I am not a matriculated student of human nature. Not endorsed by any university or credited by any experts in the field. It is just my own raw observations and collusions. Marches are herd mentality. Animals have been doing it for eons…banding together for safety sake. So exactly what do human marches achieve? Notice, recognition? Yes, but does it achieve it’s goal? No, to those of differing opinions it turns them negative. Setting up a bigger ” Them &Us ” attitude.
News reporters looking for new angles, nit pick -out of context, that which supports THEIR agenda, reducing the march to nothing more than news bites.
Tempers flair, name-calling and violence ensues. The original purpose of the march is lost and the only thing left is the trash in the streets. Criticizing is easy, solutions are harder to come by. How can the “Little Man,” thats you and me, have our wishes be heard without the above mentioned fallout? Therefore I humbly offer the following.
I AM NEITHER FISH NOR FOWL.
I STAND UP STRAIGHT AND TALL FOR MY BELIEFS.
NO NEED FOR CROWDS TO GIVE ME CREDENCE.
DIFFERENCES OF OPINIONS CHEERFULLY RECEIVED
I SHALL BE HEARD.
To those in power who can add, change or remove I offer…
WRITE, RESPOND OR I CHANGE MY VOTE.
TEXT, RESPOND OR I DELET YOU.
E-MAIL, RESPOND OR I WILL CLOG YOUR MAIL BOXES.
CALL, RESPOND OR I WILL TIE UP YOUR LINES.
If half the people of marches did this their wishes would be heard, acknowledgements forthcoming, and perhaps even positive action.
Very well said Elissa Jung.
Pedantic rant…..what about the veteran’s march in 1932…did they not have the right for assembly, what about the civil rights movement…did they not have the right for assembly….what about the Vietanam War protestors….did they not have the right for assembly. ,,,Yes, all those things you suggest can be done and, more than likely, are being done but sometimes a little impetus is needed and oftimes a march can energize those who might be a little complacent.
The herd mentality helped women gain the right to vote. The herd mantality helped veterans gain benefits after World War I. The freedom to assemble is one right which makes us a democracy.
To Joan & Pat O’B. Sorry you misread my ‘Herd Mentality’. It was not a disapproval of free speech or assembly but a lesson in ‘Advertising’. Simply put, a lesson in ‘How to get your message heard.’ above the noise.
To compare yesterday’s Movements, (Voting Rights, Civil Rights, services due Vets, even the Firemen’s Brigade at the 4th of July parade) to today’s marches is an affront. Todays marches are over shadowed by a small minority of the public with head bashing, name calling, screaming other issues, looting and general trashing, are a RIOT hiding under the cloak of free speech and free assemble.
If you change the meaning of a word (march) often enough it changes the mind set of the public. So that what was not acceptable yesterday now becomes the acceptable. This is called indoctrination. With all these rights being banding about what has become of Moral rights?
The herd mentality helped women gain the right to vote. The herd mantality helped veterans gain benefits after World War I. The freedom to assemble is one right which makes us a democracy.
When phonecalls, visits, letters, pleadings are not heard but willfully ignored and slandered then to the streets we must march.