CopyDiva

William Ayers when he was young, idealistic & dangerous

If you were even remotely paying attention to the mud-slinging prior to the election, there’s no way you missed the Bill Ayers controversy – you know, the one that Sarah Palin latched on to to say that Obama was hanging around with terrorists. I have a lot to say about that, but I won’t. Instead, I point you to an Op-Ed piece written by Bill Ayers in Saturday’s NYTimes to illustrate an amazing display of restraint in these “pay attention to me” times.

There’s alot of conversation about responding quickly to negative posts online, particularly ones that have to do with personal or brand reputation (see the Motrin Moms controversy - anyone remember that?). The Bill Ayers story offers an opposing viewpoint. It posits that sometimes, the right decision is no response – avoiding the spotlight, take no calls from the media, make no comments on a blog. Total silence.

Instead of jumping into the fray, he let his personal reputation be battered, knowing that anything he said would be twisted and perhaps create worse problems for the Obama campaign. He stuck with this decision even though he received death threats. Even though it was probably very upsetting to read, hear and watch what was being said about him. He waited until after the election was over:

“With the mainstream news media and the blogosphere caught in the pre-election excitement, I saw no viable path to a rational discussion. Rather than step clumsily into the sound-bite culture, I turned away whenever the microphones were thrust into my face. I sat it out.”

Whether you agree with Bill Ayers or not, his decision, and the Op-Ed, show a grace and media skill not easily come by. He stated his ideals, apologized for indiscretions, and explained what he did (with the hindsight of more than 35 years as reflection). He defended his reputation now, when frankly, no one is paying attention. And he used one small paragraph to explain his limited association with President-elect Obama- plainly and simply.

In today’s wonder of instant media (and instant access to many viewpoints), it takes great courage to leave open the door of controversy and let vitriol die its own death. How would things have turned out if he had jumped in? What would have been the impact on the Obama campaign? Would Bill Ayers have opened himself up to an escalation of death threats?

What do you think? Would it have been better for him to speak out during the campaign?