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I was having tea in Gloucestershire with a friend, and we got to talking about protesting. I don't mean complaining about bad service, or curly sandwiches, I mean real protesting, the sort that stops councils from closing libraries.
"I've written so many emails, I can't do it any more," said he. "I'm exhausted. It never stops. If it's not libraries it's the unemployed being made to work for nothing, or whales being harpooned, forests uprooted or our health service being wrecked. And really, in the end, what does it all achieve? Once they've worn us out, governments just go back to doing what they want. Protesting never does any good in the end."
I remonstrated with him, but maybe not very much, because I was feeling pretty discouraged myself. Then something
happened that made me think again. I went to Texas.
I'd never been to Texas before, and no doubt my idea of the place was fairly similar to many another Englishwoman who has never visited. Cowboy hats and boots, tumbleweed, twangy accents and cattle. Of course I knew that there were cities in Texas, and skyscrapers, freeways and shopping malls, but I'm a child of the fifties, and was brought up on Dick West and the Lone Ranger. So of course I looked for signs of cowboys. They were easy enough to find. And along with the whites, in cowboy hats or not, there were of course Blacks, Hispanics, Chinese, the whole rainbow of peoples that makes a place vibrant.
The first evening we were in a packed restaurant. "Years ago that wouldn't have been possible," said my companion, as a young black family came in and was shown to the last empty table. I engaged my mouth before my brain. "Why not?" I said. And then I remembered. Being a child of the fifties wasn't just cowboy films. It was also segregation. So we started talking about protest. We weren't drinking tea. She had watermelon juice and I had rice milk wit
6 Comments on I protest!, last added: 4/2/2012
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Absolutely. As someone who only experienced the sixties for two months (born late '69) I look on those early civil rights protestors with profound admiration and awe. So much is about trying to change people's mindsets or bringing awareness, not just bringing about concrete changes (a point missed in lots of the commentary about Occupy).
And Small Island (like Andrea Levy's other books) is a brilliant choice.
A really thoughtful and thought provoking post - thanks, Cindy! It's very easy to succumb to protest fatigue - the trouble is, even when there is a victory, the other side just bides its time and so often gets its way in the end almost without anyone noticing. But sometimes it does work, sometimes the protesters do win.
A very good reminder to us all.
The link across on G+:
https://plus.google.com/u/0/100146646232137568790/posts/DDfyvNoU5f6
Never ever doubt the power of peaceful protest, peaceful petitioning and a well reasoned, well written letter. Do not ever give up if your really believe in something. I know it works. (But yes, it can take everything you have and then some more as well.)
A thought-provoking post - thank you, Cindy. It's always worth saying and standing up for what you think. Even if it doesn't have an impact, it's important to speak out. And the really important things often do get changed in the end. Black people and women have votes. We don't own slaves. Every child is entitled to a free education. We (so far) get free healthcare when we're ill.