Today My Car Quest is not about classic and collector cars but instead about important current events in the USA.
by Mike Gulett –
The coronavirus pandemic is still in process and now we have major social and political upheaval in the US triggered by the police killing in Minneapolis of George Floyd, a black man.
These are certainly strange times. I do not remember anything like what I am seeing now in the USA and I was here in 1968 but it did not seem like this. Maybe I was naive and not paying close attention then.
Because many of us are at home due to the coronavirus pandemic we have time to watch the news on TV and to see the events unfolding in real time. Many also have the time and inclination to go out and protest in person.
The Constitution of the United States of America states in the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
The First Amendment gives the peaceful protesters the full protection of the US Constitution and they must have the protection of the local police. They have the right to ask the government to make changes to address their grievances. The vandals and looters clearly do not have this protection under the law but the police may have a difficult time separating the vandals and looters from the peaceful protesters in some cases.
I am surprised and disappointed at how many police attacks on the press I have seen on TV. This should not happen – one journalists was arrested as he was broadcasting on live TV. These unwarranted attacks are usually followed by apologies from Mayors or Governors. I have seen video on TV of police attacking peaceful protesters when they should instead be protecting the protestors and their right to peacefully protest.
Civil Disobedience
Henry David Thoreau
These current events reminded me of learning about the idea of Civil Disobedience in school many years ago. This concept was introduced into the American lexicon by Henry David Thoreau in 1849 with the publication of his essay titled Resistance to Civil Government (later known as On Civil Disobedience).
Just today I reread this essay for the first time in several decades. Thoreau was strongly opposed to slavery and the Mexican-American War, which could have led to expanding slavery into Mexico. His form of Civil Disobedience was not paying his poll tax, which helped the US government prosecute the war against Mexico. He went to jail for not paying this tax. Thoreau was a man of ideas and words he was not a politician but he is someone that thoughtful people read and learn from.
Some parts of On Civil Disobedience can lead one to think of Thoreau as an anarchist but reading it all it is clear he was not an anarchist but he had strong beliefs about the relationship between individuals and the state.
Thoreau influenced many people over the years including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who used Thoreau’s ideas in On Civil Disobedience, to help shape his own ideas of peaceful protests during the civil rights movement.
We are at a time when Thoreau’s ideas in On Civil Disobedience are still relevant and needed.
My selected quotes from On Civil Disobedience
But, to speak practically and as a citizen, unlike those who call themselves no-government men, I ask for, not at once no government, but at once a better government. Let every man make known what kind of government would command his respect, and that will be one step toward obtaining it.
Must the citizen ever for a moment, or in the least degree, resign his conscience to the legislator? Why has every man a conscience, then? I think that we should be men first, and subjects afterward.
How does it become a man to behave toward this American government to-day? I answer that he cannot without disgrace be associated with it. I cannot for an instant recognize that political organization as my government which is the slave’s government also.
There is but little virtue in the action of masses of men. When the majority shall at length vote for the abolition of slavery, it will be because they are indifferent to slavery, or because there is but little slavery left to be abolished by their vote. They will then be the only slaves. Only his vote can hasten the abolition of slavery who asserts his own freedom by his vote.
If I devote myself to other pursuits and contemplations, I must first see, at least, that I do not pursue them sitting upon another man’s shoulders. I must get off him first, that he may pursue his contemplations too.
I saw that the State was half-witted, that it was timid as a lone woman with her silver spoons, and that it did not know its friends from its foes, and I lost all my remaining respect for it, and pitied it.
The progress from an absolute to a limited monarchy, from a limited monarchy to a democracy, is a progress toward a true respect for the individual. Is a democracy, such as we know it, the last improvement possible in government? Is it not possible to take a step further towards recognizing and organizing the rights of man? There will never be a really free and enlightened State until the State comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power, from which all its own power and authority are derived, and treats him accordingly. I please myself with imagining a State at last which can afford to be just to all men, and to treat the individual with respect as a neighbor; which even would not think it inconsistent with its own repose, if a few were to live aloof from it, not meddling with it, nor embraced by it, who fulfilled all the duties of neighbors and fellow-men. A State which bore this kind of fruit, and suffered it to drop off as fast as it ripened, would prepare the way for a still more perfect and glorious State, which also I have imagined, but not yet anywhere seen.
Read all of On Civil Disobedience at this link.
Let us know what you think in the Comments.
I will no longer subscribe to your newsletter, your forum is one of AUTOMOTIVE information, NOT political commentary, and commenting on your idea of police misbehaving is just that, I am a retired Deputy Sheriff, when journalists become PART of the crowds who are causing the problem, YES they should be arrested & treated like the criminals they have become.
You’ve misread Mike’s commentary. And I’m not sure what TV coverage you’re watching, but where did you see journalists ‘causing the problem’?
I could not agree more. The hatred of my president because he had the audacity to defeat the chosen one is truly deranged. This deranged hatred has permeated every aspect of our lives and is tearing this country, friendships and even families apart. Now it’s reached this forum.
I’ve been a licensed radio amateur (ham) operator for over 60 years. It’s an unwritten—but wise—rule that two subjects; religion and politics, were not to be discussed on the air. Even if you are speaking to people who are in agreement, others listening might not be.
You say that religion and politics should not be discussed in this forum but you open with a political remark calling others deranged. See, even for you it’s not so easy to keep your own opinions to yourself when they are so important to you.
I didn’t open this discussion, I’m making an observation on the results of the decision to become political. Mike has every right to make his comments, it’s his forum. I have a right to no longer participate.
I should add that contrary to your assertion, I did NOT say that the subjects should not be discussed, only that it is ill-advised to do so. I offer this thread as proof.
Sorry, I took your words, “wise”, and “were NOT to to be discussed” at their face value.
I’ll now amend “not” for “ill-advised”. Got it.
Actually, current events remind me a lot of 1968, and those “police riots” in Chicago are starting to look eerily familiar.
The putative President is fanning the flames, which indicates how desperate he has become to his ensure reelection and thereby delay his prosecution- all at the cost of our civil liberties.
You are absolutely right thanks for the reminder
I am a 78 year old white male. I have been a habitual speeder, and accept the possibility of being pulled over. If that happens, I do not expect to have my car searched, or being otherwise bothered. I don’t think a black person feels the same way, and that’s not right. I think that only a small minority of police are capable of the criminal behavior of those Minneapolis policemen, and a similarly small minority of protesters are capable of looting. But to deny that fact is ignorant. There is plenty of irresponsible rhetoric from the right and left. As a society, we need to acknowledge what is real, and move to improve our dialogue, car crazies included. Thank you Mikel for your thoughts.
Mike:
My hat’s off to you for: 1) being a citizen concerned with what’s happening in our country now; and 2) having the intelligence to examine the Constitution, the root of all of our freedoms, and the opinions of learned authors to form your opinion rather than mindlessly regurgitating the hateful rhetoric of our politicians, many of whom seem to be completely ignorant of the Constitution. We need many more citizens who can think for themselves and won’t accept political BS for the gospel.
I can remember Mike wishing Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas but that I didn’t see anyone complain about that even though it was not “automotive”.I
“…NOT political commentary, and commenting on your idea of police misbehaving is just that”
Reporting the truth, you know, with cameras, is not political, it’s just fact, which is how we got here with the videos.
When the police refuse to police themselves then you have a dangerous system. Just ask 40 million black people..
Police shooting rubber bullets at journalists and peaceful protestors is not how it’s done.
Ok, back to the automotive stories.
Policeman shoots an unarmed 22 year old man, who is kneeling, through the windshield of his own patrol car while still in the car.
Looters steal over 70 cars from a dealership in San Leandro.
These are turbulent times that require consideration of “things not automotive”. We do not live at a time or place where our hobby can be walled off from society and its ills. I strongly support the occasional “political” statement that requires thought and, perhaps, a consequent change in our behavior and beliefs.
Journalists should have the right to record the news peacefully as it happens . Two Australian journalists from a major Australian TV station were assaulted by Police and we all saw it and that is sad .yet when a innocent white Australian woman was killed by a non white Policeman in the same city as George was killed by a white Policeman there were no riots , protests , looting , violence or fires . All lives should be treated equally . We had peaceful protests this weekend for George and the loss of Aboriginal lives in custody and that is how all protests should be conducted . I know this is an automotive forum , but black , white and yellow people all drive cars .
Yes, there are injustices. But to equate 400 years of systemic injustice with that particular incident is just missing the whole damn point. Moreover, it’s negating the African American experience with a false equivalency.
Some subjects are too important to ignore; to not talk about; to not write about and read about; to not have an opinion on.
The subject of this article is one of those too important to ignore subjects.
It is more important than classic and collector cars and justifies my use of this space.
Thank you all for reading and for those who shared their opinions.