Friday, November 12 2004: Boycott as Means of Social Change
I was watching something last night on TV, don't remember what the title
was, what the channel was, or anything. It was about the Bus Boycotts
down in Talabama and the ensuing trial of Rosa Parks ("They messed with
the wrong one now!").
Anyway, here was a community that effectively energized a nation-wide movement to effect real change in the Republic just by banding together and not riding on buses. After my attention waned, and I changed the channel, I began to wonder how likely it'd be that any real social change could be brought about with a series of such prosaic actions.
I'm inclined to believe it would not be possible, but I'm at a loss for why. Maybe the Civil Rights movement was an idea whose time had come and we don't have any great ideas ready to be birthed today. Perhaps the citizenry lacks the social conscience to see the value of taking such a small act in the service of a larger social cause. I think it must have something to do with how frenetic and deluded we are by corporate America. But what do I know, I can't stay on a single TV channel for more than 5 minutes.
Anyway, here was a community that effectively energized a nation-wide movement to effect real change in the Republic just by banding together and not riding on buses. After my attention waned, and I changed the channel, I began to wonder how likely it'd be that any real social change could be brought about with a series of such prosaic actions.
I'm inclined to believe it would not be possible, but I'm at a loss for why. Maybe the Civil Rights movement was an idea whose time had come and we don't have any great ideas ready to be birthed today. Perhaps the citizenry lacks the social conscience to see the value of taking such a small act in the service of a larger social cause. I think it must have something to do with how frenetic and deluded we are by corporate America. But what do I know, I can't stay on a single TV channel for more than 5 minutes.
