Before You Ask, No I Am Not A Radical.

That being said, I wholly support any action which results in changes that promote awareness of human rights violations anywhere at any time -- even when I cannot participate. Radicalism is merely a cog in the machinery of change, in my opinion. Radical activity resulting in direct and immediate change is generally not the status quo. Successful radical groups do not act in haste, they plan their actions carefully and skillfully. They know the enemy of their cause well before taking any action and, in some cases, are successful in achieving results.

Ok, why am I saying all this gobbledygook? Nothing makes me happier than to see Morgan Jon Fox quickly organize and assemble people to come to the aid and defense of our new friend. He is in a crisis situation and the most important thing that can happen to a person in crisis is to let them know that someone cares.

However, as the person who generated this story to The Pesky Fly, Morgan's call to action puts me in a difficult position. If I say that I think the action was done in haste, then I will be told that I don't support the cause. I will be said to be dismantling the cause or, in some way, portraying it as "stupid" to visitors.

On the other hand, if I say that the action taken today was done correctly and that I agree with the effectiveness of it, I'm lying to you and to myself.

One has to ask onesself if the purpose for calling attention to a cause is for personal glory or for the greater good. The very reason that I leaked this story to The Pesky Fly before blogging about it myself was that I wanted to instill the same upset I was feeling to someone within the press whose audience is much broader than my own and whom I know to be an ally. Initially, I thought to stay out of it altogether. Now, I feel a sense of responsibility to everyone I've gotten involved-- to my readers, to Morgan, and primarily to Zach and others like him.

Much of my thinking today is the result of my own choice to seek out self-help groups, to see things from a different perspective. The difference between my experience and what this young man is experiencing is the element of choice. Forcing someone into self-help has never been proven to be effective, and less than 5% of those who, by choice, are involved in the self-help groups with which I have been involved remain focused on the ideals of that self-help group for more than 1 year.

I'm grappling with all of these concepts meeting headlong in an issue that I have strong feelings about. Now I feel like I've been twisted every which direction, not really knowing what to say or do.

At the end of it all, there is the young man at the center of things. He is the person whom all of this is about. It's not about me or Fly or Morgan or anyone else. It's about a violation of his human rights being carried out in the name of Christianity or God. It's about granting him the freedom of expression to be the person he already is without fear of repercussion. It's about sending a message that this type of mind-numbing fundamentalist behaviour induces people to live in fear of themselves constantly.

You can pray for lies to become the truth, but no matter how hard you pray they will never be true.

I was just informed, moments ago, that the ACLU is on the case. For our friend's sake, I hope this makes his life better.