One would like to say in the aftermath of the 2008 election that everyone lived happily ever after. But the American drama, especially when it involves race, is always more complicated than that.
Frank RichRead
There’s nothing entertaining about watching goons hurl venomous slurs at congressmen like the civil rights hero John Lewis and the openly gay Barney Frank. How curious that a mob fond of likening President Obama to Hitler knows so little about history that it doesn’t recognize its own small-scale mimicry of Kristallnacht.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote criticizes the hateful and ignorant behavior of mobs against prominent figures, drawing a parallel to historical violence.
Frank Rich condemns the actions of certain mobs who spew hateful rhetoric at political figures like John Lewis and Barney Frank, illustrating their ignorance by comparing their behavior to the notorious Kristallnacht, a violent anti-Jewish pogrom in Nazi Germany. The quote illustrates the dangers of hate speech and the importance of understanding history to avoid repeating its gravest mistakes.
Themes
Hate SpeechIgnorancePolitical RhetoricHistoryViolence
In practice
Example use cases
During a political rally, one could use this quote to highlight the importance of respectful discourse.
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The cruel ambush of 9/11 supposedly 'changed everything,' slapping us back to reality. Yet we are constantly shocked, shocked by the foreseeable.
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