Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I'm interested in reading responses of as many LPers as would like to contribute, so I'd like to, if possible, keep this thread OFF actual politics and debating the individual issues/causes that might come up in the discussion. Please help so that this stays a community thread, not sent immediately off to world events. This isn't so much about specific issues as it is the whole concept of attending a rally/demonstration and your personal views of that. 1.Have you ever been to a protest/march/rally at any time? 2. If yes, tell us what it was like! Did the demonstration make progress toward your group's goals? Were the participants the type of folks you'd hoped would show up? 3. If no, have you/would you ever consider it? Why or why not? 4. Does seeing coverage of people marching for/against an issue ever sway your opinion on that issue?
Originally Posted By threeundertwo I have been to more than one "rally" for political candidates. Did it make progress toward goals? I don't really think so. A lot of preaching to the choir. Possibly mobilized some supporters to do more to spread the word. Seeing coverage never sways my opinion.
Originally Posted By Bucky N Satchel 1.Have you ever been to a protest/march/rally at any time? No 2. If yes, tell us what it was like! Did the demonstration make progress toward your group's goals? Were the participants the type of folks you'd hoped would show up? N/A 3. If no, have you/would you ever consider it? Why or why not? No, my attension span won't hang with that, I'd be bored and want to leave 5 minutes in. 4. Does seeing coverage of people marching for/against an issue ever sway your opinion on that issue? Not to my recolection
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan I have been at places where demonstrations or rallys converge. San Francisco and in Oakland, I have been going about my business when a big rally will happen nearby. I'd consider attending one if the numbers of attendees might somehow send a message or show solidarity. I don't think seeing coverage of them generally sways my opinion. (We have a 'protest corner' here in town. It's kind of a neat thing -- mainly on Friday evenings, people pro-whatever stand on one corner of a busy intersection at pring signs and try and get drivers to honk their horn in support of their cause. On the opposite corner, the anti-whatever group shows up with signs and such, trying to get drivers to honk in support of THEIR side. There's never been more than 30 people on either side. It started right after 9/11 -- several people showed up that Friday night with flags and signs, no opposition at all. Since then, the issue changes from war to abortion to elections to you-name-it. LOL -- I think afterwards, people on both sides all wind up at the Starbucks together. ; )
Originally Posted By Ursula 1.Have you ever been to a protest/march/rally at any time? Yes, two of them. 2. If yes, tell us what it was like! Did the demonstration make progress toward your group's goals? Were the participants the type of folks you'd hoped would show up? The first one I was about three. My mom was protesting something at my sister's school, something about teachers. I carried a sign, and I think the outcome was good since mom told me that it is our duty to see that wronged things are set right. I seem to recall it was teacher pay and they got their raise? The participants were all teachers or parents, so it was a nice learning opportunity. The second one was in college, and it was about AIDS and married women. I have no idea how I got involved, but we had this speaker show up who got AIDS from her philandering husband. She was preaching that ALL women should insist upon protection at all times. I left thinking I was sad for her, but couldn't and shouldn't husbands be trusted? It started turning into a pro-woman, anti-man rally and that wasn't my scene. The freaks that showed up scared me, too. I don't think any progress was made except to alienate more men from the woman's movement. 3. If no, have you/would you ever consider it? Why or why not? I would protest or demonstrate again, as long as I believed in the issue. 4. Does seeing coverage of people marching for/against an issue ever sway your opinion on that issue? No, oddly enough. It seems most people protesting today are either so passionate about what they believe in, they can seem rather silly and not very persuasive. Or, they are just protesting to get on camera and I can't stand that.
Originally Posted By DlandJB 1.Have you ever been to a protest/march/rally at any time? Many of them! Living outside of Washington DC for 33 years there was ample opportunity. What a great place to excercise your right to free speech! 2. If yes, tell us what it was like! Did the demonstration make progress toward your group's goals? Were the participants the type of folks you'd hoped would show up? There is such a broad range of events that it is hard to answer in generalities. The main goal of a demonstration is to bring attention to the issue. I'd say that in all cases that did happen. It is hard to describe without being a little specific about the issues themselves, but I'll try. One very large march and rally brought out both "pro" and "con" factions, with the "con" factions being particularly vile. But some of the "pro" folks also pushed the envelope, which made it a little uncomforable too (keep your nekkid side to yourself please) but for the most part the crowd was polite, engergized and represented a wide variety of people. I also attended a number of rallies outside the Supreme Court. Smaller groups but just as energized. Finally went also to a smaller counter protest outside a local library. It was a silent counter protest and very well attended. I think that one had less impact, but it was a good place to meet like minded folk who care about libraries in the community. Does seeing coverage of people marching for/against an issue ever sway your opinion on that issue?...Hmmm, it depends. There were some huge rallies in the last couple of years that really caught my attention. If people feel that strongly about an issue, I want to know more about why. Unless the demonstration is follow-up with with real action - trying to convince Capitol Hill, local legislatures of the strength of feeling on an issue -- then it will fade away. Just having the right to protest is a very precious thing. Whether I agree or disagree with an issue, I am always glad to see people who feel strongly make a peaceful stand on it.
Originally Posted By Lisann22 1.Have you ever been to a protest/march/rally at any time? A WHOLE bunch. When I was a kid it was with my mom in Berkeley to several civil rights marches. As a teen/adult many MLK rallies in SF and Oakland, AIDS marches and over the past 10 years many many Indian activist protests, marches and rallies. The reasons run the gamut from protecting sacred lands, reburial issues with urban development, protection of artifacts to health care issues. I've also attended some political rallies for candidates I've supported. 2. If yes, tell us what it was like! Did the demonstration make progress toward your group's goals? Were the participants the type of folks you'd hoped would show up? 50/50 on obtaining the goals. Almost all that I have participated in have been peaceful. Political rallies tend to be as JB described in her post. Most of my Indian activist type gatherings have brought on some kind of resolve. Generally, the people I thought would show have. 4. Does seeing coverage of people marching for/against an issue ever sway your opinion on that issue? I'm not sure it's completely changed my mind but I think a time or two it's made me maybe look at the issue differently or consider the opposite sides viewpoint. A lot of them have just made me roll my eyes too. ;>
Originally Posted By melekalikimaka No, I have never been to a demonstration or protest. I doubt I will ever go to one. I don't like crowds much but I also am just not the type to go to rallies or anything like that. I don't think people standing around with cardboard signs would ever change my mind about anything and God forbid they make up a chant to go with it. No "hey hey, ho ho, so-and-so has got to go" for me.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper In college I went with thousands of kids to Columbus to protest a raise in tuition fees for State schools. It was what I expected it to be. We had fun, we made some noise, noone took us seriously, the fees were raised anyway. The media was there but I think they just wanted some good tape of good looking college kids.
Originally Posted By velo I participated in many in college. Most notably against Nuclear Power/Diablo Canyon. I recall that Martin Sheen and Jackson Browne were there. More recently there have been peace marches in my hometown which I've particpated in. Have we acheived our goals? I think to some extent. Diablo was built but de-commissioned within a few years; more oversight on it's building and location were the result of people calling attention to it's many flaws. As for peace, we can only continue hoping.
Originally Posted By SuzieQ Never attended a rally, nor do I intend to. Rally's don't sway my opinion because you get the two extreme (pro and anti) views only. I'd rather look at all sides and form my own opinions. I've atteneded forums, talks, town hall meetings and that type of thing. But the big to-do's are not my thing.
Originally Posted By DAR 1.Have you ever been to a protest/march/rally at any time? Well does driving into one(not into the people themselves) count? It was a small one with about twenty people walking down the middle of the street. 2. If yes, tell us what it was like! Did the demonstration make progress toward your group's goals? Were the participants the type of folks you'd hoped would show up? Actually I didn't care what there cause was, we have sidewalks, use them, which I told some of them to do. 3. If no, have you/would you ever consider it? Why or why not? No. I have a book on the history of Milwaukee at my house. In the chapter that deals with the 60's and the civil rights movement in particular, there's a group of cacausian men protesting. Knowing my luck, I'd end up in something like that or the paper. 4. Does seeing coverage of people marching for/against an issue ever sway your opinion on that issue? No.
Originally Posted By jdub Last year I took part in a march commemorating MLK's birthday/holiday. The group was culled I think mainly from something called "South Hayward Parish," a coalition of many local churches of various faiths. In addition to people marching around the downtown/city hall area carrying signs, chanting slogans & singing, there were choir groups, special speakers, & such. As to the value of the exercise? Well, we should never take the progress this country has made for granted, and there is always room for more improvement--always. I think it beats staying home during the man's (and the movement's) holiday, but I think the "National Day of Service," where individuals & groups get together as a community to make actual changes on a local level really seems to be a better use of the day. (<a href="http://www.mlkday.gov/" target="_blank">http://www.mlkday.gov/</a>) The designated space for the march activities is relatively dead on the holiday Monday, and although there was press coverage, I think exposing a greater audience to the Day of Service projects would go further toward achieving the group's goals. Coverage of protests/marches/rallies does expose me (or rexpose me) to the issues, so in that way they are good. On the other hand, the way the demonstrators behave can sometimes make a huge difference as to the way I might feel in the future regarding their side of an issue. Of course, no sooner do I type that, than I think of the insanity of those guys a few years back, dumping all that tea...TOTALLY radical behavior--unreasonable, indeed!
Originally Posted By RoadTrip <<1.Have you ever been to a protest/march/rally at any time?>> Yes <<2. If yes, tell us what it was like! Did the demonstration make progress toward your group's goals? Were the participants the type of folks you'd hoped would show up?>> The protest was in response to Nixon's decision to mine the North Vietnamese harbors. The fact that it was a glorious spring day and near the end of the school year served to greatly increase student fervor. As we said to each other... "It's a great day for a riot". The students blocked a major road through campus for several days, tore down fences around the ROTC Armory building, and engaged in assorted mischief in nearby Dinkytown. Of course all of these actions were suitably responded to with tear gas which served to solidify our anger and resolve. After all, why were the Pigs gassing innocent students when lives were being lost in Viet Nam? All in all the student's goals were accomplished. We got out of class for a couple of days during glorious spring weather, found out what it was like to be tear-gassed, and made the national news. What more could you want? <<3. If no, have you/would you ever consider it? Why or why not?> N/A <<4. Does seeing coverage of people marching for/against an issue ever sway your opinion on that issue?>> No. I know from my own experience that although there were undoubtedly many people there who were firmly committed to the cause; the majority were there for the excitement and the weed, women and wine. At least that is how it was in 1972.
Originally Posted By RoadTrip P.S. I guess I should have probably listed the time and the place: University of Minnesota; May 1972.
Originally Posted By TomSawyer I went to an anti-apartheid rally at Berkeley in the mid-80's, because the girl I was seeing at the time wanted to go. I didn't have enough understanding of the issue to really have an opinion one way or the other, but I grew up around folks that had been at Berkeley during the big protests in the early 60s and was pretty excited about being part of another one. I might go to another protest someday if the issue was something that I felt strongly about, but I prefer going to council and board meetings and addressing the elected officials directly instead of being another face in the crowd. I had a pretty good working relationship with the local office of our congressman in Missouri and found out that you can get your opinions heard a lot more clearly if you're talking to them one on one. That girl in Berkeley convinced me to try a lot of new things.
Originally Posted By Kar2oonMan >>That girl in Berkeley convinced me to try a lot of new things.<< I think that's a different sort of 'demonstration' than I was referring to...
