"There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences." -PJ O'Rourke
Today, sitting in my 2 hour Intro to Globalization class, I was reminded of this quote. One might ask why. Well, in addition to being anti-Neoliberal, my professor is strongly pro-labor, and he invited a student group that operates on my campus to come speak during lecture. Their name is Student Labor Action Project, or SLAP, and they are committed to (according to their website):
-Supporting worker and immigrant rights
-Undoing institutionalized racism
-Combating other forms of oppression in the labor market
-Changing people's consumption practices to promote social justice
-Lobbying decision-makers to advance working class issues
(http://students.washington.edu/uwslap/about_us.shtml)
Now these are commendable goals (nevermind the confusing bit about racism). But this is where the quote comes in. When SLAP's representatives came to speak to my class, they brought copies of the UW's newspaper, called "The Daily" (clever, no?). And on the front page of The Daily was a picture they were very proud of. It showed President if the UW Mark Emmert giving his annual address to the university, and extremely visible in the background is SLAP holding a banner calling on the UW to adopt DSP (Designated Suppliers Program) principles. These are, as stated by the representative in my class, a general survey of workers rights, including fair wages, safe working conditions, the right to unionize, etc. But the point is, they were very proud they had managed to get their banner on the front page of the UW newspaper, and it was in the form of a protest at the president's speech. I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that the address was given by the president of a public institution, and is therefore open to any taxpayer and students of the university are encouraged to attend. So crashing the party, as it was, is not a big deal.
And so I come back to my quote. The right to be heard does not include the right to be taken seriously. Perhaps this is most obvious in the expression on President Emmert's face, as he steadfastly ignores the large banner on his left side. Perhaps SLAP may in the future use more direct methods, such as a meeting with him. But maybe I'm missing the point of grassroots protest.
I agree. The success of a protest should not be measured by the recognition it receives (like being in a newspaper picture), but by its success. After all, not all recognition is positive. Aaron McGruder, the comic strip artist/activist, believes the old forms of protest, like marches and sit-ins, are outdated and useless now.
Awhile ago, I wrote my own blog complaining about the nature of showy protest- it's about the pointlessness and ultimately egocentricism of many protests.