A Peaceful Protest

[U2democrat]

For my fellow Bush-loathers, here's a good peaceful way to protest.

www.turnyourbackonbush.org

Verte you should do this! If that's not exam week for me I'm definitely going.

No egg throwing, no cursing, just a simple turn 180°.

 

[verte76]

Thanks U2dem, I signed up for the mailing list! I can't actually attend, but I'll meet like-minded people on the list no doubt!

 

[U2democrat]

peaceful protests are the most effective. the violent ones just backfire on the cause.

 

[nbcrusader]

Peaceful protests are great. But were does the message come in? What message does this have? One of unity or division? Other than showing your lack of support for Bush, what is the goal?

 

[starsgoblue]

Speaking of peaceful protests....sometimes I find myself wondering--are we on the verge on another social movement? Real societal change has come from the people and not the government itself nessacarily, more often change has come from people responding directly to what is wrong with the govt. practives. Case in point, the civil rights movement and people like MLK.

Do you think we could be toeing the line of another significant social movement?

 

[A_Wanderer]

I think that mankind is on the verge of a significant social and political movement, now the question becomes if there is going to be such movements will results be in form of jackboots or free speech.

 

[starsgoblue]

Forgive my ignorance, jackboots?

 

[A_Wanderer]

An allusion to Nazism my friend, if there is a global movement will it take the form of a violent and authoritarian system or will there be a shift in mankind towards free expression of ideas. I personally would like to see the latter, the 20th Century is a gallery of the danger of absolute power. Humanity is better than all that, but the will of the few seems to control the many.

*Note that the context of National Socialism was proper for the particular post.

 

[Hawk269]

to the back on Bush

 

[verte76]

Peaceful protests are great. But were does the message come in? What message does this have? One of unity or division? Other than showing your lack of support for Bush, what is the goal?

I would say mainly self-expression. In my book protests are mainly about communication and re-affirmation of your values and principles. It's been suggested by psychologists that protests are really, really good for your mental health. It would be really bad for us if we didn't do anything. It's better to act on your feelings and express them, not hide them.

 

[verte76]

Speaking of peaceful protests....sometimes I find myself wondering--are we on the verge on another social movement? Real societal change has come from the people and not the government itself nessacarily, more often change has come from people responding directly to what is wrong with the govt. practives. Case in point, the civil rights movement and people like MLK.

Do you think we could be toeing the line of another significant social movement?

I think so. There's going to be a big movement. It must come from the people, not the politicians. Real change is always from the people. The Civil Rights legislation was only signed as a result of action by the people. Every time there is change it comes from popular pressure.

 

[nbcrusader]

I would say mainly self-expression. In my book protests are mainly about communication and re-affirmation of your values and principles. It's been suggested by psychologists that protests are really, really good for your mental health. It would be really bad for us if we didn't do anything. It's better to act on your feelings and express them, not hide them.

Fair enough. It seems that a number of this generation want to re-create the social movements of the 60's.

 

[U2democrat]

Fair enough. It seems that a number of this generation want to re-create the social movements of the 60's.

With the growing Republican power currently in Washington, there is a sense of something about to explode under the surface. I was talking to a guy at my church that right now it seems like we're going back to the 50s, which means we'll have the 60s all over again. That's fine with me I just wish we could reduce the violent extremists.

 

[U2democrat]

History does after all repeat itself........

 

[verte76]

Fair enough. It seems that a number of this generation want to re-create the social movements of the 60's.

I think it's a little more "instinctive". It's not that anyone is explicitly saying "OK, let's go out and re-do the '60's". It's more that people will find a way to express their feelings and their hopes and dreams in peaceful protest activities. I mean, I went to the February 15th demonstration against the war in Iraq with fever of 102. There was no way I was going to miss that protest, fever or no fever. Protesting is a deeply personal expression. Like U2democrat said history repeats itself. I think a big time protest movement is going to become visible just by the nature of the body politic in the U.S. right now, not because of some nostalgia or whatever.