Thursday, April 15, 2010
Students had the opportunity to see a fairly uncommon scene on our campus last Friday: an old-fashioned protest.
On the last day of Pride Week, members of Fred Phelps’ group, which protests military funerals and gay pride events, came to campus to protest as per their usual methods of distasteful posters.
But, that wasn’t the big news. What was unique about Friday’s events was the rally outside the Kansas Union opposing Phelps’ group. This rally drew about 300 people, according to a report in The University Daily Kansan, and as a member of the crowd, I can attest that there was a high volume of support for Pride Week.
I went to observe the scene and to see if there would be any kind of scuffling between students and the Phelpsians. There wasn’t, thankfully, but the whole time I was struck by the rarity of the event.
What I was witnessing, and what those students were participating in, was a large, organized, picket-style protest. It reminded me of photos of marches and rallies at the University during the 1960s and ’70s.
Some of the issues that drove students to protest in large numbers in the past are now non-issues, such as the draft. Others, such as civil rights — both for minorities and women — remain pertinent, but the manner in which these causes promote themselves has changed.
The nature of activism has evolved during the past decades. Now, it is common to see multiple tables set up on Wescoe Beach where people try to promote various causes, whether religious, charitable, political or otherwise. There may even be a couple of groups handing out flyers to students as they walk by, which, by the way, I can’t stand — but that’s beside the point.
The point is that we as students seem to take a greater interest in a variety of causes than students in the past. The focus is no longer on only war and minority rights; it’s on everything from sex trafficking to the environment to sweatshop labor.
With increased interest in diverse causes, it only makes sense that there just isn’t enough energy to generate large sign-waving, chanting crowds to protest for every issue. Because of this, causes have become more subtle and passive about spreading their message. Students have come to expect tabling and pamphlets and sidewalk chalking.
That is why we pay extra attention when there actually is an organized, large-scale event. Take as another example the opinions generated when the abortion display comes to Strong Hall during the fall.
Although large group protests can be effective and although I support the right to protest, I’m not entirely sad we’ve moved past regular picket-style protesting. Too often this style of protest can actually harm a group’s message and lead to views of a cause that a group probably doesn’t want.
Take the Tea Party protesters, for example. Concerns about taxes and government is often overshadowed by inflammatory signs at their rallies with the purpose to offend or with a message that can easily be misconstrued. This movement would probably be taken much more seriously if it produced well-crafted literature and websites.
But in some cases, large protests can work. Friday’s counterprotest did divert attention away from the extremists and the counterprotest became the primary story.
Whether effective or not, last Friday’s protest was a good reminder that activism isn’t purely a thing of the past, hidden in the pages of history books. Rather, it is alive and well.
— Shorman is a sophomore from McPherson in journalism.
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Comments
Shorman: How campus protests have evolved
There is one thing about the new round of protests in this country, biased journalism as demonstrated by this column. When you have not yet reached the age of 40 never say something like, "this is reminiscent of the protests of the 60s and 70s" because they aren't. The other thing is if you're going to criticize something like a TEA party then go and attend one before you end up sounding foolish. That is foolish to those of us who were there as opposed to your friends who, like yourself, have never been to one. Many of the signs are homemade because this is not astroturf like the SEIU sponsored protesters with many professionally crafted signs. Many of these people are your parents and their friends. They are all Americans who are exercising their first admendment rights. You start out talking about the freedom to protest and then you make fun of people doing just that, taxpayers, voters, veterans, and people that you may get to be an equal to someday but not yet. You sound like a modern journalist though, don't investigate just say what everyone else is saying.
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