One man with a sign, protesting. Not much of a chance of success. Tell him to stop . . .

[bigtree]

. . . because it won't make a difference?

Beg him to stop?

Ridicule him until he stops?

Why? What is he hurting?

I've been that man.

Please don't tell me to stop protesting because you don't think it will make a difference.

Please don't try and discourage others from joining me.

Please don't ridicule my efforts because you can think of other actions you consider superior.

If you don't appreciate my efforts, just turn away.

Don't knock me down.

[KurtNYC]

1. First they ignore you

then they laugh at you

then they fight you

then you win. (M. Ghandi)


So hang in there. You're almost there!

[Kelly Rupert]

16. Only in 99% of cases, it goes,

"first they ignore you.
Then they continue to ignore you.
Then they continue to ignore you.
Then you die of old age."

[deutsey]

42. My cynical version goes: First they ignore you

then they laugh at you

then they fight you

then you win

then they shoot you

:evilfrown:

Seems to be the way it goes, anyway.

[deutsey]

44. I should say, though, that I believe an individual acting on one's conscience,

however small and insignificant it may appear, is crucial in the battle against official lies and fear.

It's what Vaclav Havel called (in his dissident days) "living in truth."

[cwydro]

45. kick

[uppityperson]

2. Please don't berate those who don't agree, who point out the problems with the gas thing.

Go, do what you want. Best of luck to you. Just stop berating anyone who points out that the last 35 times this was proposed, nothing happened.

[Mojambo]

5. I don't think there was any berating to be found in that post.

Just a fairly polite request to not be attacked.

I personally think it's a fairly impotent gesture, but nobody should be shouting them down.

[uppityperson]

8. search can be instructive.

look at the pattern. I ask the OP to give the same respect as is asking for. That is all. And good luck to anyone who tries anything.

[Mojambo]

11. Sorry, I didn't realize there was baggage being brought in from other threads.

Pretty hard to hit every thread around here.

[BuyingThyme]

12. Yes, why try? Just give up.

Fantastic.

[uppityperson]

13. Please don't berate those who don't agree, who point out the problems with the gas thing.

Go, do what you want. Best of luck to you. Just stop berating anyone who points out that the last 35 times this was proposed, nothing happened.

I am trying different things, using my energies otherwise. Go, do what you want and best of luck to you. Just stop berating anyone who doesn't agree.

[BuyingThyme]

15. Berate? Hmm... Thats quite a stretch of a projection, isn't it?

D'ya think anybody will buy it?

[uppityperson]

17. Why try? Just give up.

"Why try? Just give up." vs "I am trying different things, using my energies otherwise. Go, do what you want and best of luck to you."
Berate, not a stretch, and yes.

[BuyingThyme]

18. You tell people that their efforts mean nothing while at the same time

accusing them of berating people. That doesn't make any sense, but if you think it does, best of luck to you.

By the way: Being that you say you are so familiar with many similar previous events, don't you understand that your testimony is in itself absolute proof of the effectiveness of those events?

That's what protests are for, you know... to get people to pay attention.

[uppityperson]

23. Oh, OK, nobody buy gas on the 15th so UP will notice! cool! it is about me.

OP was right!

Telling people that the last 35 times this was tried, nothing happened is pointing out the reality of what has happened in the past. "Best of luck" is wishing good luck with their efforts. "Please stop berating those who don't agree or wish to participate" is a polite way of saying stop saying things like "Why try? Just give up." when someone points out the history of these sorts of things and recommends other actions that might get more notice. Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Pointing out a historical fact is just that.

No, I really doubt that the "don't buy gas on the 15th" protest is aimed at getting me to pay attention to high gas prices and the gas industry raking in massive gross profits. Now, best of luck to anyone in any protest they do. I wish we were all to be noticed, our public servants to hear us and represent what we want.

[BuyingThyme]

24. You don't understand.

"Why try?" and "Just give up" are the things YOU are saying. YOU are saying that these protests achieve "nothing."

And now you're actually trying to tell me why I support these protests. But please keep doing it because you're making this protest very successful.

[uppityperson]

25. I copied your post #12, and now you say I am said it? OK. whatever

Best of luck to anyone protesting anywhere, I wish we could be heard and represented. (Now you get to claim credit for what I wrote, right?)

[BuyingThyme]

26. Do you really not understand? I was mimicking you in an effort

to bring attention to what you were saying.

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=mimicking

[Reterr]

31. Huh

Who is berating who here? If you don't want to do it don't. But you people are the ones telling people their efforts are useless etc. And when they tell you that they are going to go ahead and do what they think is right, then they are the ones "attacking and berating" you ....
:eyes:
Okkaaaay.....

I am sure its very hurtful that your all-knowing opinions aren't immediately accepted by all protesters, but thats hardly an attack on you by them.
If you are decoding all posts then I will decode your own. Its a rather obnoxious, condescending way of telling people that they are too stupid to understand the things you in your knowledge understand. I can see why you wouldn't want to be called out on that....

Many of the things you people are saying isn't quantum physics and my guess is most of the protesters have figured the very obvious things you are pointing out by themselves. But, please feel do go on lecturing-it is quite entertaining.

[uppityperson]

36. You seem to have missed the background.

Whatever.

[tubbacheez]

3. There are many paths to the top of the same mountain. n/t

[BlueJazz]

4. You've probably heard this little story but it truly brings home the...

...idea of what one person can do in this life.


While walking on the beach one morning I came upon an old man who every
so often would pick up a starfish (that had been stranded on the beach by high tide)
and toss it way out into the ocean. I said to him
"That's rather senseless, isn't it? Do you really think that saving a few starfish is
really going to matter, in the "Big Scheme" of things." He said: (as he tossed another one into the sea) "Yeah...well..it sure mattered to that one"

[senseandsensibility]

6. I agree

I've heard this sentiment about more than one situation today. On Ed Shultz, he just couldn't get enough of warning truckers not to take any action against Mexican truckers being allowed into the US. Then I read on DU that not buying gas is stupid. Where would the labor movement have been with this defeatest attitude? It has to start somewhere.

[BuyingThyme]

7. The stupid protest thread is stupid.

Particularly in that the current demand for gas has nothing to do with the high price of gas.

[MiddleRiverRefugee]

9. Tell that to this guy...

[Telly Savalas]

22. If only that guy had the courage to buy gas on Tuesday instead of Wednesday

maybe things would be different.

[Forkboy]

35. Great minds think alike.

I just posted the same thing before seeing your post.It's hard to find a better person to illustrate the effect one person can have.That image should be shown in school in place of saying any Pledge of Allegiance.

[patrice]

10. That depends upon how you define success.

Simply being there with words/a sign that didn't come from MSM is something.

And something is always more than nothing. And think of how, when all things are more or less indistinguishable one from the other, how MUCH MUCH more important even the smallest difference is.

Stand on a busy corner near a traffic light if you can; hundreds of people will see you and read your sign while they wait for the light. Children will see you; that's important.

[EFerrari]

14. K&R

:hug: to you, bigtree. We disagree more often than we like maybe but, you know something, thank you so very much.

[bigmonkey]

19. Here's another quote from Gandhi:

"Hesitating to act because the whole vision might not be achieved, or because others do not yet share it, is an attitude that only hinders progress."

I've been trying to understand, for myself, why doomsayers really make me mad. This quote addresses part of it. I think also that doomsayers share with advocates of crappy policies and greed a conviction that such rapacious, manipulative behavior is "natural," and so opposing it is somehow contrived or elitist. Drives me crazy.

[BuyingThyme]

21. Then just keep kicking this thread.

[cwydro]

43. ...

:kick:

[bonito]

20. I hear ya, k&r

[Babsbrain]

27. Thank you, one man with a sign!

Every night I go to bed hoping that tomorrow something will happen that will end this national nightmare.

Every day I scour the news to find that breaking news that will release us from the hell 70% of us have endured for six years.

We have gotten close, closer and then, pffft....nothing happens. Nothing. Nada.

The gas thing was something. It was a coming together to do something, to say something. So what if it doesn't cause gas prices to plummet. It sends a signal that we are awakening from this nightmare and we are ready to fight.

Thank you, one man, for fighting to end this nightmare.

[BuyingThyme]

28. Not nothing.

I think some of those Big Oil tax breaks were rescinded. Had nobody complained, nobody would have lifted a finger.

Baby steps.

[Babsbrain]

29. Maybe

that's why the gas is so high...teaching us a lesson not to complain, right?

[BuyingThyme]

30. Oh, no.

Maybe you're right.

:hi:

[nam78_two]

32. K&R

I am not doing the gas thing because I don't own a car and walk to work and take the bus for other stuff :).
But I support it.

[BuyingThyme]

33. Kick this baggage.

[Forkboy]

34. One lone man protesting is the most inspirational thing I've ever seen.

[ComerPerro]

37. wow, you are really carrying a torch for that stupid May 15 thing, aren't you?

[lonestarnot]

38. Just what I like to see torches and pitch forks, and you quit your

whining about it see.

[bvar22]

39. I don't protest for YOU.

I protest for ME.

[BuyingThyme]

40. I protest for YOU.

And ME.

[cwydro]

41. kick

:kick:
and you got my rec!