The Best Advice To Student Protesters Today From a 1960's Radical: Listen To Donald Trump

[thomhartmann]

A student demonstrator planning a walk out in wake of the latest tragedy in Parkland Florida. Thom, a former member of Students For a Democratic Society, for his advice on protesting, Thom's answer is not what you think it'll be!

[safeinOhio]

1. Hey Thom

I remember those days in East Lansing very well.

[turbinetree]

2. Hey Thom................

I remember those days at Berkeley


November 2018 cannot get here fast enough

[Honeycombe8]

3. Good advice. Hard to do that, I think. But if they can.... I remember the sit-ins on tv.

The sit-ins got news coverage because it was different, and it interfered with people walking into/out of buildings. Then the cops would have to pick up the prostrate students and cart them off. More interesting than a regular protest.

BUT protests are okay, too, since the people protesting are youths...which is different in and of itself.

I'm so proud of those young people. I don't know if they can keep it up. They have school, extracurricular activities, some don't drive. But it's good they're getting involved, since the adults aren't protecting them.

[Mr.Bill]

4. In the 60s, I learned to think that protest was the province of the young.

Not that all ages can't do it, but let's face it. When you are trying to shape the future, the young have way more skin in the game. It does my heart good to see that maybe this is just the beginning of a huge wave of youth protest. We stopped a war in the 60s/70s. Anything is possible.

[Honeycombe8]

5. I thought exactly the same thing. Like the 60s protests. Anything is possible. nt

[spike jones]

6. The Seattle WTO demonstration in 1999

changed the way the USA thought about globalization (the rest of the world already knew). But that movement got sidetracked when 9/11 happened. Big ugly confrontational street demonstrations work. They worked in the sixties and they will work now.

[spike jones]

7. BTW

at the student walk-out in Bellingham today, the first song played for the crowd was Dylan’s, The Times They Are A-Changin’

[BigmanPigman]

8. Joe, I have good INFO for you...

It seems like Thom wants you to use YIPPIE political theater tactics like Abbie Hoffman and Jerry Rubin did in the 60s....Pegasus for President (real pig), throwing money down onto the floor of the NY Stock Exchange, etc.

If you aren't able to do that then join the Resistance, Indivisible, etc or form your own group. Use your imagination and do something clever using the tools you are very experienced with...Social Media.

It isn't just students walking out. Educators, parents, students, community members and local govt officials are walking out too. I put together some links with info about activist events planned for March and April. The number of events/sites has tripled since the Women's March Organizers announced it last Fri and I signed up. I will be at my District Ed Center in San Diego on March 14th with my fellow educators and local govt reps. Also, the activists in the Resistance and Indivisible is going strong and more women, minorities, etc are running for office now more than ever! EMPOWER the YOUTH!
https://www.womensmarch.com/empower/
http://www.powertothepolls.com/