The recently deceased U.S. diplomat Richard Holbrooke inspires me.
The late American diplomat Richard Holbrooke was a great citizen of the world, as well as a great American. Richard Holbrooke taught us all that each person can make a difference. On behalf of the people of the United States of America, diplomat Richard Holbrooke stood up to dictators, helping end a war in the former Yugoslavians that killed 100,000 Europeans in the 1990s.
Richard Holbrooke practiced diplomacy “relentlessly,” as a “bulldozer,” (terms that some people have applied to me over the past 36 years). Yes, I was trained as a diplomat (B.S., Foreign Service, Georgetown University, Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service). (Pregnant pause as some blog readers laugh knowingly).
At Georgetown University, during the Cold War, we were taught, as Hans Blix said, that diplomats must not “take no for an answer.” That was Georgetown University, not to be confused with the “salons of Georgetown” that the likes of John McCain love to hate).
Not taking “no for an answer” in dealing with energumen is an American trait – one that more progressives need to learn.
We won’t “nice” the Republicans and Big Business into becoming warm and cuddly. We must stand up for our rights, as our Founders did when they pledged in the Declaration of Independence “our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor” to security the rights to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
As anthropologist Margaret Mead said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Mead visited Oak Ridge years ago, and the scientists and engineers there are still defending their actions against her criticisms (and mine when I was Appalachian Observer editor and later an environmental and nuclear whistleblower lawyer).
Not taking “no for an answer” led to the landmark civil rights victory on Saturday with United States Senate repeal of the embarrassing 1993 “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” statute. As I wrote in a cover story in Out in the City, then the GLBT monthly of Jacksonville, DADT violated human rights and hurt military readiness, resulting in the unconscionable discharge of some 14,000 people – more than would fit in the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena.
“Not taking no for an answer” is the story of my life, as one obstacle to environmental protection, human rights, accountability and transparency fell after another, since 1974.
As the St. Augustine Record established in its November 19, 2006 editorial, “Important to Always Stick to Your Guns,” this has been the way of my life, from editing the Appalachian Observer and exposing government and Union Carbide mercury-dumpers at the Oak Ridge, Tennessee Y-12 Nuclear Weapons Plant (1981 -1983) to most recently, in the City of St. Augustine, where persistent insensitivity to the rights of African-American residents has yielded to a new City Manager with vision and compassion (2005-2010).
Richard Holbrooke was a force of nature. Richard Holbrooke’s “Wonderful Life” saved lives and shared hope around the world. Richard Holbrooke’s handling of the Dayton (Ohio) peace accords alone is amazing – twice he impressed upon Slobodan Milosovevich, a war criminal, the awesome power of the United States, and the need to stop killing his fellow countrymen. Holbrooke did so the first time by showing the Serbian autocrat America’s missiles and airplanes. Holbooke did so the second time by taking to Belgrade the American Air Force General who would either surveill or bomb Serbia if it did not stop harming the Kosovars.
Progressives must be more proactive and stand for up environmental protection and human rights. Like Richard Holbrooke, we “won’t take no for an answer.” Here’s the Record’s November 19, 2006 editorial:
Editorial: Always important to stick to your guns
From Staff
Publication Date: 11/19/06
Soon-to-be-former-Mayor George Gardner let one rip at the St. Augustine City Commission meeting last week when he went after city gadfly Ed Slavin.
For those of you who don't know, Slavin is a regular at City Commission meetings. He is quick to point out what he thinks is wrong with city government, which is plenty.
Slavin is not subtle. If he thinks you're a crook, he'll tell you to your face.
And, yes, Hizzoner is correct that Slavin can be abrasive, although he's always polite when he calls us, even if he is questioning our competency, which means he's not always alone in his views.
Hizzoner pointed out that Slavin has asked the City Commission about 200 questions, which the mayor thinks is an abuse of the public comment section of its meetings.
And he went after Slavin, pointing out that he was disbarred in Tennessee in part because of his harassment and intimidation of officers of the court. Slavin questioned judges' competency in court and hurled insults at other lawyers.
Well, that's true.
It's also true that without Slavin the citizens of St Augustine would not have known the city was illegally dumping waste material in a borrow pit off Homes Boulevard.
After the mayor spoke, he got a standing ovation from almost everyone in the room. Only our reporter and Slavin remained seated.
We're here to tell you this. Ed Slavin is brilliant. Not just bright, brilliant. The Supreme Court of Tennessee, in finding fault with him, acknowledged his "intellect and legal skills."
Here's some stuff you may not know about Slavin. As the editor of the Appalachian Observer in 1982, he filed a request to get some federal documents declassified. Because of his persistence, he found out and shared with the world that the Department of Energy Oak Ridge (Tenn.) Operations had "lost" 2.4 million pounds of mercury in Oak Ridge. Later it turned out they had actually lost 4.2 million pounds of mercury.
His work discovered widespread DOE and contractor misconduct. That became a national story.
He went on to become a public interest attorney, armed with his view of never giving up because individuals can change history.
Yes, Slavin is persistent. Yes, he overplays his hand a lot. Yes, he can be obnoxious. And, yes, we would not want to be on the receiving end of Slavin¹s barbs any more than we already are.
But we¹re happy that there are gadflies like Slavin in our world. They add texture to our public forums and, as in the case of the illegal dumping, get it right sometimes.
So, to our public officials, we suggest you get thicker skins.
To those of you who stood up to applaud the mayor after he lambasted Slavin, shame on you for trying to stifle free speech. All of us should defend people's right to express their views, even when they are unpopular.
And to Slavin, you may want to soften your delivery, but don't be hushed. Remember that it's not important to be popular; it is important to stick to your guns.
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© The St. Augustine Record
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