In the past week, I saw Michael Moore's film Farenheight 9/11, who proceeded to speak at the distinguished speaker series here at my school. There was some concern raised with the more conservative students on campus, who thought that a person like Michael Moore should not have been invited to speak at the University. Apparantly there was this protest planned, but not carried out, because they claimed they respected the university too much to protest.
But that's exactly what my professor wanted them to do. She felt that if they felt strongly about something, they should protest. College is supposed to be the place where dissent starts. It shows you're thinking for yourself. Where has the spirit of the 60's gone? Have we all become so apathetic that we won't even stand up for something we believe in anymore? Or were the 60's just a different era, a different mindset. The internet has changed a lot of things, has it changed how we protest too?
I ask these same questions that my professor asks. Why do we not care anymore? Or can we simply not be bothered.
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I've have chained students to doors, around trees, in the parking lot...anything to prevent that vile man from entering "my" territory.
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
I'm glad that you're being proactive, but perhaps violence isn't the answer? I meant peaceful protest, as in signs and posters and such.
O_o I wouldn't hurt anyone. Chaining people up (should I have mentioned that they were willing to be chained?) is completely peaceful. Picket lines lead to violence.
Nicholas Aden
Self-Promotion
Remember that during the 60s, the anti war protest provoked violence in college campuses. College rebels are unlikely to be popular today just like they were in the 60s
Perhaps your classmates did not feel like this was something worth fighting over. If they were not required to listen to the speaker, than their rights were not being violated. (actually, it doesn't sound like they were being violated either way.) They might not have felt strongly about it. While protests get things done, there are times when sitting back is not the wrong thing to do.
I do not believe that the spirit of the 60s is completely over yet, because plenty of people still have protests when it is important. But when protests happen too often, they do not get as much attention, which is the real goal.