Stuck in traffic. Blue lights ahead. A variety of scenarios run through my head; an accident, a fire, a larger than usual art walk? Then the reality is revealed. Protestors. I feel myself immediately flooding with irritation.
Now, don't get me wrong, I am all about standing up for what you believe in. I get the whole 'strength in numbers' thing. What I don't get - cannot tolerate, is marching up and down busy streets, interrupting the flow of traffic. Especially when there is little regard for space and personal property.
Tonight, I headed in to town to join a friend for a drink - while waiting on my youngest, who was with friends at the art walk, and was welcomed by a throng of chanting protestors causing widespread frustration amongst drivers on the road. There was, as far as I am aware, no violence, but I would not classify the protest as a peaceful one. When you become an obstruction to traffic, a nuisance to public safety, and interrupt honest people trying to make a living, your activity cannot be considered peaceful. Traffic was pushed to the sidewalk, and yet this crowd of chanting people continued to push further against us, dragging their banners over our cars. I am thankful for retractable mirrors, as there were are number of individuals who proceeded to walk into mine.
I've heard the young and the far leaning left describe this action as 'getting involved', 'standing up for what's right', and 'effecting change', but sadly anyone who believes these things to be true is deluding themselves. To get involved, stand up for what's right, and to effectuate change requires more than bandwagon hopping, chanting and sign carrying. If you believe change is needed, then GET INVOLVED by doing something PRODUCTIVE. Join with others in a show of solidarity and strength to pass legislation, or form citizen initiatives. This passive-aggressive bullshit of protesting gets nothing done, and actually DETRACTS from what the real issues are.
There is an effective way to interrupt the daily lives of others that insights awareness and change. Protesting is NOT it. That is the most lazy excuse for involvement, it doesn't work, and is a repellent to causes that often are legitimate and deserve our full attention. Protesting is not getting involved, it is not being part of a wave of change, it is essentially a mass temper tantrum of people who can't commit to being part of real change.
I make no bones about my opinion on this; I believe that, outside of labor strikes (which are far different and actually DO affect positive change), protesting (in general and by today's standards) serves little purpose, and creates a swarm of negative energy that pushes any cause further from improvement, or resolution. Involvement takes effort and dedication, and doesn't operate under a mob-mentality. Organized protests in the form of boycotts, strikes, and silence are completely separate from the mass gatherings of people who are outraged (whether rightly so or not).
Outside of my own frustration, I felt a deepening sense of concern for my son, once it became clear that I would not be able to get anywhere close to where he would be for much of the night. I am grateful that he and his friends stayed clear of the demonstrations, and even more so that we live in an age where he is just a phone call away. By no means did this experience become frightening, just stressful and highly inconvenient. There was a definite amount of unsafe choice on the part of these demonstrators, but I believe our community to be far enough removed from the core of anger to have avoided any substantial, civil unrest. I eventually managed to connect with my son, and we are both home, quite safe and sound.
The light in all of this, the one good thing to come of these protests is the spark of discussion between my sons and I. I would hope that there are more people who use the opportunity to have intelligent and thoughtful conversations with their friends and family, but I hope for even more. That the negativity that these societal issues spark, that these protests feed, engage more of us in actually taking the time to think constructively about what needs to change, and then enables us to formulate a REAL plan of action that does not negate and go against all the innocent people caught in the crosshairs.
You do not affect change by hurting your brothers and sisters. Your neighbors, the people who are living in the same communities as you, we are all affected by these tragedies. When we take action, when we get involved, we should always consider how our involvement affects those neighbors and fellow citizens. The strength in numbers can only truly work if we are protecting and caring for that community, instead of wreaking havoc and hurting each other.
No cause for change should start with an act of negativity. It is possible to feel outrage and turn it into productive redesigning for a better tomorrow. Negative energy does not create positive change. The choice to BE and ACT positive DESPITE negative circumstance is what leads to positive change. It is time people start recognizing that, and changing how they approach the push for better.
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