Having spent much of the last 50 years on electoral politics and lawmaking, I appreciated Greg Kesich’s Sept. 2 op-ed, “Clinton caught telling the truth to Black Lives Matter activists.”
Kesich, commenting on Hilary Clinton’s exchange with activists on how social change is achieved – change hearts or change minds – said, “She came across as someone who knows from hard experience how the system works … .”
She does. She recognizes that personal changes of heart are desirable, but rare. She urged those who confronted her to fight for laws that incrementally promote change in behavior, however reluctant, over time.
The growing popularity of the Affordable Care Act is an example. It’s the law, and states are complying no matter how much some governors hate it.
Similar change has occurred in the office of the Kentucky county clerk who denied same-sex marriage licenses in defiance of the Supreme Court. Licenses are being issued by her deputies, whether or not she changes either her heart or her behavior.
Clinton, a seasoned politician, has proposed far-reaching change in many areas. Her exchange with the Black Lives Matter activists shows she has the savvy and determination to make change happen.
Michael Petit
Portland
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