Protesting does nothing. I see and hear all about these people "getting together" to "protest" whatever they don't like, ranging from tutition fees to some government policy. While it's good people aren't being total slaves to the government (which ironically, with all the bills being put forth by the Bush Admin., you'd figure they'd want people to be all the same.), walking out and slowing down traffic won't get people to support your cause - if anything, you'll piss them off and they'll hate your cause. Getting in the way of pedestrians won't get your cause supported. If you want to actually do something, get together a band of people and protest where it counts: The government office (of your MP, MPP, whatever). You're trying to get your message across to them, not some idiot walking down the street trying to get to Subway or wherever.
The person you're trying to annoy/get your point across to is your representitive. If you bitch at them, maybe, just maybe, they'll take what you have to say and present it to the House of Commons or at least their party. Since the government works in a certain way, judging things with different weight (I was told this a few years ago but it's something like this: Telephone call = 1 vote. Written letter = 10 votes.. showing up to the office = 100 votes. 5+ people showing up at the office = 1000 votes. Something along those lines), not bringing it to their attention is a waste of everyone's time - especially the protestors. You're not accomplishing anything by bothering people who don't care. Slowing traffic will get you more likely to be run over, and I've seen that happen. (Almost - the guy was riding on the hood.)
In summary, if you're going to protest, at least do it out of the way of the public and in the face of the person that you're trying to get the message to.
-Mark
2 comments:
Exactly. Don't get me wrong, the right to demonstrate is an important element in our so-called democratic state, and I've been to more than my fair share. But the problem with most protests is that many of the participants are not doing it for ideological or political reasons, but simply for the glory of their own massive egos. These people do it because they want to seem edgy or cool, especially when it comes to something like freezing tuition fees or protesting Bush. As you pointed out, rather than doing something constructive (how about starting a bonfire in front of a govt bldg in the middle of the night? that'll get noticed!), these people choose to halt traffic by blocking the entrance to a 7/11 in the middle of the afternoon so they can feel big and important. That's not activism, it's masturbation.
"More than your fair share.." so you mean... 1?
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