Stallman divides his attention between my analogy and a
particularly tangled strand of hair. When I stretch the
analogy to the point where I'm comparing Stallman with
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Stallman, after breaking
off a split end and popping it into his mouth, cuts me off.
"I'm not in his league, but I do play the same game,"
he says, chewing.
I suggest Malcolm X as another point of comparison.
Like the former Nation of Islam spokesperson, Stallman
has built up a reputation for courting controversy,
alienating potential allies, and preaching a message
favoring self-sufficiency over cultural integration.
Chewing on another split end, Stallman rejects the
comparison. "My message is closer to King's message,"
he says. "It's a universal message. It's a message of
firm condemnation of certain practices that mistreat
others. It's not a message of hatred for anyone. And
it's not aimed at a narrow group of people. I invite
anyone to value freedom and to have freedom."
Even so, a suspicious attitude toward political
alliances remains a fundamental Stallman character
trait.
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