CB
^^^^^^
ANGER IN AMERICA: We asked; you answered
October 13, 2004
Does anyone have a right to be angry in America?
. "The wonderful thing about America is that we do have that right and the means to express that anger. ... Maybe anger, expressed in a positive way, is what we need. It may encourage action and change, or at least give us a better understanding of ourselves and what we stand for."
-- Marie Speranza, Royal Oak
. "People do have a right to be angry in America, but we also have an obligation to seek to resolve that anger. ... Our history is full of wrongdoing, and while many people currently find it necessary to defend themselves by saying things such as, 'I didn't own slaves,' we need to educate ourselves as to the causes and ramifications of our past actions, or inaction, and never repeat the same mistakes -- and realize that admitting past wrongs doesn't imply present guilt. To answer the question in your article: 'How do you explain what happened here?' The answer is quite simple: Honestly."
-- Bruce Ford II, Redford Township
. "Instead of asking who has the right to be angry, you should be asking: How can we put the past behind us? Nobody has the right to get angry! Although people may feel angry, they need to learn to get over it."
-- Marilyn Albee, Plymouth Township
. "In an age of 'anger management,' the implication is that oppressed people individually need to manage their anger. ... Anger comes from oppression. Equating oppressed and oppressor does not clarify history or show the way to end anger. People in general are very angry. Most of us haven't figured out where it needs to be directed, so we take it out on each other and the people closest to us. Asking us just to understand the actors in the forces that are oppressing us will not solve the problem of anger."
-- (Comrade) Cheryl LaBash, Detroit
. "We need to put our anger in historical context. This is exactly what our young country needs to stop and do as we evolve and change. ... Anger is an outcome of frustration. We're poised at an important time in our history, and we need to look at what we're doing as a country, especially for our young people."
-- Nancy Nolan, Huntington Woods
. "I may have a different perspective on things as an African American over 40. I am concerned about what's happening with people in hometowns being disrupted by sprawl, but I see that as one more expansion in America. I see it as directly related to the expansion when white settlers moved West. Indians had a culture and a religion all their own, and the sprawl of settlers moving West disrupted all that. This country has a long history of treating people this way. This is an excellent chance for us to stop and think about where our anger comes from in America."
-- Brian Miller, Royal Oak
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
Millions of Americans alive today were involved in World War II, from those who served in the military overseas to those who kept life going on the home front. That's why there are still deep emotions stirred by the pride, sorrow and even lingering anger surrounding some of the war's tragic chapters. Tell us what you think about today's story, or about how the potent memories from World War II still shape your life. E-mail ourspirit at freepress.com or call 313-222-1456.
http://www.freep.com/news/nw/anger-box113e_20041013.htm
ANGER IN AMERICA: 5 PARTS Monday: Bleeding Kansas.
Tuesday: Sand Creek Massacre.
Wednesday: Manzanar internment camp.
Thursday: Detroit riot.
Friday: Six ways to overcome anger.
http://www.freep.com/news/nw/anger13e_20041013.htm