I've never been a big believer in demonstrations. It seems so pointless to march around with a bunch of signs, chanting slogans, and often, as in the case of the Wisconsin union fight, being in the midst of potential violence. My Italian heritage demands a sneaky and subversive approach rather than one that is overt and obvious.
For days the big news has been on how many people have shown up at various venues to represent their side of the fight. This is time (IMO) that could be put to better use in some other endeavor.
I like the way my neck of the woods handles this sort of thing, or doesn't handle it, as the case might be. A small bunch of teachers hung around the city hall in Coeur d'Alene this past Monday - cold, alone, and completely ignored. It turned into a big "whatever."
This is not to say we don't have a large and very active Tea Party movement here. We do. It's just counterproductive (again, IMO) to rush out in response to what the opposition is doing. It puts us on about the same level as Pavlov's dog and his ringing bell. The demonstrations are becoming so numerous that I seriously doubt the public even knows what the hell anyone is mad about anymore.
Let the union thugs trash the government buildings in Wisconsin. The public is growing very weary of their childish rants and behavior. Let's give them the space they need to hang themselves.
Sad news from Teresamerica about blogger Eric Graff.
I have some very sad news to inform everyone. It is very sad and shocking news since he posted a comment on my blog, and about 4-6 hours or so before I saw this post on Eric Graff's blog saying this: Eric W. Graff born Dec. 14th 1959, died Feb. 24th 2011. I knew he had been having some health troubles this past year but did not realize they were so serious. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. God rest his soul.
From Eric's profile:
No guilt in life, no fear in death. This is the power of Christ in me. From life's first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, can ever pluck me from His hand. Till He returns or calls me home, here in the power of Christ I'll stand.
Link to: Eric's Blog:
Update: Eric lives!!!
He's been hacked (which is a damn sight better than being dead, doncha know!)
From the combox:
Update: Eric lives!!!
He's been hacked (which is a damn sight better than being dead, doncha know!)
From the combox:
OH My Gosh!! I am fine… Alive and well. My blog has been hacked into and I can’t even get in it. It will not take me long to figure out who did this but when I do find out, the authorities will be called. I am 275 miles from home in La Cross Wis. right now and can’t get to my computer. I found out just now by checking my site. I posted this comment via email. I am sorry for all this. I had no idea. Wisconsin is under siege right now and apparently I am a casualty of war… So to speak.
Rest assured I am just fine, as is my family. When I get home this will be fixed but at this point I’m helpless. Again, my apologies.
Here and There
Zilla of the Resistance brings us a most excellent new word and some great links. State of the Goonion
The Blog Prof: Pro-abort Democrats on Virginia abortion clinic law: "It is purely discriminatory. It makes me heartsick"
Pundette: Who are the heroes?
No Sheeples Here: Pouring Money And Fury Into The Fight
Doug Ross: Newly Released FBI Files: Ted Kennedy Was a Pompous, Commie-Sympathizing Pervert, i.e., a Perfect Democrat Icon.
Bread Upon the Waters: Troops Machine Gun Libyan Children, Obama Parties; Newt Says "Pink Slip Eric Holder"
MOTUS: WTF: The History Just Keeps on Coming
Green Moutanins Homestading: The kids next door think "civility" is for chumps.
Kathryn Lopez: Catholics vs. Gov. Walker?
Reaganite Republican: Sunday Funnies
It's almost Lent:
Ordered Liberty: Preparing for Lent
Father Speekman:
Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time:
I can much more easily believe that God exists than that he should love me. Now don’t be alarmed, I do know that God loves me, I have had ample proof of that over the years, but what I am saying is that God’s love for humans has always baffled me more than the truth of his existence. read the rest
From Seth's Blog:
Wonder and anger
It's hard to imagine two emotions more different from one another.
And yet one can easily replace the other. A sense of wonder and grinding anger can't co-exist.
Great innovations, powerful interactions and real art are often produced by someone in a state of wonder. Looking around with stars in your eyes and amazement at the tools that are available to you can inspire generosity and creativity and connection.
Anger, on the other hand, merely makes us smaller.
5 comments:
Thanks, for the linky love, Adrienne!
That last quote in your post pretty well sums up why the islamic world is the way it is, IMHO. The constant anger derails anything productive from ever occurring, there is no wonder, creativity or joy in those places.
Eman said...
OH My Gosh!! I am fine… Alive and well. My blog has been hacked into and I can’t even get in it. It will not take me long to figure out who did this but when I do find out, the authorities will be called. I am 275 miles from home in La Cross Wis. right now and can’t get to my computer. I found out just now by checking my site. I posted this comment via email. I am sorry for all this. I had no idea. Wisconsin is under siege right now and apparently I am a casualty of war… So to speak.
Rest assured I am just fine, as is my family. When I get home this will be fixed but at this point I’m helpless. Again, my apologies.
The Eman.
27 February, 2011 12:05
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As for the usefulness of demonstration, especially with rent-a-mobs, when you live in a TV-soaked culture, you need to attract attention in order to get heard. That and if you go, you will probably run into people with similar psychiatric disorders as your own.
I feel that protest are very important as long as they have a purpose and are not formed just to make a lot of nonsensical noise. I wanted to let you know that you made our Teeing it Up Sunday Links and from this point will be linked to each Sunday. Keep up the great work.
Wow, that's a lot of Sunday reading that you posted -- thanks for keeping us up to date on the best of the bloggosphere. As for protesting, I think that it can be of some great utility in certain circumstances -- but it often is counter-productive or at most ineffective.
Better is the idea of people organizing for self-improvement, to share ideas, to have gathering -- like the Tea Parties. Not "community organizing" ala Barak Obama, but real, bottom up spontaneous groups forming not to vent but to reform the government through the democratic process and participatory republicanism.
The difference has a lot to do with how limbic the response is. Protests tend to be emotional, a response to something that is viewed as an existential threat, to something that pushes the "fight or flight" mechanisms in our brains. Productive gatherings are less limbic, more rational, more focused on long-term solutions to the problems that are facing us as a country.
Of course, limbic responses and futile gestures aren't simply the provenance of the Left -- I would argue that the Idaho legislature's efforts at nullifying ObamaCare fall into the same category of useless gestures.
Cheers!
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