{"id":162,"date":"2021-02-04T20:22:05","date_gmt":"2021-02-05T00:22:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.duanemorris.com\/diversityandinclusion\/?p=162"},"modified":"2021-02-04T20:22:05","modified_gmt":"2021-02-05T00:22:05","slug":"theres-something-missing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.duanemorris.com\/diversityandinclusion\/2021\/02\/04\/theres-something-missing\/","title":{"rendered":"There’s something missing….."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"NevilleBy Neville M. Bilimoria<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

All of the activity around last month\u2019s storming of the U.S. Capitol and last year\u2019s civil unrest over social justice and equality had me, and perhaps everyone else, taking a step back.\u00a0 It made me wonder about our society in these difficult times.\u00a0 You see, the Capitol siege and the civil unrest from last year, both had something in common: they both were examples of a society missing basic principles of respect for human beings, and the basic principles of human decency.<\/p>\n

In America, when there is a difference of opinion, or a debate of issues or political sides, we do not traditionally see people violently erupting out of anger, attacking people\u2019s families, or knocking down doors and windows to win the debate.\u00a0 With intellectual discussion and debate, there exists a certain amount of decorum, through an academic pursuit, oft and times with spirited excitement on all sides that comes with a proper oratorical debate.\u00a0 But the people that stormed the Capitol were filled with rage, armed with a false truth about the election and their way of life, and they took it upon themselves to somehow \u201csave\u201d the country by exerting violence instead of reasonable discourse.<\/p>\n

But there\u2019s something missing here.\u00a0 Where is the decorum that follows traditional debate in America?\u00a0 We all know that a civilized debate does not mean acting childish.\u00a0 For example, the art of debate and political discourse, foundations of civilized society, would be vanquished if one debater just marches over to the next person\u2018s podium and slaps them in the face or draws a gun to win their side. That\u2019s not how we do things in a civilized democracy, even in a politically charged one as it is today.\u00a0 There needs to be a modicum of education to show our society that a proper debate should never end up in violence. If that were the case then anyone with the bigger stick would win any debate, and that\u2019s hardly the way a proper democracy should be run.<\/p>\n

Besides respect and civility, the other thing missing is clearly truth.\u00a0 The art of debate and discourse must be grounded in truth.\u00a0 Unfortunately, it was false information that stirred these rioters to take it upon themselves to fix what they believed to be unjust and true action by their own government.\u00a0 The Capitol rioters violently demonstrated based upon false beliefs, believing them to be true, almost in a cultish manner, even though they were categorically false.\u00a0 So the search for truth, real truth, is also missing.<\/p>\n

And what about when the Capitol rioters chanted \u201cthis is our house\u201d as they broke into and stormed those hallowed halls.\u00a0 There\u2019s something missing here, as well, because for any citizens to say those words in a democracy would clearly break down the halls of government instantly. We are a nation of rules and law. You don\u2019t see people going into the library and saying \u201cthis is my library,\u201d and then proceeding to decorate it on their own.\u00a0 These are public institutions that must be maintained with rules and the rule of law for everyone<\/strong>.\u00a0 By chanting \u201cthis is our house\u201d or this is our library, but failing to honor the rules that built those institutions doesn\u2019t make any sense.\u00a0 These basic ideas of a democracy need to be instilled more in our society so that individuals in America can have meaningful, respectful discourse of the prevailing issues, without resorting to violence or physical measures to win their political debate.<\/p>\n

In all, Martin Luther King, Jr.\u2019s words on nonviolence more than 50 years ago ring even truer, and mean even more, today:<\/p>\n

\u201cNonviolence is a powerful and just weapon, which cuts without wounding and ennobles the man who wields it. It is a sword that heals.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whatever it is that we deem is missing in our society, we can debate and discuss it, but we should know that violence is not the answer.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Neville M. Bilimoria All of the activity around last month\u2019s storming of the U.S. Capitol and last year\u2019s civil unrest over social justice and equality had me, and perhaps everyone else, taking a step back.\u00a0 It made me wonder about our society in these difficult times.\u00a0 You see, the Capitol siege and the civil … <\/p>\n

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