So I am just going to come out and say it: in this day of age, protesting is stupid. Staging ridiculous marches, demonstrations, and theater on the streets, though invaluable in the era of the telegraph and telephone, achieve nothing in this age of information exchange--that's right--absolutely nothing. And I am so confident in this assessment, I am not even going to attempt a proof based on reason. But I will provide a demonstration without proof.
Why? How?
Just keep reading.
But seriously...concerning a protest or demonstration: How do those who disagree react? They simply bring their own signs, plug their ears, and the two groups fight on with deafening shouts aimed at other self-deafened people.
Just keep reading.
So I see you decided to keep reading, even though I already told you that I wasn't going to attempt to prove the proposition in the intro. Well, perhaps you think a repetitive autistic jabbering and flapping of the mouth and the beating of a drum actually convey a sense of meaning or purpose to another. Perhaps you are waiting for something meaningful to emerge from what you are reading now. Or perhaps you are simply mesmerized by the undulations and rhythm of my prose and have decided to suspend your activities while I continue this rant.
Had enough of this written demonstration which accomplishes absolutely nothing? Then keep reading, because you are now no different from the passerby watching a nearby demonstrator in the midst of others. And perhaps you are so pissed that this autistic diatribe conveys no meaning and yet you want really badly to tune out or write a clever response. You'll probably do this so that other's will see you demonstrating your wit and intelligence, and forget that they are aware that you are aware of your own silliness in drawing attention to yourself.
You're still reading this--and I am still beating my drum and holding on to my sign, screaming slogans and forcing propositions into your head. Propositions that you have no need to analyze or break down, or even to give me the benefit of a doubt--but that you simply will disagree and we'll exist as synchronous noise-makers signifying the whole to ourselves alone, without regard to any real attempt at communication to the other.
Now you are sick, and have already skimmed the rest of this reading and have decided to furiously write a comment. But you have no idea what you want to say--or perhaps you are re-reading this now and trying to decide which slogan or catch-phrase meme fits perfectly with the situation--a situation allowing you to win extra points, or perhaps show your wit and intelligence -- notice that I am repeating myself. Which sign should you pick up from the pile? Which slogan are you going shout repeatedly.
So I will dispense with the demonstration now and embrace a thought--that you can either disagree with or amend.
Protesting is a way of communicating your group's awareness of a crisis that (supposedly) affects all others. It should be a self-less act. Why self-less? Because one individual protesting is not doing so for their own benefit.
Can you classify the reactions of the different classes and structures of people, institutions, and what-not to a protest? How do those who disagree react? They simply bring their own signs, plug their ears, and the two groups fight on with deafening shouts aimed at other self-deafened people.
How to those who are indifferent react? Why they either remain indifferent, join your group (which empowers others to make the same trichotomy) or join your opposition. Nothing is accomplished.
But protesting is a human theatrical response to a crisis, and almost autonomic process driving yourself into a trance and either violently pulling others into your web or pushing them away...and then there are the masses of indifference. Those who say, "these people are out of their minds--they are nucking futs!"
So ends the second demonstration.
Quod Erat Demonstrandum, ("it has been demonstrated")
...but not proven. The proof is in human inaction. Protesting in this information age (when information, communication and collaboration over the internet is CHEAP), is nothing more than breathing into a paper bag.