In 2004, "South Park" aired the episode "Douche and Turd." The episode concerned an election to adopt a new mascot for South Park Elementary, with the two sole choices being the titular Giant Douche and Turd Sandwich. The show, which aired a week before the nation had to choose between George W. Bush and John Kerry for the presidency, not only satirized the often-mediocre choices we face come election season but also the sheer frenzy Americans are prone to work themselves into when they take a stance on public figures.
In the lead-up to Tuesday's Accent Speaker’s Bureau event with the Rev. Al Sharpton and former New York City Police commissioner Ray Kelly, the rhetoric on campus surrounding one or both figures sounded a little too similar to that surrounding the Turd Sandwich (and/or Giant Douche).
Prior to the event itself, the Facebook page was littered with phrases like "liberal propaganda," "boycott," "disgraceful" and other buzzwords people like to throw around when they’re upset. All of them concerned Al Sharpton, who is far from an ideal representative of nuanced discourse. As far as Ray Kelly, the perpetual defender of the NYPD’s deplorable stop-and-frisk policy, is concerned, the less said on his public statements, the better.
While we’re disappointed Accent opted to have the controversial Sharpton speak on American policing in lieu of individuals like Ta-Nehisi Coates — an acclaimed journalist and a recipient of the MacArthur "Genius Grant" — or Michael Render, aka rapper Killer Mike — who touched on similar subject matter during a talk at Florida State University on Tuesday — the organization nonetheless did an excellent job of pairing publicly visible ideological opponents for a spirited conversation.
Regardless of these criticisms, the conversation, moderated by UF law professor Katheryn Russell-Brown, proved to be an engaging, if sometimes frustrating, experience. We are sure many were surprised by the myriad points Sharpton and Kelly agreed upon, such as the importance of body cameras and the need for better screening protocols in hiring police officers. Kelly’s proposal that police officers be required to have a four-year college degree was a particularly refreshing perspective, considering many law enforcement officials have been reluctant to make any public criticisms of the profession. What’s more, both men were united in telling the audience an increased circulation of firearms and concealed carry permits is a decidedly bad idea.
Despite these breakthroughs, Kelly still couldn’t wrap his head around why #AllLivesMatter is a dismissive phrase, and Sharpton seemed incapable of NOT being a showman at any given time. But if these are our largest qualms for an event that had people #outraged, we feel comfortable in calling it an overall success.
Huh. It’s almost as if when two people on opposite sides of the political spectrum sit down to have a respectful discussion, common ground can be found and reason, rather than ranting, can prevail. It’s as novel a concept as we’ve ever seen, and it would be neat if we could see more of it here at UF.
