As it happens, Melissa Harris-Perry has written a blog post in which she eloquently responds to critics in the "controversy" I wrote about earlier today. I say "controversy" because the only actual "controversy" is a manufactured one by some on the far right (both those doing the inflaming and those filling up her email box with, as she says, "hate mail"). Talking thoughtfully about society supporting children is not even remotely "controversial." One my agree or disagree with her opinion, especially on the specifics, but mere disagreement doesn't make something "controversial," which suggests a far higher degree of contentiousness, if not divisiveness. I was also initially going to say that she "eloquently defends" herself, but that suggests she has something to defend, which as she herself notes, she doesn't.
"What I thought was an uncontroversial comment on my desire for Americans to see children as everyone’s responsibility has created a bit of a tempest in the right’s teapot. Allow me to double down.
One thing is for sure: I have no intention of apologizing for saying that our children, all of our children, are part of more than our households, they are part of our communities and deserve to have the care, attention, resources, respect and opportunities of those communities."
That's her starting point. She explains the rest thoughtfully, and it good reading at the link above The most interesting part may be where she addresses where she learned about "collective responsibility" towards children, and lists all the places where he's this lesson has made itself clear.
Subsequently she has also tweeted a Biblical reference, which is nice since it overlaps my own reference, though hers addresses a different point. Her tweet read -- "Matthew 5:44". That's the passage which says --
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
"What I thought was an uncontroversial comment on my desire for Americans to see children as everyone’s responsibility has created a bit of a tempest in the right’s teapot. Allow me to double down.
One thing is for sure: I have no intention of apologizing for saying that our children, all of our children, are part of more than our households, they are part of our communities and deserve to have the care, attention, resources, respect and opportunities of those communities."
That's her starting point. She explains the rest thoughtfully, and it good reading at the link above The most interesting part may be where she addresses where she learned about "collective responsibility" towards children, and lists all the places where he's this lesson has made itself clear.
Subsequently she has also tweeted a Biblical reference, which is nice since it overlaps my own reference, though hers addresses a different point. Her tweet read -- "Matthew 5:44". That's the passage which says --
"But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;"
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