Civil Disobedience

Written by: Annilow on Jul 15, 2008 1:46 PM EDT

I grew up in the deep South of the late 50s and 60s and experienced firsthand a little of the effort of the black community's successful integration into the white world.  They were always polite, but they did not always follow the law.  Picture for example the lunch counters in North Carolina where sit-ins occurred.  It is hard to think back to those days -- imagine a world in which only white people could sit at a lunch counter.  Today it sounds downright ludicrous.  But that's the way it was.  It was the law.  But it was a bad law.  So they politely and respectfully ignored the law, following the lead of others before them, in particular M. Gandhi in India pursuing independence from Britain.  

Today we Bloggers for America find ourselves in a place where a new 'law' has come to pass on our beloved blog. The new law states that we will blog ONLY on the headlined topic, or risk having our comments banished to the "Water Cooler" (and all that connotes) where our comments remain for twelve hours till they are permanently removed.  This is a bad law.  It stifles conversation, breaking news, the ability to express ourselves, and to build community.  I believe it is also censorship.

So I ask that everyone join me in practicing civil disobedience on BFA.  Sure, our posts will be whisked away to the Water Cooler.  But someone will have to read them, make a determination, then physically move them.  My guess is they will become tired and bored of this activity and eventually give it up.  Please join me!  Put your posts, no matter how personal, no matter how 'trivial,' no matter how totally off topic, on the current, latest 'front thread.'  If it gets moved, it gets moved, what have you lost?  And we just might (might?) get our blog back :~) someday.

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