Public Demonstrations

How effective are public demonstrations?

BP Oil spill, Prop 8, College Students, Random Hippies…  

BP Oil Spill. There was a huge public outrage over that incident. Environmentalist and Animal Rights Activists were pissed. Fisherman and people who worked at the Seafood section of Safeway were pissed. Swimmers who had to be rushed to the hospital after taking a swim in the ocean were pissed (and sick). Dolphin lovers were enraged. People who hate gas prices were pissed. People who dislike rich-CEOs-who-f* up-and-then-decide-to-go-yachting-the-next-day-without-a-care were pissed.

And what did people do? They held Hands Across the Sand. And some singers sang songs and yelled out that they were pissed. And random actors with the last name Costner rented out boats to help clean the ocean area. And people gave public demonstrations. And what was the result of all this?

People forgot about it.

Now nobody really cares and the government has considered or is currently in the process of underwater drilling for oil. And technically that wasn’t even the worst oil spill recorded in history. I don’t know why some people think mixing Oil with Water is a good idea but it’s not. I also don’t know why a bunch of people gathering together to complain is commonly conceived of as a solution –it’s not.

I’m reminded of the crazy that is going on in Europe right now. People terrorizing the streets, setting things on fire, causing chaos and destruction… It reminds me of this movie I saw last night called Marie Antoinette. People were starving to death in France and they came in droves to the royal palace with fire and pitch forks. Those were people the government took seriously.

So why is it that public demonstrations today –even though they may be extreme or seem like a serious effort- do not get the same results, if any, like they use to?

1.     Relying On Ineffective Techniques

-Hosting a rally isn’t enough these days. Large numbers of people aren’t even enough. The only thing that ever really worked was a United amount of people who were on the same page –even if it was for different reasons. If you want to change policies or social settings you have to make it everyone’s priority. You have to make everyone want it as much as you do. Otherwise it will be an incoherent mess and the people who could spur change won’t notice even your efforts. You have to give people a reason to stand.

2. Empty Sentiment

-I was actually pretty surprised that Prop 8 passed. Elton John, Ellen DeGeneres, Celebrities In General aren’t exactly powerless forces that are easy to ignore. But the Church –and not just the Christian church but synagogues and Mormon churches as well all rallied in Unity against gay marriage. Christians and other religious groups have been united against gay rights for centuries. It wasn’t just about the numbers –it was also the strength they had in them. The fact that they were on the same page –as well as the fact that they held sway for legislation on some level as well. It’s not enough to appeal to people’s emotions, sentiments, or even compassion –you have to reach people in office as well as at home in a way that makes them feel personally effected by the cause. If they’re a Christian, make them feel judged for supporting gay rights. If they’re senators make them feel publicly criticized for supporting gay rights, if they’re a celebrity with religious affiliations make them feel judged for not standing with the members of their own congregation. Their needs to be conviction  in it for the people who stand for the cause and fear of rejection for those who stand against it. Peer pressure at its finest.

And the fact is if a law were passed taking all first born children under the age of 12 away from their mothers and have them shipped them off to Russia –no mother would allow that law to stand longer than a day. They would rally together like Hell hath no. If a law gets passed that deeply disturbs, enrages, and upsets free Americans –they will end it. So you can’t always expect people “doing what’s right” to prevail, you have to first explain why you believe what you believe is right and make others stand with you on that point.

3.     Stupid Demonstrations

Holding hands across the beach? Really hippies? Really? The thing that’s going to make the difference between underwater drilling and soaking the ocean in oil is you holding hands at the beach??? I don’t care how many surfers hold hands in a row at the beach –it will Not change anything. At best it will raise awareness. Just because you’re aware of Breast Cancer thanks to and ad doesn’t automatically mean you just donated $5 to that cause or even cared about it. There are wayyyyy too many charities, companies, products, celebrities vying for everyone’s attention.

Some people make the mistake of being too sentimental –sorry (Sarah McLachlan). Some people try to act funny and entertaining to get people attention (sorry Rally to Restore Sanity). But these are ineffective attempts that either leave the viewer laughing –not donating- or feeling guilt tripped and resentful. Sympathy means nothing. Empathy is everything.

Other forms of stupid demonstrations to raise awareness for a cause or cause change of some sort include those idiots in Europe running around setting things on fire. Similar demonstrations were held in Oakland, CA not that long ago. It only causes chaos and disorder. It’s not like that crowd that rallied around the palace chanting and screaming in Unison. It’s random a**holes running around like idiots.

I think the better demonstration was all of those college students standing against high college loans and charges. They just sat on the ground and didn’t fight, yell, or cause problems. When they were then sprayed in the eyes by the police they gained support from people because of the fact they weren’t technically doing anything wrong.

So what makes for an effective demonstration? Let’s look to history…

First off there has to be some sort of a leader. George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi… the greatest movements in history all had a centralized figure people could be led by and focus on that created a sense of unity among the masses. Any real movement expected to take effect Needs an effective leader.

People in America –not necessarily Europe or some other countries –are emotionally oriented. Trying to create a movement with a bunch of emotionally-oriented people is like trying to organize anything with a bunch of little kids. Trying to entertain the kids will get their attention –but won’t necessarily make them behave the way you want them too. Cooing and cawing them won’t do much either. They need a sense of direction and they need basic concepts to grasp onto to really understand the point you’re trying to make. Keep things simple and strait forward. Use emotions as the fuel to drive the car –not the steering wheel.  

Lastly making a bunch of noise is not the same as being understood. Speak clearly, calmly, and with great clarity and intent. If you want to be heard and understood empty gestures and sentiments muddle things. Say what needs to be said –without the fluff. If people organized in this way they would have effective demonstrations that might actually accomplish things.

Today a group of surfers in Malibu decided to raise awareness of the dying coral reefs and aquatic life. They Paddled for Peace out on their boards into the ocean and made a giant Peace Sign. A celebrity retweeted it on Twitter –which is how I heard about it. I even went so far as to go to the website to check it out. And that’s about it. There wasn’t any clear call to action and even if there was I don’t think I would have done anything. It’s not that I don’t like the coral reefs or saving delicate eco-systems, I just wasn’t effectively motivated to do anything.