Have something to say? Lookout welcomes letters to the editor, within our policies, from readers. Guidelines here.
Andrew Goldenkranz, the longtime chair of our county’s Democratic Central Committee, wrote an op-ed scolding the folks he saw as rioting over the sadness they felt at the recent Santa Cruz City Council meeting last week. The op-ed, focusing on the wording of the resolution, touted the oft-misquoted Martin Luther King Jr. speech in which he said, “We as a society (not individuals) have not learned to disagree without being violently disagreeable.”
In this, MLK Jr. was mostly referring to the state. This is a common usage by politicians for decades, especially after police violence, as a way to try to quell civil disobedience in response to majority constituencies being dismissed. Feel free to Google it and see the types of folks who use it like Andrew did.
I am reminded of an in-context MLK Jr. quote, “Riot is the language of the unheard.” When 80% of residents are for something, and one’s politicians cater to the 20%, it’s clear our elected officials aren’t listening.
John Mulry
Capitola