Wednesday, May 03, 2017

From Reuters:
Same-sex couple can seek damages from Kentucky clerk: U.S. appeals court

My two cents:
Way back in 2015, I had intended to write something about Kim Davis, but I got distracted by other things and never got around to it.
But what I wanted to write at the time was that, however despicable Kim Davis herself was, Leftists should not be celebrating her incarceration.  Incarceration is a violent act.  On a moral level, Leftists should not support their opponents being incarcerated, and on a strategic level, it needlessly made Kim Davis into a martyr.

Now in today's news, I see that Kim Davis is being sued for damages.

This is stupid.  It serves no purpose.  Kim Davis is already out of power.  Kicking her when she is down will not help the movement. To destroy Kim Davis's finances will not help our cause.

I've just finished a biography of Gandhi (review coming soon) and I was struck with how generous Gandhi always was towards his opponents.  For example, when Gandhi was beaten by a group of thugs, he refused to prosecute them, because they were doing what they thought was right in their own eyes.
What mattered to Gandhi was not exerting power over his opponents, but changing his opponents' minds.

Historically, this same spirit was once associated with the anarchist movement.  When a crazed rightest tried to kill the anarchist Louise Michel during a speaking engagement, she forgave her attempted assassin and even intervened in the courts to save him.
Anarchist Voltairine de Cleyre also forgave her assassin and refused to prosecute him.

While it is true that this sentiment has not been universal in the history of Leftism, to the extent that it exists, I would like to identify myself with it.
To attack Kim Davis now serves no purpose other than just petty revenge.  It would be better to forgive her, and seek to change her mind rather than to seek to punish her.

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