Dorothy P. Whispers to Bono, who yells at Calamity

I have been discussing the idea of democracy with my British friend, Mark, as he is currently working with many different activist groups in London on drafting a new, living constitution for England from the ground up. Mostly, I ask questions and need clarifications so that I can actually have some sort of understanding of this drafting, in an effort to support him and his movement. In the process of this dialogue, I often question my own political ideology and our current US democracy (which I will not bore you with right now); the point being that I do not want to be passive to my politic. This week we are discussing "the enemy"of democracy. In the context of this dicussion, I remembered a story that I read in a book called Bono in Conversation. I shared it with him and I want to share it with you since I think it apt, especially in regards to real people and how one particular movement, civil rights, was initially successful. Enjoy:

I'll start by quoting Bono in an interview book called Bono In Conversation (because I am a true and loyal Bonophile), quoting Harry Belafonte about Bobby Kennedy in regards to Martin Luther King:

"Harry Belafonte is one of my great heroes. He's an old-school leftist and holds to certain principles like others hold onto their life. He told me this story about Bobby Kennedy, which changed my life, indeed, pointed me in the direction I am going now politically. Harry remembered a meeting with Martin Luther King when the civil rights movement had hit a wall in the early sixties: (impersonating croaky voice of Belafonte) 'I'll tell you it was a depressing moment when Bobby Kennedy was made attorney general. It was a very bad day for the civil rights movement.' And I said, 'Why was that?' He said, 'Oh you see, you forget. Bobby Kennedy was Irish. Those Irish were real racists; they didn't like the black man. They were just one step above the black man on a social ladder, and they made us feel it. They were the police, they were the people who broke our balls on a regular basis. Bobby at the time was famously not interested in the civil rights movement. We knew we were in deep trouble. We were crestfallen, in despair, talking to Martin, moaning and groaning about the turn of events, when Dr. King slammed his hand down and ordered us to stop the bitchin': 'Enough of this,' he said. 'Is there nobody here who's got something good to say about Bobby Kennedy?' We said, 'Martin, that's what we're telling ya! There is no one. There is nothing good to say about him. The guy's an Irish Catholic conservative badass, he's bad news.' To which Martin replied: 'Well then, let's call this meeting to a close. We will re-adjourn when somebody has found one thing redeeming to say about Bobby Kennedy, because that, my friends, is the door through which our movement will pass.' ... Harry became emotional at the end of this tale: 'When Bobby Kennedy lay dead on a Los Angeles pavement, there was no greater friend to the civil rights movement. There was no one we owed more of our progress to than that man.' ... which was a great lesson for me, because what Dr. King was saying was: Don't respond to a caricature - the Left, the Right, the Progressives, the Reactionary. Don't take people on rumor. Find the light in them, because that will further your cause"(86).

What do you think?