Protesters defy everything and accomplish nothing

As a friend of mine drove past a group of protesters on the steps of the Monroe County Justice Building Friday night, he heard them yell at him, "How's your mama?" The group was protesting the arrest of six demonstrators earlier in the day during a cycling activist event. The police arrested some of the riders after they refused to stay in one lane so traffic could pass them. \nThe remainder of the cycling protesters then rallied at the Justice Building, claiming the arrests were unjust and the police used excessive force. This is the point when protesters decided the best way to state their case to the community members was by asking them how their mothers were.\nOf course, this yelling and signs insulting cops are just a couple methods in a long line of genius tactics thought up by the imaginative, super-intelligent activists of Bloomington. \nStating your case in a civil, calm, understandable and polite manner isn't enough when you could just throw a rock through the window of Starbucks or accuse cops of being "the real criminals" (as one sign stated at the rally). \nWednesday, environmental protesters stood outside of Staples, challenging the business for cutting down trees for its paper products. An employee taped a poster to the entrance, "Staples offers hundreds of products made from recycled paper." Meanwhile the tree-huggers outside held several signs made of cardboard.\nLet's be honest. This week of so-called "resistance" to the arrest of alleged eco-terrorist Frank Ambrose isn't going to help him become a free man. Protesters will never unfold an FBI conspiracy. They won't save the trees. They won't stop NAFTA. They won't remove the Nike Swoosh from IU apparel. They won't save Tony Danza's career, and they definitely will not topple Starbucks, McDonald's, Staples or any other corporation. \nThese groups protest and protest, thinking they are going to make a difference, when all they really make is a nuisance.\nBloomington might take protesters more seriously if they wouldn't protest every little topic from government to cruel treatment on ant farms. The same faces attend the same protests no matter how different the topics. The crowds basically act, look and dress alike. It almost seems activists gather and each one throws a topic into a hat. What should we protest today? "Save the trees," "Down with Capitalism," "Fur is murder," "Cappuccinos kill," or "Save Ferris?" (The only worthy topic.) One cause is drawn out of the hat, and that's the protest everyone supports with 100 percent enthusiasm that day: protesting just to protest.\nAt the cycling protest, claims of excessive force were hurled at the Bloomington Police Department after they forcefully arrested several protesters. Cops are used to taking down tough and hardened criminals. It's hard to judge how tough a person is. Someone may look weak, but might be rather strong; police officers cannot afford to take that chance. \nThe protesters I usually see are as skinny as the tree branches they love from not eating any meat or non-organic food. It's not that the cops use excessive force, it's just that most protesters are skinny wusses who aren't used to violence unless they're hurling a brick after their protest fails and then running to avoid getting in trouble. Officers probably just don't realize that protesters go down easier than a pine tree hit by a chain saw.\nMany protesters believe they are individuals who think for themselves, free from the brainwashing of society and pop culture. So they protest to prove this. The activists believe they are the only "free" thinkers. But protesters Friday night wielded signs saying "Cops are the real Criminals." If these free-thinking people were really smart, they'd realize most cops accomplish twice as much for our society as any of the activists there ever will. \nI do think people should protest. Society does need a watchdog. But unfortunately, many activists seem like they are protesting just to defy authority. Most cry "conspiracy" at anything and everything. If protesters were to pick and choose certain battles to fight, instead of trying to fight every little one that comes along, they might actually be able to win one. Society might take them seriously. People might say "Why are people protesting?" instead of "Oh, it's just those protesters again." Also, if activists wouldn't take such radical stances, the rest of society might find it easier to understand and accept the message activists try and communicate. \nThus started the Week of Resistance. Bloomington activists have organized this to protest environmental oppression and the trial of Ambrose. I encourage people to join the protest if they honestly believe in the cause. But if you're someone who just wants to stick it to The Man and defy the government, stay home.