I usually stay away from hot button topics like politics and religion. I understand it’s how you get followers, I’ve heard the lecture many a time, but it’s not the authentic experience I want. Lately I’ve had the desire to blog about the things happening in our world but I’ve refrained and it occurs to me, refraining isn’t being authentic either.
If in the course of your protest, people are beaten to the ground with shovels, hit in the head with bike locks, chased down the block. If you destroy infrastructure with baseball bats. This is not a protest. This is a riot.
ri·ot
NOUN
-
a violent disturbance of the peace by a crowd
Yep, a riot.
pro·test
NOUN
-
a statement or action expressing disapproval of or objection to something
So let’s talk about effective protest. Real protest with long terms effects.
Mahatma Ghandi.
He lead an entire country to independence via non violent civil disobedience.
Gandhi first employed nonviolent civil disobedience as an expatriate lawyer in South Africa, in the resident Indian community’s struggle for civil rights. After his return to India in 1915, he set about organizing peasants, farmers, and urban laborers to protest against excessive land-tax and discrimination. Assuming leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi led nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women’s rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, but above all for achieving or self-rule. He was imprisoned for many years, upon many occasions, in both South Africa and India. Gandhi attempted to practice nonviolence and truth in all situations, and advocated that others do the same. India got it’s independence in 1947.
“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Ghandi
I am afraid of the change today’s “protesters” wish to see. Violence daily in the streets. No thank you.
I prefer to embrace this: “You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.”
T.A. Henry 