Malcom X: Fighting and American

Out of all the readings this semester, I found the Malcom X "Ballot or Bullet" reading to be among the most interesting and thought provoking. Maybe I'm biased because I'm a history major, but I find it much easier to relate ideas and beliefs to an actual event, especially if it is something that still has relevance today.

                                                                   


There were a few main points that I took from the reading, and I would like to expand on those a little bit. The first of which is the debate between ballot or bullet, which is basically the debate between violent and non-violent tactics to bring about change. Does violence really accomplish anything, and what message does it really send? I will make a somewhat odd comparison between what Malcom X was talking about and fighting in professional sports.

Secondly, I want to talk about the piece in the reading about being born in the United States, but not really being American. The more that I thought about this piece, the more I began to question what is actually American? Does simply being born and raised within the United States make you truly American? Does every American citizen have equal rights?

Going back to the first point about the bullet or the ballot, I would like to make a comparison that is a bit of a stretch, but one that I think captures a little bit of what Malcom X was trying to convey to his argument.  I will be the first person to say that I don't think violence really accomplished anything, and I am a believer in the mantra of "kill hate with kindness" and also that "fighting hate with hate only breeds more hate." Now saying that, I would like to turn to the world of sports, because I played hockey for 13 years, and I know that fighting is something embedded in the game itself, and I have been in my fair share of hockey fights. So, I guess the question is whether or not fighting in hockey, or fighting in the Malcom X sense is worth it? To both I would say "no." Once again, I really don't think that fighting accomplished anything, because when you fight in hockey, sure, you might give the guy who has been throwing cheap shots an ass beating, but chances are that your going to be hurting as much as he is when all is said and done. The way to beat an opponet in hockey is not through fighting (bullet), but through beating them on the scoreboard (ballot), because when all is said and done, the final score is the only thing that really matters. And in the case of Malcom X, the only thing that has to be done to create change is voting. Now, I also think that it's important to take a look at the other non-violent tactics used in the civil rights era, such as sit-ins and various boycotts, because those are the things that led to the greatest changes.

http://www.hockeyfights.com/forums/f18/favorite-hockey-photos-179146/

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/museum-commemorates-50th-anniversary-sit-ins

http://andrewsullivan.thedailybeast.com/2006/week14/index.html

I found the part about being American, but not being American was really interesting, and really made me think about what it meant to be American. For example, does being born in this country really make you "American?" Malcom X did not believe so, he believed that America was only home to white Europeans, and everything else was not really "American." This passage really made me think, about whether or not we really are American? I mean, I think there are many people who are more American than the people actually born in America. I think that many immigrants have a better appreciation for what it means to be American and the rights and privileges that people in the United States have, and I think that many take the time to learn about our government and are actually more informed than many people born in the States.

Overall, I thought that Malcom X's speech was very interesting and addressed many of the issues facing African Americans at the time. I was surprised to read that he really didn't support violence, although, he did say that it could be an option if everything else fails.