Marked for Dearth

Attention all college activists: reasonable people don’t want to be accosted as they walk to class or listen to some angry-looking bearded guy chant imperatives over a megaphone. “Free Mumia!”, “Long Live the Intifada!”, “Nuke the Whales!” - whatever it is. If you’re really trying to endear people to your cause, you’ll need to improve your PR skills. An unsolicited advertisement that champions some social or political end is no less unsolicited. Surprise, surprise - people don’t like it.

Sadly, some of these causes may actually deserve an audience but are being undermined by all the yelling and the shouting and the glavin! Instead of denouncing every guy with a camera as an agent of the Mossad, invite him to film firsthand the effects of the oppression you are protesting against. Showcasing the extent of the suffering may sway opinions and change minds; pumping your fists in the air and making people feel uncomfortable will not.

Now if only I could add my name to a Do Not Demonstrate registry…