After reading Dan Choi's tweets yesterday, it is clear to me that he needs to take a break from this activism thing.
I understand that he's upset and he lost his job and all, but still, that is not an excuse to come off disillusioned, half-cocked and a bit silly. At this stage in the LGBT rights game, we need our leaders to be stronger than ever. We need to feel that our leadership can weather the storm at all cost. We need the comfort of knowing when it gets tough, somebody is still holding it down. But when they start going off and not making sense, it ain't cute.
Some folks will say that it's good he is expressing his anger this way, I say Nay. It's not completely good, especially when you can't answer simple questions or you are using empty talking points(see the Chris Matthew's post). A good activist has to know all sides of the situation. You can't be just "mad as Hell", you have to be strategic, logical and forthright. Having a level head in the game gets you far and blocks out burn out.
Dan should not let his anger cloud his logic. He should understand what's really going on with the policies and how the law really works. He said that he doesn't need to know, well I'm telling him that he does. He needs to know. And he needs to stop tweeting some of his nonsensical thoughts. He appears unbalanced, unhinged and somewhat drunk to some people. I know Obama is not the fierce advocate we hoped he would be, but he is certainly not the worst LGBT President. Dan should know that and he should know better.
Now please don't get me wrong; I like Dan. I respect his service and his bravery, but his anger is misguided and polarizing. His message will get lost if he continues acting this way. I think he should take some time off, maybe a month or two just to get his mind right. Basically, he needs to check himself, before he wreck himself. Because if he isn't careful, he will be ignored and labeled negatively in history of the LGBT civil rights movement.
3 comments:
I'm with you on this. Dan has lost his objectivity. This has become way too personal for him. He had the makings of a formidable LGBT leader with a strong will and clear voice. But now he's coming off as half-cocked as you said. It started with his ill-conceived hunger strike. That started to turn me against him, and this week's wild interviews and crazy tweets have finished the job.
Take a break Dan.
I unfollowed Lt. Choi last week so I missed all the anger in his tweets. Being angry at the halt of progress doesn't get you anywhere and certainly doesn't help you move forward in a positive light. Take, for example, Ralph Nader.
I've thought this for a long time. He's destructive and his tactics do more harm then good. He makes us look like idiots.
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