Protests and Community

Last night Jessie Jackson was leading a protest movement about Ferguson, Missouri in Portland, Oregon. According to the news reports he ended with telling the protesters to “go out and save the world.” Ten of the protesters were arrested before the night was over according to reports.

It was appalling to watch the series of tragedies in Ferguson over the past four months. There were deaths, local businesses looted and burned, and the flames of hatred were fanned. Just as disturbing were the many instances around the nation where people displayed their hate towards law enforcement, those of a different shade of skin, and even of our American system of justice and government.

I’ve seen and thought about these protests for years, as I remember the protests against the Vietnam war. While I’ve never participated in a protest I question what the goal for a protester truly is. How many protesters have left the streets and parks cleaner? Why do so many protests end with participants arrested? How many protests have you seen that accomplished something, other than media coverage?

History is full of individuals who made a difference by their actions. From Lady Godiva (a real person) who supposedly rode naked through the streets of Coventry to remove a tax or toll to the many individuals who hid Jews and others from the Nazis. People who risk their reputation, their wealth, or their life are true heroes and should be emulated.

History is also replete with those who chose like Ghandi or Martin Luther King to exercise civil disobedience in a peaceful manner. They challenged laws that denied basic human rights to some and they insisted that those who followed them remain peaceful. They and those that chose that path often have changed the world in a better fashion.

Violence and hatred have often changed the events of the world, but seldom in a positive way. Riots, looting, and harming others may be the results of protests that degenerate into mobs, but the results never benefit the local community.

From my perspective, Mr. Jackson goes from disaster to tragedy always seeking to find a public forum to publicize that which divides us. The average protest of today often appears to start with the arrival of outsiders who fan the flames of anger, intolerance, and even hate. 

Instead of the example of these protesters, I would rather follow the example of the Grange to “go out and save the world.” If you are of good character you’re eligible for membership. Differences of opinion are encouraged as they are opportunities to learn and grow through debate and education. We find ways to work together rather than let our differences separate us. We work through the present system to change it for the better.

To all who seek to truly make the world a little better, I invite you to explore the many American groups, including the Grange, which seeks to help people. There is a place for protests; it is just that protests are not the best answer normally.