Question: Would you participate in an anti-war demonstration or a “walk for peace”? (I’m not asking about your stance on the Iraq issue, but strictly whether you’d participate in something like that.) Why or why not?
Question: Would you participate in an anti-war demonstration or a “walk for peace”? (I’m not asking about your stance on the Iraq issue, but strictly whether you’d participate in something like that.) Why or why not?
Erma
February 15, 2003 — 2:52 am
I would. If I can get to a nearby location where one is being held. I may not hold a lot of power to make a change, but just going out there and getting involved shows my support for something.
Khay
February 15, 2003 — 4:55 am
Yes, and will do so today.
Moire
February 15, 2003 — 5:01 am
Maybe a well-organized, local government-sanctioned “walk,” but not a demonstration. I work in DC, and have friends and co-workers who live here. If you actually experienced what kind of damage and inconvenience that protestors and demonstrators caused to public/private property, and the city’s way of life, you’d dislike the whole idea of protestors, too. These college kids don’t seem to realize that people LIVE here. They consider it some sort of Protest Mecca. How would they like it if someone came over to their house and started breaking windows, spray-painting on the walls, slapping obnoxious stickers all over everything, and blocking their driveway by laying down in the middle of it? They likely wouldn’t enjoy it whatsoever.
Not to say that all protestors do those sorts of things. But there exists a good minority of troublemakers in any protest group, and those people give the rest of the activists a bad name.
Actually, to be honest with you, I don’t see the point. Yeah, I feel passionately about certain subjects, but I write my representatives, and tell anyone who asks my opinion. But I stay home when the IMF protestors come to town, and I turn off the news when I see coverage of such events. No one I know cares what they have to say because of how they present themselves, and I know I usually don’t. All I do know is that I dislike having them around, and when a group of them get together and start breaking shit up, I usually get pissed off and vow to ignore whatever their protesting about in the first place.
Man… Those IMF protestors have really turned me off.
But that’s just my 2 cents. Protest all you want. I don’t have to listen to you.
Tricia
February 15, 2003 — 5:30 am
I would. I plan to tomorrow.
It’s unfortunate that a few inconsiderate folks use otherwise peaceful protests as an excuse to be destructive. I witnessed that in the WTO protests in Seattle in 1999 (I lived in the downtown curfew area and couldn’t walk outside w/o smelling the pepper spray).
Regardless of a few bad eggs, peaceful protest is a powerful way to express public opinion. Most of us respond to visual images, and the pictures and video of thousands of people marching for peace will be one that we will remember. Letters to our representatives are important, as well, of course.
In addition to the message that protests and marches send, I think that I am also looking for the feeling of inclusion and community of the march. Knowing that I’m surrounded by others who also care passionately for an issue (at least enough to sacrifice a few weekend hours) will be very special.
Nora
February 15, 2003 — 6:41 am
I would. I was supposed to go to NYC this weekend for just that, but the way things are shaping up, I can’t make it.
Kris
February 15, 2003 — 12:52 pm
Thanks for the responses. There is a major event scheduled for tomorrow, the Walk Against War. Posters have been up around town for weeks. Rodd asked me the other night if I’d like to go. I said I’d been thinking about it. I have the same reservation as you guys about destructive fringe groups, but this seems to be a well-organized inclusive march and, judging by word of mouth, there should be a lot of people there. So as of now, we’ve decided to go.
(But on a totally selfish side note, it’s still possible we won’t make it. One of Rodd’s best friends is celebrating his birthday tonight, and we may end up being out pretty late. I’m going to make every effort to not be hungover though…)
Hairy Ferret
February 15, 2003 — 3:16 pm
Walk off your hangover 😉
I’m washing my hair so I can’t go either.
orangecat
February 15, 2003 — 5:20 pm
i went to the one in melbourne yesterday – got there a bit late but it was bloody fantastic. after hearing so many pro-war sentiments in the mass media it was just nice to be out and about with people who though similarly to myself.
tiffany
January 19, 2004 — 8:11 am
yes iwould because i love my freedom