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TBF

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25. I was in high school & college in the 80's - the Reagan years

Thu May 2, 2024, 03:42 PM

May 2

but my parents were young in the 60s. They were in a small town and not part of Woodstock and all that, but it was those times. My dad went to Vietnam (naval service) and my mom was very much a liberal thinker despite the surroundings. Eventually, when my dad returned from the service they both worked union jobs (midwest) so I grew up hearing about strikes, picketing etc. My dad felt the union was a necessary evil, not perfect due to the violence (this was north of Chicago - the paper and auto unions were violent against scabs etc), but it was all they had. He said they had to stick together or management wouldn't give them anything.

I went to college and never worked for a union. I was influenced a lot by my parents, but also some by the conservative surroundings and Reagan years. My own daughter is in college now and doing her postings on social media for Palestine, despite my pro-Israel ravings ... I am proud of her because she thinks for herself (even when she's wrong - lol!).

I don't have a problem with the protesting and the awareness it brings - they are in the news every night (and all over social media). I don't even get worked up over destruction of property - still my father's daughter. Really don't care if owners have to rebuild something if they've been a total ass to people all along. But I'm having a hard time with the anti-semitism & the Jewish college students watching lessons on Zoom because they've been so intimidated. Maybe the protestors don't mean for them to take it personally, that they really are targeting the Israeli government, but that needs to come out a little more I think. Right now they are feeling very intimidated and hated.

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For your consideration: When is a protest more than just a protest? [View all] EarlG May 2 OP

Thanks for a thoughtful essay on this subject. Voltaire2 May 2 #1

It seems to me that a lot of the "violent" actions in this movement LauraInLA May 2 #3

i was at the same march in 03. w my bff, a fallen away catholic w a jewish hubs. some assholes mopinko May 2 #16

A protest that does NOT devolve into violence requires organization and leadership The Mouth May 2 #33

Preventing students from moving about campus RandySF May 2 #2

Perhaps it's easier for things to go wrong if you're not properly organized EarlG May 2 #4

Social media makes it easy for bad actors, zealots, and extremists to show up and derail your protest no matter how FSogol May 2 #8

"Promoting violence against fellow students because they're Jewish. Trashing university facilities." Cha May 2 #35

Most of the civ il rights/anti-war protests I went to were peaceful until the very un peaceful Ping Tung May 2 #5

Protests are a form of political speech -- a way to sway public opinion EarlG May 2 #9

Agreed. Demos are supposed to bring attention and sympathy for the cause. Ping Tung May 2 #14

beau of the 5th column had a vid about this the other day. about the book. mopinko May 2 #18

watch this- mopinko May 2 #22

I agree with this: LeftInTX May 2 #6

Leaders who can communicate and articulate help flamingdem May 2 #7

Are you too young to remember the Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp of the 1980s? muriel_volestrangler May 2 #10

I have some vague recollections EarlG May 2 #13

I'm definitely old enough to remember that time period. ShazzieB May 2 #32

If we'd bring back the soapbox we wouldn't have these dilemmas. After all, it only supports one protester at a time ... littlemissmartypants May 2 #11

Authorities are usually responsible for the violence Doc Sportello May 2 #12

I'm glad someone finally mentioned agent provocateurs. returnee May 3 #43

That term was also used a lot during the 60s protests Doc Sportello May 3 #46

My earliest recall of protest was a strike. cachukis May 2 #15

It seems that peaceful disobedience worked for Martin Luther King and Gandhi. surfered May 2 #17

Gandhi had his hands full! He had to deal with Nehru and Jinnah in addition to the Brits. LeftInTX May 2 #24

Both were assassinated IronLionZion May 2 #30

Yes, but they knew their cause was more important. "I may not make it there with you." surfered May 2 #39

Thank you for an excellent post on protests. wnylib May 2 #19

My earliest were taking over University Buildings for sit ins organized cally May 2 #20

anything that holds another person captive or impedes them ClaudetteCC May 2 #21

The "occupation" stage is where a protest becomes more than a protest, IMO SpankMe May 2 #23

Great points. I especially like the point about wnylib May 2 #29

was Bundy ClaudetteCC May 2 #34

Yes Alice Kramden May 2 #41

I was in high school & college in the 80's - the Reagan years TBF May 2 #25

One key is non-violence Wild blueberry May 2 #26

It seems a lot of people are... Think. Again. May 2 #27

The Women's March in 2017 seemed perfect to me. LisaM May 2 #28

Me too. The Womens March in LA in 2017 was magnificent. SunSeeker May 2 #36

Oops, I meant 2017. LisaM May 2 #37

And the Women's Marches (multiple) got permits... brooklynite May 3 #45

I was in college in the 1970's. bluescribbler May 2 #31

K&R MustLoveBeagles May 2 #38

This is a really thoughtful analysis, EarlG. calimary May 2 #40

K&R wnylib May 2 #42

Obsessing over the peacefulness, purity or form of a protest rather than engaging its message makes it very easy for bad WhiskeyGrinder May 3 #44

More concern about protests than the subject matter of the protests. Passages May 3 #47

Excellent analysis of protest tactics: snot May 3 #48