October 15, 2006
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Protest
I noticed that some protestors in South Korea burned a North Korean flag in protest of their nuclear test.
This is a photo from a protest after President Bush won reelection in 2004 in San Francisco. They burned President Bush in effigy.
Does protesting work?
Comments (133)
Oh, my.
I would say that protesting can have some sort of effect on politics of today. Whether or not the effect is good for the people protesting is still up to discussion.
No, not really.
wow.
No it doesn’t. those with the most money will always get their way. God bless capitalism.
yay, california appears to LOVE bush.
No, not in the long run.
Eh, sometimes. But not really.
NO.
Probably not.
If it does. let me know….I’ve got a list of things to protest.
nope, but it sure does make some people feel better. or more productive.
Not that kind of protesting. But sometimes, yes.
Sometimes it could work if it’s done the right way. ;D
Not these, because, duh, President Bush is still President. And, hello, North Korea is still doing nuclear tests.
Eh, not to the degree that I think the protesters are wanting. But it depends on the type of protest, etc. Like the people who stand silently with red tape over their mouths at abortion clinics- women have been known to totally change their minds after seeing that, and keep their babies instead of having an abortion. It’s not legally considered a “protest” i don’t think, but their silence makes a very effective statement.
Usually no. But there’s always an exception.
RYC: LOL, not much when you compare it to your tens of thousands, huh?
How is your Sunday shaping up?
Not always, but some protesting for a good cause works well. aka. blacks in the south protesting for their rights.
“For every thousand hacking at the leaves of evil, one is hacking at the root.”–Thoreau
Certainly not the kind of violent or offensive protests like that. But I think that if enough people gather for a peaceful protest, like when pro life groups will gather around abortion centers and pray for the people going in (yes, these are actually peaceful. There are very few pro-life people want to kill abortion doctors, or blow up abortion centers. Most pro-life people condemn that. anyway.) then that can effect a positive change. Or when a group, as an act of protest, boycotts a companies product. Those types of protests can make a difference.
It makes a statement, definitely, but it’s not shocking anybody. A statement, yes…a difference? Not really, not anymore.
I think protest brings issues to attention, but these extreme protests really just make people disgusted with protestors more then the actual issue being protested.
Protests like these… no.
sumtimes, but hardly ever
I haven’t seen it work.
No, it only annoys people
~*RoXy*~
Flag and effigy burning evidently doesn’t do anything but make the pyros feel better, for the moment. The American colonials did more than dump tea into a harbor. It took strong reasonable persuasion to begin changing minds.
In most cases, no.
Sometimes, yes. It just depends on how you go about protesting. At the very least, though, it does raise awareness.
Oh, and I don’t think burning anything makes a difference (those two examples you listed, burning Harry Potter books, etc. etc.), unless you’re burning yourself like the Buddhist monks did. Now THAT’s a protest.
not really. it informs the rest of the world of the stupidity of the protestors. that’s about it.
it doesn’t really work nowadays. it used to though. for example, women protested for the right to vote and they eventually obtained their goal.
nope, it only makes a bunch of people angry, or angrier. It’s a lot easier to just go with the flow. I think the real question here is, whether right choice to protest or go with the flow.
If you don’t like my comment, then burn it. But that would be weird.
Does it work? Nope. It does raise awareness and get media attention.
No, it would be nice if it did though
No. Protesting is for people who have nothing better to do. It is the “rent a mob” crowd or at least that is what it is in the USA. You will see the same faces at every protest in the USA no matter what is being protested.
Well it definitely gets media attention, so to an extent, it works.
I don’t think it is the most effective way to exact change, but it does make people aware of an opposition voice, which is better than just sitting silent. I think it gives people a sense of comraderie that might lead to further more constructive actions in making changes in society. It raises awareness.
not for them
If you look at protests on a one by one basis, the answer is no. Usually the purpose of protests is to change public opinion, and that usually takes repeated protests over time.
If protesting ever does make a difference, it has to be a little more organized and civilized than that..
Yes and no. It is one of our five liberties (right to protest).
oh my goodness… that’s so dumb.
only sometimes. when it’s things like that, disrespecting people n’ burning flags n’ stuff, that’s just sick.
i love it when people are so violent when it comes to peace protests
Yes, if there is a clear leader/spokesperson.
Yeh, I’m shure North Korea is shaking in their nuclear boots.
yes.
No, but burning stuff is fun!
nonviolent protest is better. especially when protesting violence!
its a form of mourning, what it can do to solidify a group makes up for what it doesnt do in the way of breaking new ground for change…
“and the elements shall melt in the fervent heat”
Not these types of protests. San Franciscans are freaks, so no one cares what they think and North Korean could care less about public opinion.
Protests only work if the protest and protesters have significant popularity with people that can and will actually do something
Nope!
Protests let people know you’re pissed. The fact that people are discussing the protest on Xanga means that it was at least partially successful.
Eventually, if it opens the eyes of enough people, then I think protesting does have some effect. To say no would be to say that the suffragete (sp) movement didn’t work, in which case women would still be unable to vote!
Generally, no.
The only time that kind of protesting works is when there is an issue that is not commonly known to the public or the world and it is used as a tool to draw attention to an issue. I think protesting has been overdone to the point that not many people even pay attention to it anymore.
No, but burning stuff is fun!
Posted 10/15/2006 at 2:10 PM by loveandpolitics
yes people love to burn stuff (seriously)there are alot of Pyromaniacs out there.
Whether it directly works or not, you’ve got to let people know you don’t agree with what they’re doing. It might change something in the long run.
Once in a while
I think in some aspects protests do make some impact, because no leader wants to have a riot on his record. I think that it depends on the subject, number of people involved, and other details. Will the protest in South Korea affect North Korea, I don’t think so, but it may add a small spur to the governments to consider how they handle this issue.
I also think protests are more for the protesters the anything. It is a way of them feeling they are being heard. In the 70s many protests happen and for the most part is was because they wanted to be heard. If they would have not protested against Vietnam would the war be seen differently then it is today? If the civil rights protests didn’t happen would minorities be worse off today? People want to be heard, even when sometimes people aren’t listening. You are seeing a lot of this on the web now days. People complaining about things, but no one reading their complaints. It is a release for them.
I refer to my favorite TV show, M*A*S*H. There is an episode where the staff of 4077 is very on edge with life, themselves, and each other. They were told to burn some uniforms that were infected. They then begin to build a huge fire and Col. Potter comes and tells them to stop, because they are using things from the camp. Then Col Freedman who is a Psychologist, tells Potter that this may just be what they need to become calm again, a form of release. In the TV show it worked and I think it does in some ways in real life as well.
no, not really. It’s ussualy a way for people just to feel better about the situation. But it could work. If it’s really big and really violent!
Not really. All those types of protests do are raise awareness (and not about the issue of debate, but the fact that there are a lot of pyros in this world).
No, but it’s good feedback. It let’s people know who’s on their side.
Catches attention doesn’t it?? Isn’t that what it’s suppose to do??? ‘Til The Next
on a local level it can yes…
Not generally speaking, but still it makes a significant social point and allows like-minded people to stand against what they disagree with.
It usually works to make people look like complete idiots.
If that’s what you meant by “work” then yes.
yes, it obvioulst kept bush from being elected…oh, wait… maby I mistaken…
is president bush out of office? nope
so protesting doesn’t work
It depends. At first, it doesn’t seem to. But the overall effect of protesting does seem to work. Anyone remember Bra-burning?
Eh not really. Unless they start strapping bombs to their chest and blowing up things, I doubt they will!
it depends. but through violent protesting, i’d have to disagree. people who are up higher than us civilians will have a LOT of pride. being provoked will only make them want to prove to the people protesting that they can do what they want to do.
no
Only if it were for a job. Otherwise I dont think so.
I think protesting can have an effect. It lets politicians know how people feel.
Not with his arse.
I think it could work sometimes, but from what I’ve heard of and seen, it doesn’t.
I think protesting can have an effect. It lets politicians know how people feel.
you know, i think protestors just want attention. & we give it to them. so i guess so. if they think it’s gonna scare someone into changing their mind, i dont think that works. unless they blackmail them or something. but even then, the person doesnt really change their mind, they just go along w/ the ppl who believe the opposite b/c they dont want to get killed or whateva the blackmailer said they would do to them. does what im saying make n/e sense?
ok the first time i said no. however now i say there a a very few limited times……..
i would think no. however my final answer is that i stand corrected. however i still say no over-all.
but;
“Hyderabad : The protests led by the left parties opposing the Union government’s petrol and diesel price hike turned out to be successful.”
The only kind of protest that works is a vote.
Not so much.
At least protesting gets people’s attention. That’s better than nothing, isn’t it?
-Guru on the Hill
ones like those NO!!!!! they just piss people off
Maybe not always, but at least sometimes it does and if nothing else it lets people know that you’re unhappy with a certain situation.
no.
Maybe every so often, if they’re carried out correctly. o3o
No. Protesting is just voiceing your opinion.
Sometimes. Not often.
It depends. Does it work to change the system? Sometimes yes and sometimes no. Does it work in raising awarness about an issue? yes and no. Does it work in that people who feel passionately about a subject can express their thoughts in a healthy (usually) manner so that they do not feel pentup frustration with soceity and rebel and seek to overthrow a system. THEN YES!!! It does work in the sense that it is a release in society of free speech that interjects a thought into the market place of ideas and a release upon society so they do not seek other means (like terrorism or rebellion) to get their point across or attain a goal.
It depends on the situation. It’s really just a show of opinion.
[ariana]
In a sense yes they capture media and remind us that we dont all feel the same way about things. Even when a protest upsets me i am still glad to see people out there doing it. (-:
WAIT WAIT WAIT! u mean other countires flags burn?
See the Boodocks episode, The Passion of Rev. Ruckus
er that was supposed to be Jasmine’s Lemonaide Stand
er that was supposed to be Jasmine’s Lemonaide Stand
Uhm, depends
Protesting a certain issue can get things moving in the general direction the protestors are after
Sometimes.
But that’s at best, generally speaking, I don’t see much of a change
Eh. It gives the hippies something to do.
only if the protestors have the money to back thier cause.
I’d like to think it does.
Eh if anything protest works in the form that it gets people in the local area to stop and think about the issue. I mean lets take something as simple as a strike at a local super market store. Most people in the local area had to be inconvienced about it, and the issue about fair work vs pay, and weather or not unions are important came up and became the topic within a community. I mean a strike technically is a protest. Secondly, in refrence to the kmangwing’s comment, that poster says that violent protests are not a valid way of protesting. While I may agree that violence is not the soloution, it did manage to raise debate. It may not have been about their specific argument but a protest at it’s core is designed to raise debate about two issues. In fact I would bet if those images were plastered within the media, people might already then form an opinion, be it on their sides or not. People work in odd ways =) So in short, does it make a difference. Yes, but not necessarilly the one the protesters may want, on the other hand it might create a level of debate about the issue resolving it in a manner better than what the protesters could want.
define “work”… does it increase the likelihood that your opinion/message will be heard? yes, it can, depending upon the issue protested..
does it raise the consciousness of people? yes, it does, and often gets people who are directly affected by whatever issue is being protested to think about what is going on around them and to decide that they had better get involved or it will be too late for them… i am particularly mindful of women’s suffrage, the movement to ordain women in the Episcopal church and elsewhere, the efforts undertaken to ban drilling in ANWAR, the efforts to enlist the USA and the United Nations to intervene in the sufferings of Darfur in the Sudan…
does protesting yield immediate results? no, but that does not mean it doesn’t work… it took a long time for many social injustices to occur, and it takes some time to redress issues, but it’s like the action of water > if we lap at the rock long enough, the obstacle will be eroded… unfortunately, time is not always on one’s side, and that’s when frustration can lead to violent protests…
hell nah!
depends on what your protesting
oops sorry its you’re
I never think so…
That picture of Bush being burned gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “OH BURN!!”
I never think so…
That picture of Bush being burned gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “OH BURN!!”
No. Not like these.
not really but sometimes it will
but i think it still shows ur point and ppl should still protest when they don’t like somthing
Not really.
Protesting feels like an outlet for frustration more than a vehicle to garner any kind of sympathy for one’s cause.
But if we didn’t have protests, would we have lynch mobs that night?
ummm.. i guess not
I think it works in that it gives people an outlet to express their feelings and bring attention to their opinions. Whether or not it makes a difference though? I think it might help in some small amount, but nothing noticable.
no
Nope… until the people revolt!
If many people believed in the cause of course it works. It gets your message across. Quite strongely judging from the pic of the burning bush (hey, that’s in the Bible isn’t it?)
Judging from many peoples responses of “No it doesnt”…that’s the only reason why it doens’t work. People don’t think it could. Just open a history book…people didn’t just get their rights by sitting on their asses.
Not unless it turns extremely violent…? otherwise it’s just a bunch of people bitching
It didn’t work during Bush’s first term.
It can be effective. It can draw nation-wide attention to your cause. It can attract sympathy to the cause. It can embarrass or inconvenience those you oppose. It can provide a period of comraderie for people with a common cause. And the size of the crowd could lead the authorities to believe it is a popular cause.
Protesting can also be ineffective. If all you do is a cause a ruckus without explaining the benefits of success in your cause, you may make more enemies than friends. And if only four people show up to protest, you will become a laughingstock.
No, they don’t word. Most of the time people will be more annoyed of the protestors than the person the protestors are protesting about.
But most of the time they put on quite a show…sometimes I find it funny watching people go protesting about something they can’t change
Per history, protesting works.
it works to, if not correct the wrong it protests, at least get the message out to gov’t and a wide audience through media that there are people who feel such a way… and often, spreads its message farther out, giving those in silent protest more confidence to speak out.
and I believe it works better when it provides positive and logical solutions in addition to pointing out problems.. instead of just blatantly complaing about conditions and nothing else.
no. It’s just seen as another damn bump in the road. The people with the money will always get their way, protesting and words and burning and other actions of the like cannot and will not ever change that.
Protesting is counter productive. All it does is stir up more hatred with the opposition. Instead of opening the eyes of the opposed, it just polarizes society.
Umm.. not really, no.
Yes. Protesting gets the word out, and raises awareness, even if it’s a violent protest. Politicians and the public alike pay attention to protesting. It can sometimes affect political decisions, as well, depending on what light the media puts on it.
As an extreme protester, yes. It gets the public’s voices across. When thousands among thousands of people show their opinion on something, it should really get you thinking. It shows we stand tall with what we believe in.
That’s in general, of course. I actually skimmed through the rest of this post and have nothing to comment about, besides my protesting spirit.
My GOD! I must say, 90%+ of these posts said no. Wow. I mean, I’m sure some protests can cause trouble, but those are the ones that are unorganizes. Let me tell you, many, and I mean MANY of the protests (especially recent ones against Bush.. and I know this because I was there at many of them…) have been completely downsized by the media. Many I have been to, they say on the news an estimate of the number of people that is COMPLETELY off, I can’t remember how much, but they decreased the number of what it actually was by thousands and thousands and thousands, and it was horrible. Also on the news, they point out the “bad” things. Like, you know, those 20 year olds who like to cause a ruckus? That’s not necessarily what a protest is about. The ones I go to are full of people older than 60 and younger than 10 with their families. Not crazy teenagers. It’s peaceful, really.
yo
Simple: no. If you think about it, the only time anything works is when the majority in the congress agree on some side of the issue. The most protesting does is make people feel uncomfortable.
Not exactly the best thing to do but it depends on what you protest.