In many ways, I believe Stewart's endeavors can and possibly did hurt the public's opinion of those of us who take to the streets and don't apologize for it, and that is something that he and the entire Daily Show staff should be held accountable for.
That being said, I really like Stewart's closing statement.
| Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear | ||||
| Jon Stewart - Moment of Sincerity | ||||
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[Full Text Here]
I agree, "If we amplify everything, we hear nothing." And in most cases, in the case of people we disagree with but who aren't the extremists who are in short supply but get 90% of media air time, we do need to listen. That's something I've learned in the past couple of years, that we do need to listen. And we need to gather all our strength to add our rebuttals, but we need to do so without screaming and getting unduly inflammatory (yeah I'm still working on that).
I believe there is a time and place for screaming, but he's right: screaming isn't the right course of action when dealing with people who could actually become partners in a struggle, and it's certainly not the right course of action when dealing with someone whose opinions are so close to yours they're nearly indistinguishable, but you get hung up on insignificant boundaries that end up dividing you. I'm not sure if that's exactly what he was saying here, but if it is, I wholeheartedly agree.
I will say, though, that I'm not 100% on board with the lot. Again, I'm a person of activism and a non-moderate. I'm not a fan, for example, of the "why would we reach across the aisle to Marxists" comment. That was the one thing that rubbed me the wrong way. But again, he's speaking about Marxism as we see it, Marxism through the lens of a misrepresentation machine, ironically enough the same one that Stewart is holding accountable here. To not have realized that is a gross oversight on his part, and a damaging one at that.
Regardless, the closing statement is important. It isn't all gold, but a lot of it is good to hear, to listen to, and then either take to heart or discard after giving it a fighting chance. Your choice. The important thing is that you heard it and you gave it some thought and were willing to listen, and by listening you either changed your way of thinking or carefully and reflectively reinforced what you already knew. Especially when it comes from a left-leaning moderate, surely there is something those of us on the Left can agree with. I know there's lots in this statement, tons about the rally, that many of my dear friends on the Left found disheartening or even infuriating. But if you can't still have a listen, really hear what it is he or anyone else you disagree with is saying, and see through the handful of things you don't like while possibly gaining something positive still, then we are truly lost for good.
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