Friday, October 21, 2005

Preemptive Strike

Perhaps the phrase "ignorance is bliss" may best describe city residents and officials' initial hopes and intentions in regard to resident action at the Nazi sidewalk Rally in Toledo last Saturday. Yet, as a black man, I am insulted at the characterization that protestors to Nazis rallying are "ignorant." Some of The Blade's previously published letters to the editor include such phrasing in the title and body of the letter. These people, largely African American, were not ignorant. They were violently emotional. It's not acceptable, but ignorance is the wrong choice of grammar.

If they were ignorant of the event or their planned actions, they would not have known about it, effectively garnered intragroup support and did what they did. While their violence can not be supported, most of the arrestees were under the age of eighteen. Where were the parents and guardians?

While what the mostly juevenile crowd chose to do is not positive, it is simply a version of preemptive strike that turned ugly. Their aggression toward racial sensitivities turned to police. Again, while not the best option, with a mostly white police force, and mostly black crowd, that outcome is plausible.

Comparably, preemptive strike worked in Iraq, some say, and now it has turned ugly. Maybe we have finally learned our lesson.

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