Activists Among Us
My roommate came home last night and asked me if I had "seen that guy on Center Street who wears the camouflaged jacket and carries a sign that reads 'this Mormon is anti-Bush'."
No, no I hadn't. I had, however seen the chubby college-aged homeless kid who seems to always be sitting in doorways and window stoops all along Center Street. Was that the guy?
Nope. Then she proceeded to tell me that a guy she knows stopped him and asked what was going on. He explained that he was from the East Coast and was out here trying to gain support for what boiled down to an Anti-Patriot Act movement. "Why," I asked her, "does he think that standing on Center Street is going to make a lick of difference." Now, as you read these words you must be wondering what kind of political activist doesn't know the answer to that question. Simply put, and inactive one. I have political opinions, and I follow current events and politics, and if anyone ever wants to talk about said issues, I'm more than happy to do so. I also vote responsibly and not just for who has the better looking press secretary. However, I don't get in people's faces about politics (unless it's my father, or otherwise deserved). I expect them to respect my politics and treat them likewise.
I have, however, for years wondered how people get involved in protests and movements and such. Mainly because those are things that I might be interested in getting involved with.
Take the Patriot Act, for example, is one of the single most un-American, unconstitutional, horrific laws passed in the last 10 years. I can't believe that Republicans are the ones who are behind this abhorrent thing. I guess the belief that "smaller is better, when it comes to the government" is only true when discussing issues such as gun control.
My roommate explained the logic behind this man's visit to Utah County thusly, while I might not be the type of person who would stop and talk to him, I am the type of person who would get involved with such a movement. The type of people who would stop to talk to him, however, are the type of people who would be able to help organize the movement on a local level, and see that people like me do eventually get involved. Ah ha!
Will I get involved with this man? With this movement? I can't really say either way right now. What I can say, however, is that I despise the very concept of the Patriot Act, and will do everything I think is morally right to prevent it from gaining a stronger foothold, and to remove it. There is nothing Patriotic about McCarthyism.
No, no I hadn't. I had, however seen the chubby college-aged homeless kid who seems to always be sitting in doorways and window stoops all along Center Street. Was that the guy?
Nope. Then she proceeded to tell me that a guy she knows stopped him and asked what was going on. He explained that he was from the East Coast and was out here trying to gain support for what boiled down to an Anti-Patriot Act movement. "Why," I asked her, "does he think that standing on Center Street is going to make a lick of difference." Now, as you read these words you must be wondering what kind of political activist doesn't know the answer to that question. Simply put, and inactive one. I have political opinions, and I follow current events and politics, and if anyone ever wants to talk about said issues, I'm more than happy to do so. I also vote responsibly and not just for who has the better looking press secretary. However, I don't get in people's faces about politics (unless it's my father, or otherwise deserved). I expect them to respect my politics and treat them likewise.
I have, however, for years wondered how people get involved in protests and movements and such. Mainly because those are things that I might be interested in getting involved with.
Take the Patriot Act, for example, is one of the single most un-American, unconstitutional, horrific laws passed in the last 10 years. I can't believe that Republicans are the ones who are behind this abhorrent thing. I guess the belief that "smaller is better, when it comes to the government" is only true when discussing issues such as gun control.
My roommate explained the logic behind this man's visit to Utah County thusly, while I might not be the type of person who would stop and talk to him, I am the type of person who would get involved with such a movement. The type of people who would stop to talk to him, however, are the type of people who would be able to help organize the movement on a local level, and see that people like me do eventually get involved. Ah ha!
Will I get involved with this man? With this movement? I can't really say either way right now. What I can say, however, is that I despise the very concept of the Patriot Act, and will do everything I think is morally right to prevent it from gaining a stronger foothold, and to remove it. There is nothing Patriotic about McCarthyism.
posted by granola girl at 10:17 am
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