Social Protest and Activism Resurface in Great Numbers

As a child of the 1980s, I felt left out, as if I had been born at the wrong time. When I discovered Edwin Arlington Robinson’s poem “Miniver Cheevy” in high school, I finally could identify. Cheevy, a disheartened romantic, laments his anachronistic existence, wishing he could return to the medieval romance of Camelot.

When I viewed media footage from the 1960s, everything seemed so interesting; unrest and uprising seemed to denote the tenor of the day. From the Freedom Riders to Woodstock, from Kent State to the radical protests of Buddhist monks, the world appeared embroiled in social activism. My tween and teen life, imbued with vapid pop culture figures and kitschy fads, paled by contrast. I wanted to march or participate in a sit-in, darn it.

I hadn’t thought about these feelings for a long time until the last few weeks. Egypt seems to have started the proverbial ball rolling, and since then a chain reaction has been set in motion.

Apparently, citizens of dictatorial regimes are no longer content to live in this way. Moreover, they aren’t willing to do so in the “global village” of an increasingly technologically rich era where they are made cognizant of conditions in the rest of the world and able to voice their own concerns. I told someone this week that it would be much less likely for the Holocaust to happen in these times because of Internet exposure. Indeed, one of the tactics Egypt employed to attempt to silence its people involved the shutdown of the Internet, especially those bothersome, powerful social media.

As a child, what I didn’t realize, however, was the great tragedy that marks many protests. The Freedom Riders, for instance, faced savage attacks and arrests. Those idealistic young massacred Kent State students originally had the potential for longevity. Those Buddhist monks must have been brave and unwavering in their convictions in order to ignite their flesh.

Accordingly, as the protests of late are starting to chip away at the chains of despotism, we see that the stakes are often high in the procurement of freedom, a valuable and worthy prize. As of Thursday, February 24, according to Associated Press (AP) reports, 365 people were dead and 5,500 injured in Egypt’s riots. That same day another AP report indicated that Ghadafi forces had taken action against the revolt in Libya, killing 17 people. Ploys to retain fascist control and bloodshed seem mutually inclusive.

At home, protestors are fighting their own battles. Wisconsin public workers are battling the government to retain benefits and collective bargaining rights. “We are the people and our voices must be heard!” one female protestor said, according to a Washington Post report. Similar protests are being echoed across America, including Tennessee, where teachers and other citizens are rallying in Nashville in a show of solidarity for education.

Our American history chronicles decades of protest movements, including the Labor Movement, Civil Rights, Suffrage, Peace, and Globalization. All of these protests are sanctioned, of course, by the one short clause in the 1^st Amendment that affords “the right of the people peaceably to assemble.” According to law, governments may impose “time, place, and manner regulations” but may not restrict the content of protests. Further, the government cannot impose regulation "substantially broader than necessary to achieve the government's interest."

Sometimes, though, one must be willing to concede in order to make substantial gains in protests, as Andrew Young, aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, said: “I learned from Martin Luther King that you have to do what you think is right and accept the consequences as they come. You can't do things to stay safe.”

Ultimately, what is just is not always safe, and those willing to acknowledge that fact and take those risks emerge daily in the battle. So, I come to find, despite what I once thought, I do live in exciting times after all.