People Who Come to Head Movements Can Have Disagreeable Charactersistics [View All]

I've paraphrased this quote from Siegel to fit in subject line, but what he says if one thinks about it is true if one has read alot of history. There are threads here criticizing Bev Harris (BBV) and Symbolman (Take Back the Media). There are other DU'ers who have made important contributions taking the lead by making a stand and DOING SOMETHING! There are so many DU'ers who have contributed so much. But none of them is perfect...and I'm not and neither is anyone else here posting. We need to cut the crap, ripping to shreds folks who are out there putting themselves on the line. I've been guilty of doing this myself so I'm taking my own words to heart. We are in desperate times here and we have to hang together even more than before. We are all stressed to the MAX and when we form into "camps" attacking Bev or Symbolman (both of whom have contributed to so much by focusing on our two most important issue) it doesn't help any of us deal with another stolen election. just my 2 cents but Jules Siegel from a Daily Kos article says it well, here:


Update by Jules Siegel
In general, I've found that people who come to the head of movements often have many disagreeable personal and professional characteristics. Even beatified saints aren't human saints when you examine their lives. Jealousy goes both ways. Leaders can be as jealous of their followers as vice versa. The drive for success often stems from very painful personality problems. Driven people may accomplish noble acts at the expense of others who help them. The fact is, however, that Bev Harris did make electronic vote rigging a national cause.

We don't always get the leaders we prefer. We get the leaders we get. The right is going to do its very best (worst, actually) to discredit the entire vote rigging theme. They will seize on Bev's flaws and the accusations against her to undermine the credibility and free discussion of why America is not entitled to an honest vote count. I'm sure they will do a very good job on their own. We don't have to help them.

At the same time, I fully agree that no one should try to suppress criticism. Even what appears to be unfair criticism frequently turns out to be not unfair at all. We have to try our best to be honest, even when it uncovers some inconvenient truths. I was one of the first experts on the liberal side to declare the National Guard memos a hoax. I did that on the basis of very sound advice from other people I trusted, whose methods I verified for myself, and credited fully.

Telling Bev to shut up and calm down because she embarrasses you is not very useful. Examining her personal character flaws may or may not be useful. Dismissing her accomplishments because of her tone or her personality flaws is simply destructive.

http://dark1p.dailykos.com/story/2004/11/10/193818/27