It does seem, then, that this was (to put it callously) a publicity stunt aimed at shining a light on this very real nightmare for detainees. That is, qualified as they may have been to give the vaccines, they went there (with press in tow?) fully expecting to be turned away.
Randy Hayes, founder of Rainforest Action Network, has pointed out that the root of the word “radical” is the same as for “radish” which is to say “root.” Radical action gets right to the root of the problem. So, they should have no problem being labeled “radical” for their wise approach.
I feel the same about the “radical” branding as I did when George HW Bush labeled Dukakis as a “Liberal,” making it sound like a swear word. Dukakis backpedaled when he should have gone head on and said “yes, the democratic party is typically liberal in its politics - that is what defines our parties’ differences.” He could have made fun of Bush for trying to make it a bad word. Instead, he caused the DNC to shift to the right.
Spot on!
