2008 Woodie Awards
The necessity of protesting the RNC
Rebecca Spence
Issue date: 9/10/04 Section: Forum
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Some people argue that those who protested the Republican National Convention were misguided in their actions. They claim that because the party has the right to assemble peaceably, protesting the convention is foolish. This belief is unfounded.
Most people who went to the protests from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2 were not protesting the GOP's right to assemble, but rather the principles behind the current administration.
These principles are certainly worth questioning. The Bush Administration is an elitist club whose values are nothing more than schemes to win the next election and create a totalitarian state. Every member of Bush's cabinet has extensive corporate links, from Labor Secretary Elaine Chao's connections to the Bank of America to Secretary of State Colin Powell's association with America Online.
The Bush Administration has disregarded civil liberties, loosened environmental protections, and horribly diminished health care and education standards.
At the top of the flyer advertising Guilford Action Network's (GANe) trip to the convention were the words, "Voice your dissent of the Bush agenda at the RNC!" Those who marched in New York City were simply saying, "We know what is going on in Washington, and we will not let you get away with it."
"We're speaking our minds," said Erica Bratz, who attended the event with GANe. "We're not happy with the Bush agenda."
While critics of the protest believe that marches and demonstrations are ineffective, non-violent activism is anything but futile. One needs only to remember the effects of peaceful protest on the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War to realize the tremendous impact dissent can have.
The RNC drew huge crowds of dissidents. Over 500,000 people participated in the United for Peace and Justice March on Aug. 29th, the main event of the protests in New York City. The experience of gathering with 500,000 like-minded individuals is a powerful one. I'm sure it provides a wonderful forum for the exchange of ideas.
Most people who went to the protests from Aug. 29 to Sept. 2 were not protesting the GOP's right to assemble, but rather the principles behind the current administration.
These principles are certainly worth questioning. The Bush Administration is an elitist club whose values are nothing more than schemes to win the next election and create a totalitarian state. Every member of Bush's cabinet has extensive corporate links, from Labor Secretary Elaine Chao's connections to the Bank of America to Secretary of State Colin Powell's association with America Online.
The Bush Administration has disregarded civil liberties, loosened environmental protections, and horribly diminished health care and education standards.
At the top of the flyer advertising Guilford Action Network's (GANe) trip to the convention were the words, "Voice your dissent of the Bush agenda at the RNC!" Those who marched in New York City were simply saying, "We know what is going on in Washington, and we will not let you get away with it."
"We're speaking our minds," said Erica Bratz, who attended the event with GANe. "We're not happy with the Bush agenda."
While critics of the protest believe that marches and demonstrations are ineffective, non-violent activism is anything but futile. One needs only to remember the effects of peaceful protest on the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War to realize the tremendous impact dissent can have.
The RNC drew huge crowds of dissidents. Over 500,000 people participated in the United for Peace and Justice March on Aug. 29th, the main event of the protests in New York City. The experience of gathering with 500,000 like-minded individuals is a powerful one. I'm sure it provides a wonderful forum for the exchange of ideas.
