From "New Scientist": Protests WORK! Who knew?

[JanMichael]

Well a whole lot of people probably had a good idea or they may not have taken the pepper spray...But I digress.

I know that a lot of you pooh-pooh the idea/efficacy of protests but it appears that there is a positive impact on Legislation, at least on the Environmental side of the equation. I suppose that the researchers zoomed in on the Green types because of the long steady history of protests.

From: New Scientist vol 183 issue 2462 - 28 August 2004, page 4
http://www.newscientist.com/inprint/index.jsp?id=20040828

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"Chaining yourself to bulldozers and throwing paint over company
executives is more likely to influence environmental policy than schmoozing on Capitol Hill. So says an analysis of the impact of the green movement in the US between 1960 and 1994."

"The study compares the number of bills passed by Congress with tactics employed by green groups in the same year. Jon Agnone, a sociologist at the University of Washington, Seattle, found that sit-ins, rallies and boycotts were highly effective at forcing new environmental laws. Each protest raised the number of pro-environment bills passed by 2.2 per cent. Neither effort spent schmoozing politicians nor the state of public opinion made any difference."

"Agnone, who presented his results on 17 August at the American
Sociological Association's meeting in San Francisco, says protest groups lose their edge when they become part of the system. Their most effective weapon is disruption. "If you make a big enough disturbance then people have to recognise what you are doing.""

"This is no surprise, says John Passacantando, executive director of
Greenpeace USA. "We know that unless a politician feels real pressure, or a chief executive senses a threat to his market, everything else is just talk.""
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Interesting.

[efhmc]

1. Really think in many ways that I would have been a happier person and

made more of an impact on the world as a protester than as a mother. Although I have produced 4 new liberals in my life as a Mom (first and second generation). I really admire and respect those that do the dirty work for the rest of us. They do make a difference, if not today, then certainly tomorrow. Thank Goddess for all of them.

[JanMichael]

2. I can't say that I can fault motherhood!

You've got my appreciation:-)

[efhmc]

3. Thanks. I love my family but in many ways a protesters' life looks

like more fun. There were days when being in jail without anyone looking to you for food, clean clothes, advise, etc. seemed a whole lot easier.