maybe right-wing talking heads could become unofficial fundraising mascots for the left.
I like your idea, and am all for the peaceful response, although on the impulse side this exchange from Woody Allen’s film Manhattan also springs to mind:
Isaac Davis (Woody Allen): Has anybody read that Nazis are gonna march in New Jersey? Y’know, I read this in the newspaper. We should go down there, get some guys together, y’know, get some bricks and baseball bats and really explain things to them.
Male Party Guest: There is this devastating satirical piece on that on the Op Ed page of the Times, it is devastating.
Isaac Davis: Well, a satirical piece in the Times is one thing, but bricks and baseball bats really gets right to the point.
Does anyone remember Die Hard with a Vengeance and the scene where Bruce Willis is in Harlem with a racist billboard with no police protection? I say let these guys go to OTR without polic protection and have their protest. On a more serious note I know the city council has to respect freedom of speech. But can they not deny a permit for these people in the interest of public safety? Also, (yeah, I’m on a roll), the Patriot Act does have a prevision listed that states that any organized group that is involved in public unrest is black listed and all members, and those who provide funding to, are subject to jail time. When this was realised there was apublic outcry especially from groups like Green Peace etc. But why not exercise this over these hate groups?
Do you really want to go down that road? I’m not going to defend Nazis or the KKK, but I will defend their right to speak. For one thing, if we give the government the power to decide, arbitrarily, which groups are “safe” and which are a “threat”, that power will be misused. You may not like Greenpeace, but imagine the ACLU, Quakers, or the Democratic party being labeled “dangerous” and forbidden to speak out. A return to McCarthyism is the last thing this country needs, and the entire Patriot Act needs to be tossed out. It’s a huge irony that a law supposedly intended to protect America really does more to undermine and attack American values. For another thing Nazis and the KKK and similar groups are like cockroaches. Keep them in the dark and they breed. Turn a light on them, reveal them as they are, and they lose more support than they gain. Let ‘em speak. Let the world hear what they have to say. It will do more harm to them than giving our government power it doesn’t need and shouldn’t have.