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Join us on July 4th for a nationwide demonstration! http://restorethe4th.net http://restorethe4th.net

• ck2 13y ago
  Yeah protests - just like with civil rights, it only took 50 years to end Jim Crow laws which were incredibly outrageous and it looks like it's going to be 50 years since Stonewall before gay people can finally be treated like human beings and marry across (most) states. So in 50 years they will suddenly agree that maybe the TSA and the NSA are a step too far.
  • pvnick 13y ago
    When protests don't work in democratic nations it's because defeatist attitudes keep people home. You know what they say, if you don't try then you've already lost. As it stands right now this may be our best shot. Y'know... that and sitting around bitching about it on the internet.
  • shaggyfrog 13y ago
    This sounds like a red herring to me. Why did you just stop at 50 years? Why not go all the way back to the first recorded instance of slavery? That would make your argument even stronger. Fact is that the reversal of anti-GBLT laws accelerated immensely in the last few years -- maybe even just the last decade. We're not talking 50-year scales for major societal changes anymore.
  • gee_totes 13y ago
    You're cherry picking social movements here. Take a look at how fast the 26th Amendment (mandating the US voting age to 18) was passed in response to the Vietnam War.
  • anigbrowl 13y ago
    Now you're just wallowing.
  • yread 13y ago
    Hey today it's actually an anniversary of Stonewall riots! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonewall_riots
  • a-priori 13y ago
    In Canada, marriage equality started being a major issue in 1995, and things started changing in 1999 when the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex couples are entitled many of the rights of marriage. In 2002-2003 most of the provinces' and territories' courts ruled that they could marry. And finally, in 2005, same-sex couples gained full marriage equality at the federal level after several drama-filled months in the House of Commons that included one MP (Belinda Stronach) crossing the floor then retiring from politics, attempts to bribe another MP (Chuck Cadman) on his deathbed, and several MPs (including the Prime Minister, Paul Martin, and former Prime Minister, Jean Crétien) being denied communion at their church. Then it was over. In 2006 the law was upheld in a free vote under a new Conservative Party government, thus cementing the law and ending all serious debate about overturning it. So really, things changed over the course of 10 years here in Canada (1995-2005), and same-sex couples have had full marriage equality for 8 years now. A whole generation is coming of age now in the time since gay marriage was legalized. People entering adulthood now at at 18 years old were 10 years old when the law was passed -- too young to have been concerned about things like this. At best, they only vaguely remember that there was once a debate about it. To them it's been legal 'forever'. They hear about the marriage equality debate going on in the states, but even the more conservative teenagers (mostly, ones who have conservative parents) don't understand what all the fuss is about. Frankly, I don't either.
• CWuestefeld 13y ago
  Start by referring to the holiday properly, as Independence Day. Perhaps part of the reason it's lost so much meaning is that nobody refers to it by anything but a number.
  • syzo 13y ago
    It's simply useful in this case since it's the 4th of July, and people are protesting to protect 4th amendment rights. But yes, I generally agree with you.
• Helpful_Bunny 13y ago
  Trusting anonymous protest groups that are not transparent, lack accountability and seem 100% driven by social media (Reddit / Facebook) is a bad idea. Especially if they use media that is eminently traceable, is known to be data mined and is hosted by unfriendly sources (which Reddit and Facebook BOTH are, don't kid yourself: just because Advanced Publications aren't directly working with the NSA doesn't mean they're not using the data in other ways. And trust me, you're product on Reddit, 100%). This is not what grassroots organizations look like, this is what astroturf looks like. And no, I don't care if you're politically different than the Tea Party, manufactured dissent is a terrible abuse of Democratic principles. Shame, Shame, Shame on you. It seems America, in the age of Kony2012, has totally lost the plot when it comes to effective protest. "Restore the 4th" is the vaguely socially progressive Kony2012, well done.
• a3n 13y ago
  I'd love to, but there's nothing scheduled for Denver.