The sensibilities in question are those of the blood suckers, the people who care naught for others, especially others upon whom they’ve visited all kinds of discomfort and pain, yet are “shocked” when others return the favor.
I’ve addressed this issue in an earlier piece, too, called “Poets & Protesters.” The trigger for that piece was news of an ordinance in San Marino (a city in Los Angeles county) that unconscionably proscribes demonstrators’ rights.
This time, the news is from all over the state of California (“Activists protest at execs’ home,” p. B1, LA Times, April 11, 2012). An organization named Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment decided to highlight corporate leaders’ abusive practices by bringing the message home to them, quite literally. Among those at whose houses the group organized protests were Meg Whitman (now abuser-in-chief at Hewlett-Packard) and Enrique Hernandez (Wells Fargo Board member).
What stunned me is the utter insensitivity of two people quoted in the article. One, David Smith, a labor economist at Pepperdine University, said, “Taking it to the homes and getting close to the boundaries of people’s personal lives seems to me to be pushing the ethical boundaries a bit.” He also said, “It’s important that all sides have their voices heard, but this strikes me as a venue that is too personalized.” Wow, “pushing ethical boundaries” and “too personalized”! Really? What do you call firing people and desiccating companies in the interest of buying and selling them for profit? What about the rampant funny business that brought us the housing market’s collapse, the so called Great Recession, the foreclosure crisis, and the utterly deformative levels of money in politics that in turn enabled and continue to enable the overlordship of the 1 percent at everyone else’s expense? These don’t push the ethical boundaries or get too personalized? Yeah, you know how losing your job and not being able to find another for years is really IMpersonal.
Then there’s one of Hernandez’s neighbors (refused to give her name) who’s quoted as saying, “Don’t they have anything better to do with their lives? This is pathetic.” Here’s someone who is clearly not just insensitive, but utterly disconnected from reality, despite professing to have had her own financial difficulties. People’s lives are being upended, destroyed, and perverted. What could be a better use of someone’s time than working in the public/political arena to improve the legal infrastructure of the country to prevent the abuses of the last decade and punish any future cases? Not to mention, these types of activities might help open the eyes of clueless people like her as to the sources of their woes.
But, even more importantly, the sense that the source of a societal grievance can somehow be placed beyond reach of those aggrieved is very worrisome. Even the Tea party types are complaining about restrictions on their ability to protest people and places they find objectionable. Being too sensitive to people’s “tender” “personal lives” and obstructing freedom of speech for that purpose is just plain wrong. I may think the Tea Party types are loonies for what they believe in and protest against, but I have no problem with it when they act in that way. That’s what it’s all about when it comes to civic action, civil society, and freedom of speech.
Otherwise, this “sensitivity” and the overwrought attention paid to “property” will end up silencing us all. That’s something we can ill afford as one of the most abused nations and people on earth. Armenians should be at the forefront of decrying any limitations placed on freedom of speech and demonstrative actions.
Garen Yegparian
Latest posts by Garen Yegparian (see all)
- Drones for Armenia - November 15, 2022
- So Sad, Too Far Gone - November 7, 2022
- Pomposity to Mask Ineptitude - October 31, 2022
It is obvious that Mr. Yegparian has run out of meaningful ideas for his columns.
It is disappointing that on April 24th he blabbers about a topic that has absolutely no relationship or connection to the Armenian causes that face us in Armenia and the Diaspora.
Armenians have much more important issues to face and deal with.
What a waste of space in the Armenian Weekly.
Vart Adjemian
I live on the Big Island of Hawaii, and feel like I am one of the few Armenians left . I am sure that is not the case but it sure feels like it. I’ve lived here most of my life and have come across very few Armenians in Hawaii (east side) and those that I came across mostly visitors did not speak Armenian. Out of desperation about 8 years ago I flew to Armenia Just to be around Armenians for a while. It was so amazing. They all spoke Armenian. The people were poor but with dignity. Very friendly, perfect strangers took me to their home fed me, told me their stories of what they have lived thru. It gave me an even deeper sense pride in being an Armenian. I love my country of Armenia, I am proud of our heritage, I love the Armenian people our traditions and our Religion. I am proud to be an Armenian.