I firmly believe protestors have a right to shut down busy highways, freeways, places of business and higher education.
I firmly believe protestors have a right to shut down busy highways, freeways, places of business and higher education.
You identify a problem, you then call the attention of your family, friends and peers and really anyone who will listen to your rantings and ravings. After which if enough people support your claim to give confidence of legitimacy, you voice your concerns to authority. Or governing body or anyone that has been designated for the responsibility of resolving issues that arise within the realm of the aforementioned wrinkle in the rug. Only in the direst of need would would you and your conglomeration of dissatisfied citizenry shout, picket or otherwise raise a ruckus to your needs but life is such that needs be great at times. Go figure.
No, typically your movement starts with a letter campaign, phone calls and emails. If you're real lucky you might get a tête-à-tête with someone and if you're doubly lucky, on your way to resolution. It doesn't go down like that for most causes, most of the time it's all but ignored. Fear not seekers of change there is a way to avoid a fizzle out, get more people to join. Of course you could jump straight to hard disruption of daily life but letter writing, emails and phone calls are considered good places to start. Needs be great though and ignorance is willful and bliss. About now is a good time for ye ol' controlled rabble rousing... (it's a joke) but good intentions don't account for the actions of others though property damage doesn't trump a just cause. The bill on justification will come due and I expect to be satisfied. Feelings on rainbows don't meet my admittedly meager standards on letting your opinion be known, not that anyone asked.
There's not much recourse for your average person if the effects of your stance did not sway affections, unless that person is a multi-billion dollar corporation (cuz come on guys, corpos are people too) then you just drown the problem in money until it's buried or washed away to become someone else's problem. Most people are left with a problem unresolved and a pain in their chest that's not from the cuts, bruises or contusions that can accompany making your displeasure publicly known.
I would like to take this moment to tell you how stupid anyone is that intends to create change with the destruction of life that is not their own. I make an exception for self-immolation. If you believe in your cause so strongly that your only option is to extinguish your own flame in a dazzling display of sheer will. You get my respect for your force of determination if not your cause. The only 72 things anyone else gets though is in being blasted to 72 different dimensions of pain and shrapnel and good riddance too.
That is all to say that if you can't pay and you won't choose violence what other avenue is left to pursue?
Stop the machinations that allow people to remain willfully ignorant of the problem. I am sorry that you might be late to work, I'm sorry that couldn't get your triple pump whateverthefuck you're getting in a cup that makes you feel like the emptiness inside isn't so vast, I'm sorry you were delayed running those errands. I'm sorry for your death during a cardiac episode stuck in traffic. I am sorry. But to the point where your life has to stop in its tracks so you will listen, it's important. Some person decided to put their own life in danger to warn you that your own and those around you are also in danger. I'm not saying it is not a bitter pill.
Let us not forget that all of this is predicated on the assumption that when the piper cometh those ends were indeed justified by the means. What constitutes a worthy reason is beyond the purview of the arguments I'm laying forth. As for the eggs that are gonna get cracked, I don't mourn the loss of property only loss of life. In the many words I have used, I am saying that there is a reason the right to free speech and assembly are enshrined in places around the world and I believe in that reason. Whether or not those rights are protected in an equal and fair manner is a whole different can of worms.
tldr; I wrote this for amusement and for the play on words, doesn't mean I don't believe it. By default I care more about my own bodily waste than I'm going to care about your reactionary opinion. Exceptions will be made for adding to the conversation, upgrade to better-than-what-I'm-scooping-out-of-the-litter-boxes-at-home levels of interest.
I thank you for joining me in this ramble. Have a wonderful day.
edit: just want to give a couple special shoutouts, I won’t name names but you’ll know if I’m talking about you. First, to my peeps that are taking this personally, offensively or otherwise as an insult; fucking good, you need to face uncomfortable topics more often and I’m glad I could be there for you and share in this together. Second, to my peeps who found themselves vindicated in their original positions; the same to you as the first group. This has absolutely been my pleasure so thank you if you voted or voiced an opinion. Going to sleep for now but if you call me back to this topic with something good I’ll try to catch you in the morning.
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Your freedoms extend only so far as they aren’t encroaching upon others freedoms. Blocking my freedom of movement included
Until individual freedom encroaches on the others is right. Move, be moved or lose all freedom. Joining costs only the freedoms you’re willing to sacrifice, turning away costs only what you’re willing to take with you.
You and I won’t agree but I appreciate your point of view.
I don’t even understand what you’re trying to say there lol. You don’t have a right to block people from driving their car to work, under any circumstances. Period.
It’s not justified, no matter what the cause you’re trying to bring awareness to. It’s selfish.
Selfish is matter of perspective. Selfish to impose collective will on the individual or selfish to impede progress for the masses in the name of personal freedom. Something has to give, someone is going to lose.
No, I don’t get to care about any of that bullshit, because I need to get to work so that I can feed my family. So it’s great that you have some hill you want to die on, but my family will die if you stop me from getting to work. See?
I understand your position but respectfully your family is as important to me as my hypothetical cause is to you.
"Your cause" is some macro thing, and blocking my car will have zero effect in achieving whatever you're looking to achieve. My family is all that maters to me. And blocking my car will just result in you getting run over. So don't do it
What an idiotic argument
Zero effect on you but not the person sitting next to you or the one behind you. If you are willing and able to crush one or several people under your vehicle for the sake of your precious family. Do so. The person impeding your path needs to be alright at that possibility.
Zero effect on you but not the person sitting next to you or the one behind you.
This sounds like you think you could convince anyone of your cause by doing this, but that's just wishfull thinking. The only favor you gain is from people already supporting said cause, everyone else is somewhere in the range of mildly annoyed to absolutely fuming.
I suppose it can read like that but I don’t think it’s effective in that regard. Maybe you don’t get them on your side but if you get them riled enough they might start looking at other problems that might need fixing. The enemy of my enemy is at the very least a possible ally. It’s a better position than aware of the problem you’ve been shouting about but deemed not worthy of action.
Alright buddy. Instead of talking about it on the internet, go stand in front of some cars. Maybe getting turned into a meat crayon will make you realize how completely idiotic it is
Ain’t trying to insult you or disrespect your family so maybe I’ll ask some questions that we might find common ground. If not, no harm no foul, thank you for your time and have a good one mate.
If you would be willing to kill for your family, as you said you’d run me over if I placed myself between you and your kin, would you also be willing to die for them? At the end of all options some fucked up scenario where one or all of your family would live and prosper but only your sacrifice would ensure so, would you willingly get turned into a meat crayon for them? If not them then what? I hardly meet people who don’t hold anything so dear they wouldn’t be willing to die for. Now doing and talking are night and day but all we doing is talking.
If there’s nothing worth laying your life down for keep on trucking on trucking on babe, nothing here concerns you and many blessings to you and your family
The collective will is objectively that you can and will be arrested for protesting in a way that deprives others of their rights. We live in a democracy, and already have a way of deciding things collectively, which is far superior to mob justice.
It would be easier for me to acquiesce to this argument if it felt like democracy was a voice for collective will and not just the rich few. If I’m willing to be punished for my actions shouldn’t others be too?
You not believing in democracy where you live gives you the right to force potentially deadly consequences upon others?
You seem too bright for this to make sense mate.
If you still stand by it though, I’d strongly recommend you start working towards a career in politics to be the change you wish to see in this world. If people like what you wish to change, you should do well.
I truly appreciate your contributions to this conversation.
To answer your question, that is not my position at all. Regardless of my personal feelings on democracy and its current state it isn’t my justification for protesting in a way with potentially deadly consequences. When all other options have been exhausted or in situations of true need you can and you should protest in a manner that might have deadly consequences. And should you choose to protest in a way with potentially deadly consequences you can and should be judged for any and all consequences.
I would make an awful politician. I don’t want the power nor responsibility. Sorta just want to shake it all loose, break it down to more manageable pieces, get rid of anything that’s broken beyond repair or unnecessary and turn it over to everyone else so a greater number of people can have a say in how it’s shaped. Not exactly a winning platform.