“And at the same time we are divided about how we ought to behave in the world. Half of us believe in and support strongly a bad thing our government is doing, while the other half do not believe in and protest strongly against the bad thing. The bad thing succeeds, and everyone, protester and supporter alike, enjoys immensely the results of the bad thing.” (Kincaid, Jamaica. “In the Garden - Alien Soul.” The New Yorker, 21 June 1993, pp. 47-51). I chose this passage because it could not be more true to today's political climate. We live in a world where Black Lives Matter is called a hate group, when the Westboro Baptist church is called a place of worship. We live in a world where Kendall Jenner can make a political statement with a can
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For example, thousands of people show up to protest at the March for Science. People scream, “Climate change is real!’’ and “Save our polar bears!” which is an immense show of outrage towards our Government denying climate change. Protesters are protesting for what they believe in. Now here’s how it gets distorted. Tour buses full of excitable tourists are brought out to see “a real- life New York protest!” Tourists, who then pay for this tour, take pictures of the protesters like wild animals in a safari tour. Then, the news media take clips of the protest and broadcasts it for all their viewers to see (I could write a whole essay on how the news twists protest coverage, but I have to fit with a word count). The next day, March for Science becomes a trending topic on Twitter, and millions of buttons and t-shirts are sold on Amazon.
I’m over capitalism, and the whole social construct of our society leaving out different races and genders who just want a seat at the table. No one is asking for anyone to be kicked out, white or of color. Protesting should have been a concept to actually change things in this country, but it has been turned by large companies into a monstrous machine with large tentacles, grasping and constricting our hopes and dreams for a better future. Protesting now has the same social media status as avocado toast. I am done with protesting being at the same popularity level as the insidious
For example, thousands of people show up to protest at the March for Science. People scream, “Climate change is real!’’ and “Save our polar bears!” which is an immense show of outrage towards our Government denying climate change. Protesters are protesting for what they believe in. Now here’s how it gets distorted. Tour buses full of excitable tourists are brought out to see “a real- life New York protest!” Tourists, who then pay for this tour, take pictures of the protesters like wild animals in a safari tour. Then, the news media take clips of the protest and broadcasts it for all their viewers to see (I could write a whole essay on how the news twists protest coverage, but I have to fit with a word count). The next day, March for Science becomes a trending topic on Twitter, and millions of buttons and t-shirts are sold on Amazon.
I’m over capitalism, and the whole social construct of our society leaving out different races and genders who just want a seat at the table. No one is asking for anyone to be kicked out, white or of color. Protesting should have been a concept to actually change things in this country, but it has been turned by large companies into a monstrous machine with large tentacles, grasping and constricting our hopes and dreams for a better future. Protesting now has the same social media status as avocado toast. I am done with protesting being at the same popularity level as the insidious