March
5th
2007
Do picket type things work?
I was failing to sleep this morning so I got up and showered and went to pick up some breakfast at Dunkin Donuts. This was around 7:30am. On the way there, on the corner of King and Main I saw some people picketing "Save Darfur, Stop Genocide". On my way to Dunkin Donuts there were only two people, on my way back it had grown to four.
I used to think this kind of activism worked. That was when I was a vegetarian, and actively supported animal and human rights and other stuff. But as I got older I also grew more cynical of any individual (or even small group) contribution was of use.
Whatchya think? If you answer, I ask only one thing - avoid the clichès. I already know those. I pretty much expect no-one will answer this, but I'll post it anyway...
Immediately, no. Standing on a street corner with a sign will get you, at least, a three-minute spot in the soft-news corner of your local affiliate. Everyone knows that Darfur is bad, the opinion has been beat to death in popular and not-so-popular culture. If anyone was going to do anything about it, they’d have done it already.
HOWEVER: One of the problems in American culture (IMHO) is the feelings of disassociation and hopelessness we feel. The inability to make a “voice of the people” (hushed by an apathetic government) leaves individuals feel that they are an island of good sense in a sea of ignorance. When I see people moved to protest, it heartens me that at least some people are TRYING.
Problem is, they’re using last generation’s approach. Pickets went out with poorly-photocopied newsletters and telephone trees. Now-a-days, you need to rely on sensation, which leads to celebrity, which is the only power that can counteract government.
Eh, does trying mean anything any more? What’s the point of standing out in the freezing cold with a sign if it’s not going to get you anywhere?
And if celebrity-ism is the way to get support, then how are these grass-roots movements supposed to help, given that they probably have no cash with which to support such a campaign?
I’m depressed.
But I’m sure there’s something in a shade of grey…
Something in between…
Um, hmm, I dont think it does anything. Over a million people marched on washington to stop Iraq…we all see how that went. I dont mean to sound cynical, but even bono couldn’t stop it. I dont think celbs help, bono gets involved and most people say there he goes again, or you have some bimbo pop star saying her heart goes out to the mid-west.
I am not saying that trying isn’t worth an effort, but I dont think holding signs on the side of a street works anymore. Many people see people who do as crazy. I think a new form of protest needs to be used.
I totally agree, John. I think that people do need to take action, but I’m extremely cynical that standing on street corners (even if it were in droves, hampering businesses, which might at least have some more sensationalist coverage) is rather lacking in usefulness.
I don’t see these people as crazy, but I see their methods as hopeless and wasteful. That depresses me; I love the concept of grassroots movements, of people getting out there to accomplish something - but I don’t see this format as particularly successful.
But I’m sure there’s something in a shade of grey…
Something in between…
I think we need people who act as our public concience. Sure they don’t achieve very much, but they remind us of a situation that most people chose to forget about or ignore.
It is good too to remember that many important social and global movements started from the actions of an individual. A good example is the uppity Indian lawyer who was kicked off the ‘whites only’ carriage in Pietermaritzburg and started a global anti colonial movement.
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