Will Phillips is a Hero
For anybody who doesn't know who Will Phillips is yet, go watch the CNN coverage. I'll be here when you get back.
If you don't have the time or can't view the video where you are for some reason, he's a 10-year-old who has decided he will no longer stand to recite the pledge of allegiance until the clause "liberty and justice for all" is fulfilled. The specific failure he perceives is that same-sex marriage is denied to those who desire it.
There's a lot of discussion about how adorable/cute/etc. he is, and sure, he is. A fact which is totally irrelevant, and which should ideally be removed from the discussion because it distracts and diminishes him.
Put simply, Will Phillips is a better man than I.
He observed an injustice and decided to respond with civil disobedience. He has persevered in face of ostracism from his peers. He has continued despite explicit instructions from authority to desist, and in spite of that authority being used to make his life more difficult. I would be shocked to learn that, in addition to the above [all stated in the CNN report], he hasn't been threatened either directly or indirectly. He continues, and carries himself well, despite the obvious discomfort the media attention is causing to his father.
So please, stop talking about how precocious he is. Call it like it is. Will Phillips is a hero.
Originally posted at http://marcmagus.dreamwidth.org/120279.html. (
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