thoughts on the news of the day: protesters

hmmm…..

            Interestingly enough, Time magazine’s person of the year for 2011 is The Protester.  When the  choice was announced,  I imagine several folks were disappointed that it wasn’t one name instead of many  – it wasn’t them.  Steve Jobs could have been named or Kate Middleton.  Then there’s Gabriel Giffords and Rep. Paul Ryan.

            But after a year of thought, Time chose ”the protester”.  This obviously includes lots of folks, folks who are unnamed, but nevertheless have had a huge impact on the events of 2011.  For the most part, the protesters have been righteous.  Take for example, those who protested the governments of Libya and Egypt, and Syria.  They won the freedom of many people in the middle east and will not be forgotten.  Then there are the protesters who Occupy Wall Street.  Some might say those who protested big business, big banks and their greed were misguided and well, wrong.  But, they persisted and a movement was born.

            Then, there are the individual protesters named.  People like Molly Katchpole who began the protest against debit card fees. She started her protest online and was able to collect over 306,000 signatures.  And also, Loukanikos, a stray dog, who followed along Athens protesters and made a name for himself.

            It is probably good that people stand up for themselves and fight for what is right.  After all, that is what our forefathers did to make our country, the United States, a place where all people can be free and have the right to assemble peacefully to plead their cause.  But I think that what happens after the protest is even more important than the protest itself.  If nothings changes, nothing changes. 

            Maybe Time is right about the protesters.  .  Maybe this time things will change and in the end we will find peace and harmony once again.  It could happen.

            hmmm..,.,.,.,