Today, I’ve been watching a lot of the testimony on Capital Hill by Gen. David Petraeus, the top dog in the Iraq conflict. While he was giving his report to the Senators and Congressmen, protesters stood up and started, well, protesting.
The protesters were carried out by security, but not until after they’d disrupted the General’s report and the entire proceedings. The second outburst was even worse…a woman screaming bloody murder at the General. From my viewpoint on the couch, I couldn’t make out a single thing she was saying, but her wails and howls were like that of an animal. Seriously, these sounds were right out of a teenage horror flick.
Even the most ardent opposition to the war cannot possibly condone the disruption that took place today. Moreover, even those on the fence about the war in Iraq have to look upon these protesters as a bunch of wing nuts. Yes, protester woman in the stands, you certainly made your dissent known. You also made anti-war advocates cringe with embarrassment at how you chose to handle your 15 seconds of fame.
Do I support protesting? Absolutely…provided it’s done in the limits of the law(today’s protesters were not). Do I think it’s a way to actually excite changes? Nope!
In fact, a friend I was speaking with recently, even with drastically different views, had to agree. President Bush was in his town and he was met with a large faction of protesters. When my friend arrived, he found people not only protesting the war, but signs for environmental issues, economic issues and, some five years after the fact, a sign expressing hatred for the Bush V. Gore case heard by the Supreme Court!
What did that protest accomplish? Well, I guess President Bush now knows people hate him. Right. As if he didn’t know that before.
Can you imagine the power protesters could wield if they organized around a central theme? I mean, if you can get people together to know where to protest, you can surely get a form letter sent out to send to the different politicians who’s opinions you’d like to change!
I would go to war and give my life for the American right to freedom of speech. I wholeheartedly believe in every American’s right to protest peacefully. It’s just too bad so many Americans use their first amendment rights to engage in something so chaotic that accomplishes virtually nothing. If protesters would use their time writing their Congressmen instead of drawing signs, you'd see more changes in politics. If protesters used the time they spend marching around the streets to organize those with similar views, they'd be a lot more likely to have their opinions heard. The more disruptive the protest, the more the law is overlooked so people can spew their opinions, the less rational individuals actually listen.
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