I am not a fan of protests. That is to say, I never really saw their point beyond giving people a pressure valve. They go against my principles of organizing, which is basically, do something effective; have a goal in mind thats achievable and make it happen. Otherwise its just a collective feeling fest, which is great, but doesnt generally live past the moment of the protest. In my political experience, there is a goal: win an election. The biggest civil rights victories that have happened in America have happened not just because of one thing or the other, they were an organized and concerted effort to make change a reality. They incorporated many aspects -- including protest -- but also involved allies on the inside of the power structure, ambiguous figures, money and promise makers and even an established sellout organization or two. But tonight, there were a few would-be organizers rolling around the crowd with clipboards and contact sheets, asking people to volunteer into action beyond the events of tonight. Its good to see the spirit of real organizing is alive and well.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 05:13:58 +0000