I just got back in from protesting Prop 8 down at City Hall. The weather held, despite it having been raining when I woke up this morning. Large swaths of tourists on double-decker buses cheered. I like that NYC-style civic engagement incorporates incidental spectators from far-flung corners.
A friend came to visit last night and this morning. Her views are generally leftist but she's not very politically aware. I had to explain to her both what the RNC was and why it was a Big Deal that it was held here in New York 4 years ago. My husband had to explain that people can and do get illegally arrested and detained for peaceably protesting. She was a little confused that we were heading out to a protest and didn't see why anyone would do so in the rain. As we said goodbye to her at Penn Station, she told us to have fun and asked me to let her know if this changed anything.
The more I think about it, the more that comment gets to me.
Democracy is not a one-shot deal. People can't just vote every 4 years (or 2, or more often) and think that the work is done. We still need to make our voices heard, to hold our elected officials responsible, to advocate for the causes we believe in. Very rarely do we see a direct and immediate change from any act of public assembly or civil disobedience, but each of us is still one. And the more of us there are, the harder we are to ignore.
Greater public awareness + greater media coverage = greater political awareness = a better shot at change that matters.