[Peace-discuss] Forgiveness Weekend

[C. G. Estabrook]

In my dotage, Phil, I find my ability to listen declining faster than my
ability to read (although that's the division of labor I've had for years
with my radio partner, Paul Mueth: he listens to politicians, I prefer to
look at the transcript.)  But I must say that the point of the
"Forgiveness Weekend" has puzzled me from the beginning, whether I look or
whether I listen.

I agree with many of our AWARE associates that the "war on drugs" --
namely, the laws and legal practices such as sentencing that afflict those
who possess and use some "controlled substances" -- is primarily a means
of social control and should be ended.  That non-violent drug offenders
suffer unjust disabilities after prison also seems to be the case, but
when I ask what disabilities the Weekend is campaigning to remove (and for
whom), I get some illustrations; when I ask for specifics, I'm told I'm
attacking the Weekend...

Asking for the end of some legal disabilities for that particular group of
felons (if that is what the weekend is asking -- which was my question) is
worthwhile, if perhaps peripheral.  (E.g., ineligibility for scholarships
for those with drug convictions is wrong, but that demands a change in the
way that particular law is written, rather than "forgiveness.")

Your formulation of the Weekend's purpose ("Asking the state and society
to forgive felons' mistakes and give them a chance at a job and housing")
seems much more sweeping.  In principle such penal reform seems also to be
necessary, but here again and even more the specifics are important.  
That's the question I tried to take up with Randall.

And I have no general objection to a "strong religious undercurrent."  
Analyzing such things was what I did for a living.  And I think "personal
objections to peoples' religious [political, ethical. etc.] beliefs"
should be discussed, and not just privately.  That's what I meant to do
with my questions about the Weekend (and its keynote speaker). I would
deny that I'd "simply discard a group of people out of hand because [I]
disagree with some of their viewpoints."  Nor do I think that such
objections can be reduced to "belittling particular leaders."

I do find some of the exhortations that AWARE must "reach out to the black
community" to contain an element of condescension (or, in the approved
locution, "unconscious racism"). AWARE is opposed to the present war,
which is accompanied by -- although it doesn't arise from -- a corrosive
racial prejudice. Prejudice against "Arabs [the term is used quite
loosely] like Osama bin Laden" is the principal way young Americans (black
and white, of course) are convinced to carry out horrible crimes in
support of US economic dominance -- and the way the American populace is
convinced to support those crimes (to the extent that they do). Black
Americans are individually as able to see this point as white Americans
are -- and statistically perhaps more so, because USG internal propaganda
is addressed primarily to the upper quarter of the socio-economic ladder
(a point illustrated in the presidential election).

I was unpleasantly surprised by a similar condescension among those
working in the local Green party campaign for Congress two years ago. Much
time was spent by folks who saw themselves a good liberals in wondering
how to "market" the campaign to conservative and rural voters in the
district -- roughly, how to lie to them about what the campaign stood for.  
"Tell the truth and shame the devil" seemed to me the better advice.  (My
adversaries in the campaign would say that the vote totals showed the
effect of that advice.)

But misrepresenting what we think -- and failing to find out what those
we're talking to think -- can rarely if ever be an effective strategy for
"reaching out," it seems to me; and it doesn't seem to me an honest one.  
For AWARE, the most effective outreach would seem to be to say -- through
a cacophony of propaganda -- that this war is wrong and that something
should be done about it.  That's what I think brought most of the people
in AWARE to it in the first place.

Regards, Carl

PS: Thanks for the second-hand reports.


On Sat, 19 Feb 2005, Phil Stinard wrote:

> Carl, do you really think you'd be satisfied with secondhand reports?  
> Why don't you go and listen for yourself?  Clifford Thornton provided
> a realistic humanist counterpoint to Bevel's religious extremism, and
> I have to say that it was great hearing a variety of viewpoints
> presented.  It was also nice seeing Bevel patiently listening to what
> Thornton had to say.  Kudos to Aaron for setting this up.
> 
> As far as forgiveness goes, it's pretty clear that there were at least
> two aspects presented:  (1) Asking the state and society to forgive
> felons' mistakes and give them a chance at a job and housing, and (2)
> the felons asking society's forgiveness and changing their lives
> around.  There was a strong religious undercurrent in some of the
> speakers' presentation, but remember that the event was held in a
> church, and many of the people who spoke are ministers.
> 
> AWARE could do a better job of reaching out to the black community,
> and could do it without endorsing religious content, and by the same
> token, without belittling particular leaders.  It could be done by
> working on areas of agreed common interests.  You can't simply discard
> a group of people out of hand because you disagree with some of their
> viewpoints--otherwise, you'd discard everyone and never get anything
> done.  Personal objections to peoples' religious beliefs can be
> discussed privately on a one-on-one basis--I think it's the only way
> that you can effectively change someone's beliefs or at least make
> them see your point of view.
> 
> --Phil
> 
> >Date: Fri, 18 Feb 2005 15:06:13 -0600
> >From: "C. G. Estabrook" <galliher at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>
> >Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Forgiveness Weekend program schedule
> >To: Randall Cotton <recotton at earthlink.net>
> >Cc: peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> >Message-ID:
> >	<Pine.SGI.4.10.10502181503570.801471-100000 at alexia.lis.uiuc.edu>
> >Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
> >
> >I'll be interested in hearing, at the conclusion of the weekend, if people
> >are any clearer on what forgiveness is being asked.  --CGE
>