Putting the statue of decency and good government back on a pedestal

by Cash Michael, Black journalist and NC SPIN panelist, published on Facebook, August 29, 2018.

My conservative "NC Spin" colleague, columnist John Hood, is thoroughly ticked about Silent Sam, the Confederate statue that demonstrators effectively mugged on August 20th, being brought down by force and frustration.

He says in a civilized society, there are ways and avenues in which citizens should use to affect change, and in this piece, then quotes Dr. King about the essence of peaceful civil disobedience.

Now, I'm a man of peace as well, and I agree that more times than not, I prefer the lawful, cool, calm and collected way of honestly solving problems.

But notice I inserted the word "honestly" in there. And there's the rub. Demonstrators believed, and there's evidence to back them up, that any official deliberations about eventually removing Silent Sam were really stall tactics on the part of "responsible"

officials who really had no intention of ever moving Sam anywhere, and were just in the business of placating critics until they wore themselves out.

The problem with being "civil" is that, more times than not when it comes to government, "civility" is used as a weapon to maintain the status quo. When you have an issue infused with such passion as Silent Sam, common sense tells you that's going to last but for so long.

But in addition, I, respectfully (CIVILITY ALERT, CIVILITY ALERT) take strong exception to John's extraordinary hypocrisy here.

Here in NC, we have Republican legislative leaders who behave like craven thieves -in-the-night, surpassed only by that criminal-prone disgrace of a human being currently sitting in the White House, who effectively have done EXACTLY the same thing those protesters did with Silent Sam to our democracy in our state - namely give not so much as a damn about how what they're doing looks, or who it hurts, as long as they achieve their ultimate goal of maximum power over all, and on behalf of their cronies.

Oh, but Republicans are doing it legally, you say? Not according to our courts, thank GOD, which is why Republican legislative leaders want to take control of the state's judiciary so bad.

Now I could be accused of comparing apples to oranges - comparing "mob rule" to the "lawful," albeit indelicate process of gaining and maintaining power, and I'll accept that. But honestly, I don't see the difference between tearing down a dastardly symbol of evil white supremacy, and so-called "lawmakers" tearing down a legislative process to the point where the interests, needs and wants of the average North Carolina citizen are herenever heard, or considered, or respected.

I could easily respect John Hood's take on the Silent Sam controversy, and his "demand" that it be returned to its dubious "pedestal', and the offending demonstrators be punished to the fullest extent of the law (and I expect they will), IF, I ALSO witnessed similar disgust from Sir Hood about the abhorrent pirate-like behavior of some of his "conservative friends."

Mind you, I "get" that the built-in resolution of my complaint here is called "ELECTIONS," and if the people hate the kind of government they're getting here in the Old North State, all they have to do is go to the polls when the appropriate time comes.

But these same scoundrels that John is so lenient on have invested mightily in rigging the process with unconstitutional voting districts (can you spell racial gerrymandering, boys and girls?) or equally unconstitutional restrictive voting laws.

Now, of course, John doesn't agree with my assessment of the GOP's redistricting and voter ID parlor tricks. Again, these are "friends" of John Hood's we're talking about here, so conservative appearances must be maintained.

I get that, John.

But in this week where the nation is about to bury a TRUE American hero who told it like it was, no matter what anybody else said, it is a real shame that we can't see more of that from the right-wing side of political life around here.

I've known John Hood for many years, and he's actually mellowed somewhat in his conservative rhetoric over time (folks who watch us on TV who stop me at the gym or supermarket don't think so).

But John, I'm all for the rule of law...just as long as I see equal outrage when the people we elect and pay are not allowed to RUIN the law!

I haven't seen that from you lately (or ever really), John Hood.

Help the rest of us put the statue of decency and good government back on its pedestal in North Carolina, John, for Lord knows the lawlessness we've continuously seen from your "friends" since 2011 is an embarrassment and disgrace to ALL of us.

And I'm, quite frankly, tired of the state and federal courts telling us so! -