Posted on 09/06/2008 7:18:42 PM PDT by markomalley
I've got this thing about demonstrators: They turn me off, big-time. Pro, anti, protester or counter-protester, street theater just leaves me cold.
It doesn't matter whether I agree with them (pro-lifers waving bloody pictures) or disagree (Code Pink waving their bloody hands), they generally appall me. Interrupting people is interrupting people. Shock is shock. There's nothing redeeming about it.
Peaceful, dignified marchers, showing respectful solidarity in a cause, are one thing. But screamers indulging the urge to Act Out are another altogether.
Perhaps the moment that tore it for me and protesters forever occurred in 1982, when my newspaper was sponsoring a U.S. Senate campaign debate. I drew the duty of explaining to the pro-life demonstrators -- led by a woman who was a friend of mine and was in the folk choir with me at church -- why they could only come in if they promised not to disrupt. The woman, my friend, was screaming in my face, transported by her mission. And you know what? I don't remember abortion being much of an issue in that race. Certainly, nothing she was doing helped further discussion on the topic.
Angry appeals to emotion militate against rational political decisions. They get in the way; they erect new barriers to communication where there were already too many to begin with.
Over-the-top misbehavers like, say, Code Pink only create sympathy for the objects of their wrath. I always wonder, what is the point for them, besides satisfying some primal urge to attract attention? Whatever they think they're doing, I'll tell you what they're accomplishing: Zero. Zip. Nada.
At least one of my children disagrees with me about this, by the way: She says that because I have the outlets I do, I can't possibly understand the frustrations of those who can't, for instance, bring the people they disagree with in for a sit-down chat. I get the point. But I'm pretty sure that even if I weren't the editorial page editor of the state's largest newspaper, people who prefer shouting to reasoning would still turn me off. And I strongly suspect that they turn off more people than they inspire.
Making fools of themselves does not leave the general public with good impressions.
Thinking?
Well not thinking very well strategically speaking. Or yelling.
Hey Kristen did you go to the RNC?
Yall know kristen has been single handedly (perhaps with some other freepers with him) trying to de funk and expose this wanna be radical group.
Um IncPen you are being to kind to these old angry scallywags by posting that visual.
There is value in protesting and street theater.
Your objection appears to be the decibel level, which could be modified.
They do it for the attention they personally get since most of them get no other attention. They say it is for the “cause” but really it is a desparate plea for attention.Well adjusted people don’t parade around dressed up like it’s Halloween!
Brad, go bite yourself.
Exactly who provided the passes to the protesters of Senator McCains acceptance speech?
It has been widely rumoured/reported here at FreeRebublic that they had Media Passes.
USA! USA! USA!
Some say it was the media, some say it was Ron Paul delegates. It was probably both.
So is that her brains showing, there?
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