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When M.K. Gandhi was a young barrister in Pretoria, South Africa, before the turn of the 20th century, Indians were treated for the most part the same as Africans. Among the restrictions on those with dark skin was that they could not be out past 9:00 PM and they could not walk on common footpaths.
This outtake from Gandhi's autobiography occurs as Gandhi is walking “through President Street to an open plain;” his walk took him directly past the president’s house. The house stood apart from the others in the street only in that it was guarded by a police patrol.
“Now the man on duty {in front of the president’s house} used to be changed from time to time. Once one of these men, without giving me the slightest warning, without even asking me to leave the footpath, pushed and kicked me into the street. I was dismayed. Before I could question him as to his behaviour, Mr. Coates {a friend of Gandhi’s}, who happened to be passing the spot on horseback, hailed me and said:
“‘Gandhi, I have seen everything. I shall gladly be your witness in court if you proceed against the man. I am very sorry you have been so rudely assaulted.’
“‘You need not be sorry,’ I said. ‘What does the poor man know? All coloured people are the same to him. He no doubt treats Negroes just as he has treated me. I have made it a rule not to go to court in respect of any personal grievance. So I do not intend to proceed against him.’
“‘That is just like you,’ said Mr. Coates, ‘but do think it over again. We must teach such men a lesson.’ He then spoke to the policeman and reprimanded him. I could not follow their talk, as it was in Dutch, the policeman being a Boer. But he apologised to me, for which there was no need. I had already forgiven him.”
I’m drawing a loose analogy here to how we relate to Republicans one on one.
Is your attitude, are your opinions, your reactions toward people, or toward the polarized state of our politics, informed by any particular example or like source? I’m obviously influenced by Gandhi (and Christ to a lesser extent).
I’m not asking if you get your opinions or your political stances from another person. I’m think I’m asking who, if anyone, you find worthy of emulation in this life. Gandhi? Jesus? King? Lincoln? Wellstone? How about the women? How about people who weren't in politics, who weren’t revered? Philosophers? Religious leaders? Authors and poets?
PS I was going to post this in GD but I just don't have the stomach for reading what responses I might get. Are you surprised? ;)
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