I think it’s great that social media can be used to organize demonstrations.
However, what a lot of people use social media for when it comes to social justice causes is they just spout their opinions on their wall and never actually engage others in a discussion.
Plastering stuff on your FB wall or on other social media sites/apps and NOT following through with actual discussions with people is not effective. You don’t actually change anybody’s mind by posting about it on social media.
To change somebody’s mind, you have to actually talk to them. Have a real debate. Not an online one. A discussion in person.
This is an imprecise statement. What’s the baseline? Are they saying the threat is higher now than it was 6 months ago, or 5 years ago, or a decade ago?
Go google. I’ve already posted stuff. Does it matter really? If they are reporting an uptick in activity, isn’t that a concern?
Why the reticence to believe it? Do you think it’s some left conspiracy? Or wishful thinking? Or do you not consider these groups white supremacists and their activities hate crimes?
First, you mentioned how the protestors were silent during the '30s…which wasn’t actually the case despite the greater risks and more unfriendly political climate.
Second, it is relevant as it questions the underlying premise that telling one’s child to avoid participating in or even observing protests is always the safe, correct, or moral/ethical choice.
Incidentally, I had an aunt who tried giving younger cousins like myself unsolicited advice to avoid any protests/demonstrations regardless of contexts/causes/circumstances because it turned out she defined even peaceful demonstrations on civic concerns such as the recent Science March to be “riots”.
All that did is to cause her to lose credibility in the eyes of yours truly and several other cousins.
Intel CEO Krzanich on his resignation from the American Manufacturing Council:
“I have already made clear my abhorrence at the recent hate-spawned violence in Charlottesville, and earlier today I called on all leaders to condemn the white supremacists and their ilk who marched and committed violence. I resigned because I wanted to make progress, while many in Washington seem more concerned with attacking anyone who disagrees with them. We should honor—not attack—those who have stood up for equality and other cherished American values. I hope this will change, and I remain willing to serve when it does.”
Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier on resigning from the manufacturing council:
“America’s leaders must honor our fundamental values by clearly rejecting expressions of hatred, bigotry, and group supremacy, which run counter to the American ideal that all people are created equal,” Frazier said in a statement on Monday." “As CEO of Merck, and as a matter of personal conscience, I feel a responsibility to take a stand against intolerance and extremism.”
Under Armor CEO resigns as well.
So, how hard was that to come out against white supremacists? Note these leaders aren’t blaming or throwing shade at counter protesters.
@doschicos The Boston Holocaust Memorial was vandalized, and many of the same alt-right people and white supremacists who were in Charlottesville are planning a rally in Boston on Saturday.
I don’t think those two things happening around the same time are a coincidence.
A friend of mine is going to be there on the sidelines with bottles of water and first-aid kits, I helped her buy some but I will be staying inside that day. Perhaps it’s cowardly of me, but I don’t want to be there when knives get drawn… They’re coming here to start a fight, and I’m sure there are people who will oblige.
People attempt to get other people’s “involvement” by demanding that they not share on their wall, but rather copy and paste something on their wall. A few more clicks of the mouse doesn’t equal engagement!
Expressing the opposing opinion is one thing. Going to a counter protest only exacerbates the situation if the counter protest is going to be in close proximity to the neo-Nazi rally. Then the counter protest invites violence rather than a peaceful vigil. Violence incites more violence.
I fully support people’s right to peacefully assemble and right to free speech.
There are no “but’s” to the above statement.
I fully support their right to do so EVEN IF I disagree with them. EVEN IF they are there to peacefully assemble & express views that support causes which I disagree with. That goes for BOTH sets of marches/protests/demonstrations this past horrible weekend in Virginia.
What the Constitution and what the law does NOT support, however, is ANY of them beating people up, throwing stuff at other people’s heads, assaulting them, trying to kill them, and ACTUALLY killing other people. The individuals on both sides who assaulted others all belong in jail.
You want to have a march and shout out “Down with America!” or “Whites Only!” or “Browns Only!” or “Black Lives Matter!”…go right ahead. I totally support your Constitutional right to do that. Sure, I will be totally offended by your message and I’ll probably be mad at you, but I STILL support your right to PEACEFULLY assemble and your right to free speech.
But when your group starts beating people up…when your group shows up with torches (Alt-right, I’m talking about you) or when your group shows up with baseball bats & weapons (Antifa, Black Lives Matter) and you start attacking others, then I lose all respect for you.
My advice to my kids would be, like I mentioned earlier, to use some common sense. Keep your head on straight if you’re going to go to something like this. Have some street smarts when you participate. And have an escape plan if things go south.
There are PLENTY of peaceful protests – and counter protests – that DO NOT INCITE violence. But they make a power statement and serve to unite communities and activism. I was just marching in one. Two thousand people walked (at times in pouring rain) being cheered on by motorists and pedestrians. There were even clean up crews at the tail end to pick up any trash. A cop told us, I love these (referring to a political group) marches.
And BECAUSE we have a history of organizing potent but peaceful marches, we have the support of the city and police. In fact, within 24 hours and over the weekend, authorities not only issued a permit to march down the city’s main drag, but also rerouted an international bike race so organizers could begin the march in a park with a MLK Jr statue.
This is what a real counter protest looks like. A lot like democracy, in fact.
One thing we haven’t talked about here are the conservative “militia” that showed up claiming to be “peacekeepers” I’m using quotes on certain words because I don’t buy either label. These folks showed up wearing militia type gear and carrying guns, including assault rifles. Several, at least, were wearing patches on their clothes of confederate flags and other white supremacist type symbols. They shouldn’t have been there. They shouldn’t have been allowed to even show up and stay past 30 seconds. Their presence just confused things because they could and probably were confused with actual official law enforcement efforts.
Could you imagine muslim or black Americans holding a rally and showing up as minorities in religion or race with guns and militia gear? Could you imagine what the response would have been to that from the police? from the public at large? Another example of white privilege in this country, IMO. Shameful.
So shouting is wrong? Yet non-LEOs showing up with assault rifles and confederate flags on their military clothing and flak jackets is a-okay? Funny how again how the emphasis is on counter protestors again.