Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowperson
Five hundred in this population size would be pretty much what you'd expect and describe as "The Usual Suspects."
We'll see if this core group can inspire others beyond themselves, those who wouldn't normally have the same axe to grind.
If it hovers around that initial 500 going forward, I wouldn't be surprised.
Amusingly, the Herald said some 9/11 Truthers were there with signs.
Outside of my day job as a Titan of finance, I spent this afternoon in a small village, representing a non-profit I volunteer with, accepting a cheque for tens of thousands of dollars from an intermediate oil company for a community capital project we have going. The village populace was also out, dozens of them in a big worker bee effort at rebuilding a park among other things, also with oil company funds, separate from our project. Kind of amusing contrast of how everyone spent their day and why.
Cowperson
|
So these other protesters don't rebuild their communities at other times? The dozen caught on camera now are suddenly more committed than others?
It's kind of funny, that the spotlight that said protest cast, you use to show the good deeds of others. If we all want to be as negative of the movement as you, I could easily extrapolate these people don't usually rebuild parks and these companies don't usually fund it, they are just using the argument to do it.
Of course that's not right. And it's not right either ways. Many of these protesters help out outside the glare of lights and camera, and many of these companies truly help their communities.
Your original sentences indicate why many people are upset. They see it as an 'Us vs. Them' dichotomy. And I will agree, based on the attitudes of many protesters, it often seems like that. But based on the actions of business and government, it really seems like that.
Truly, in Calgary or most of Canada today, we aren't fighting anything. I like the path. But, it's not perfect, there are problems, and we're bringing light to different issues. You ask, well why don't you do you job and donate time or money outside? The point is WE DO. We do just like you. We do just like the example above. To assume the protesters are lazy, or jobless, or don't give their time is boorish and untrue.
Anyone could have set up today and said, 'well look what we did, instead of protesting.' And you know what? If that was truly their attitude, it was because of the light that the protesters shined on the city.