The Rise of Anti-Government Bigots: Spitting, the N-Word, Anti-Gay/Lesbian Slurs

[AtLast]

Originally Posted by key

The most powerful image of this whole health care debate (or screaming match if you will) is the man with Parkinson's disease who simply sat in front of the people who were wanting to deny him health care (to be his personal death panel).

His name is Robert Letcher, he has a PhD and was a nuclear engineer before being diagnosed with Parkinson's 15 years ago.

He is also a Martial Artist and he said he used his breathing exercises while he sat there and absorbed the hatred and condescension that was being violently hurled at him.

Personally I consider him an American Hero because of that moment.

Like Martin Luther King Jr, like Gandhi, like others have shown us throughout civil rights struggles in the past

pure and centered, righteous peace in the face of injustice really can change people's hearts. And when you have changed their hearts, they will change their minds

Yes, this struck me deeply. Change of heart, exactly. I am having a hard time with all of this because I turned 59 today and for the very first time in my life (have been an activist for decades), and no longer believe much heart changing will happen in what is left of my life. And for the first time, I am seriously considering leaving the US. Very seriously. At least an african American has been elected president, but my well of hope is drying up.