Do Fasts Have Political Impact Anymore?

[Mike03]

Two of my heroes, Gandhi and Jonathan Kozol, utilized the fast as a means of protesting political developments they strongly opposed. Many people have fasted to stop the Iraq war.

Gandhi's fasts seemed to make a difference, but that was decades ago.

Very few people even seem to know that the great author and former teacher Jonathan Kozol has been on a liquid fast for months trying to get No Child Left Behind out of our schools. He is an old man, and he has lost thirty pounds that he can't afford to lose. And we can't afford to lose Jonathan Kozol.

I have even heard people laugh at and ridicule political fasters.

I have fasted, but for spiritual reasons rather than to make a point. In fact, I never tell people that I'm fasting.

1. Do you think these gestures are effective in a modern world where people seem not to care about other humans anymore?

2. To broaden this question slightly, do you think that Gandhi's methods of passive resistence are still relevant? If so, why is not more common?

3. Why do you think people laugh at methods of protest like non-violence and fasting? Have they always laughed at them, or is this a new development? Do you think these methods have a place now?