What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared
to what lies within Us
Back in the 60s…before I was old enough to take part in the democratic process…teenagers and college age youth were really into social activism. One of the main targets for their sit-ins, demonstrations, protests was the unpopular war in Viet Nam. Back in the day, demonstrating and protesting was cool and hip. And the people who took part in them had a definite point of view, something they wanted the government to hear, in other words, a stand.
Unfortunately for them, the government and law enforcement weren’t all that keen on hearing that divergent opinion. Or to the violence that eventually overtook the expression of that opinion. In the end, the angry students were quieted by an overwhelming show of force. The image of state troopers opening fire – and not with rubber bullets or “muzzle shots”, but the with live ammunition – on a group of student demonstrators at Kent State University still sticks in my head, forty years after it happened. The ugliness of Kent State actually escalated the peace/anti-war movement. It make the rank and file stand up and take notice. Finally, the protesters’ message was heard.
Three years later, the War began to wind down. Even though I was just a kid when all of that took place, the image of Kent State and the earlier Summer of Love have stayed in my head. And I’ve learned the value of actually standing for something. I can safely say that I’ve gotten myself into more than a little trouble by standing for something. I have the scars to show for this, but I’ve learned that scars are a small price to pay for telling the truth, for doing the right thing even when that is difficult. For having principles, even when it’s unpopular to do so.
As I headed to downtown Toronto this past Saturday, en route to an appointment with my (hair) colourist, I had my iPod tuned to a “the best of” compilation by John Mellencamp. One lyric that got stuck in my head for the rest of the weekend was this: You’ve got to STAND for something or you’re gonna FALL for anything. I thought to myself, hmmm, there’s a lesson in there. It seems that John Mellencamp, like many of us in “the second half” (of our lives) have learned these lessons the hard way. (But at least we’ve learned!)
This past weekend, I was delighted to see large groups of people taking part in peaceful demonstrations designed to raise issues with the leaders of the G20, who were meeting in our city. And I’m sure that these people, like I, were gut-wrenched and heartbroken by what happened next. How the self-proclaimed anarchists (who, by definition, stand for nothing) and the various hangers-on and followers, cell phones in hand as they watched the violence unfold – just going along for the ride or maybe considering joining in - stole the focus from the messages that should have gotten out. I mean, really, if you are there to protest, then you should be protesting. And I didn't see a large number of the legitimate protesters lolling around taking pictures of each other with their cell phones. In my eyes, the ensuing melee seemed pretty pointless, as, unfortunately, did most of the media coverage.
Having experienced a riot in my own neighbourhood 15 years ago (when I was still living in downtown Toronto), I really felt sorry for the many people whose homes were in the midst of this random violence. On both days this past weekend, I was downtown for hours. Only a few blocks from where the mob scenes were occurring. And there was no evidence that anything was amiss, except that on Saturday subway service south of Bloor Street was suspended and on Sunday I noticed that the 501 Queen streetcar had been replaced by buses. Even though the media coverage would have had you believe that the entire city was ablaze. I guess I’m wondering. Are we so obsessed with getting our 15 minutes of fame, with having a good time, that we hurt other people without thinking? If that is the way we are living our lives, never standing for anything, but, instead, following whichever way the window blows…isn’t that a waste?
So, the next time you see a crowd heading in some direction, ask yourself where they’re going and why. If you’re just joining them for some excitement, or to get a few pix to send to your friends on your cell phone, why not give it a pass. But, if they’re heading somewhere you want to go, you can decide to actually participate rather than just being an observer or mugging for the camera. If you're going to practice civil disobedience, it seems to me that it's better to do so for a reason other than your own vanity. Stand up, make a difference...only, be prepared for the consequences!
