[Peace-discuss] Rethinking Oct. 27

[Laurie at advancenet.net]

Wendy,

Please see my reply to Karen Medina as it addresses your response.  

> Vandalism will just make most people write protesters
> off as nutjobs or criminals.

Most of those who are not inclined to support the protests to some degree
already are already writing of the protesters as nut jobs, criminals, and
engaged in treason. Those who are inclined to some degree to accept the
protesters and their protests as legitimate and having some merit typically
take them as part of the scenery and no more.

> AWARE's Saturday demonstrations seem to
> get attention without breaking the law, and well-written letters to the
> editor also get noticed.

Here we disagree.  I think you are being overly optimistic.  Besides is the
objective of the protests to get attention and noticed or to produce actual
concrete changes in policies, actions, and events. An auto accident gains my
attention and gets noticed by me and other motorists; but it does not mean a
thing if no one gets out of their cars to actually help the victims and
assist them in concrete ways.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net [mailto:peace-discuss-
> bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Wendy Edwards
> Sent: Wednesday, October 10, 2007 4:52 PM
> To: Laurie
> Cc: Peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Rethinking Oct. 27
> 
> On Wed, Oct 10, 2007 at 04:43:53PM -0500, Laurie wrote:
> >
> > That was a very good response.  Ironically, I agree that inaction is
> a form
> > of action and there is no such thing as an innocent bystander.
> Indeed,
> > inaction can be frightening.  I just think that there are more
> effective and
> > proactive actions that one could take and be more effective.
> Disruptive
> > civil disobedience, a willingness to stop business form being carried
> out as
> > usual by the general public so as to piss them off, and even acts of
> > violence against property might be more effective than marching with
> signs.
> > Sometimes you have to become a monster to fight a monster.  Often the
> > non-violent protests are only effective, if at all, because they are
> carried
> > out against a background of disruptive and violent protests.
> >
> No, you really don't want to get into violent protests, even "violence
> against property."  Vandalism will just make most people write
> protesters
> off as nutjobs or criminals.  AWARE's Saturday demonstrations seem to
> get attention without breaking the law, and well-written letters to the
> editor also get noticed.
> 
> Wendy
> 
> 
> 
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