Roundabout 1980 and 1981, I was watching my band at Lake Tahoe negotiate its contract with the casino, after having seen the same process the year before in Vegas. The guys hardly knew me at that point, but I got up an denounced the mafia lawyer who was handling the negotiations. One thing led to another, I proposed to the entire union membership that we take the negotiations into our own handsand, and then found myself representing our band on the committee that was formed for that purpose. That's the short of the background.
A pitched battle ensued between me and the lawyer (I started locking my door - which we don't do at Tahoe), and I'll tell you why I lost (which also unhappily meant that the union lost): I indulged in righteous indignation. It's as simple as that. I was indignant about the lawyer. I had no experience. I was in the position I was in only because there was a kind of vacuum. But I wouldn't make the same mistake again.
On the list, some are indignant at those who dare tarnish the memory of Malcolm X. Others are indignant because someone suggested that Rakesh is not really black. It's just my amateur opinion, but I just don't believe indignation will help anybody move forward.
Quincy