Trading Progress for Spectacle
Why Protests on Official Proceedings are Counterproductive
There’s a false impression that the people who yell the loudest win in a democracy. If you think they don’t hear you, stick it in their face and yell louder. Call it the Saul Alinsky view of democracy.
That approach is counterproductive as I note here:
What is really counterproductive though is when protests take over official proceedings of legislatures. The Legislature is the people’s FORUM. It’s not a square in the park where you can shout at the top of your lungs, it’s not a street for a parade of supporters to demonstrate support. Its where elected officials represent the people that elected them, and speak in a deliberative forum to get the people’s business done. It’s how democracy works. When groups go out of their way to protest in the “Room where it happens” it is actually STOPPING DEMOCRACY FROM HAPPENING.
I objected to it here:
And here:
And here:
I even object to it when people protest on State Legislature grounds with the intent to intimidate legislators as in Michigan when militia groups protested with AR15s, as here:
Bear in mind, it doesn’t matter what the issue was. In fact, people often forget it over time and then only remember the protest. Quite often, the protest alienates everyone sympathetic to your cause as well; does taking over a proceeding bring anyone else to your side?—most likely not. Instead, it just preaches to people already in your camp.
If you ignore the decorum standards of the institution, then it devolves to the point that all the legislature becomes is endless protest with groups overtaking official proceedings and nothing gets done. People already have a poor opinion of government, wait until absolutely nothing gets done.
The Tennessee Three
What sparked this in the past week was a gun protest in the Tennessee Legislature. Following the school shooting in Nashville last week, and frustrated that the state legislature had no intentions of bringing up gun reform, three state legislators staged a protest in the Legislative chambers with a bullhorn and supporters in the gallery.
This course of action is unacceptable. Imagine if every legislator could hold up proceedings for any issue they saw fit and you get my point; it would bring official business to a standstill. The rostrum of the legislature is not the place for a performative protest. It’s the place to speak about issues and present your opinions (if you are an elected representative) but playing to the gallery trades any kind of progress on your cause for the spectacle of theatre or a pulpit sermon. There are other, more constructive ways to get your views across and get forward momentum on your cause.
How Republicans Completely Botched the Punishment
Given that the three continued their protests over the Sergeant-at-Arms objections, punishment was required by the body. In Tennessee, where the Republicans enjoyed a supermajority, they had the power to expel the legislators outright. Such a drastic action would be entirely stupid; they were after all still representing their constituents and still calling attention to an issue that was very relevant given the shooting that had happened the previous week. An adequate penalty would be some form of censure or removal from committees. Yes, a slap on the wrist for a slap on the wrist infraction. If they did it repeatedly in the future, then more severe penalties should be considered.
But that wasn’t good enough for the radicalized GOP in Tennessee. They actually voted to expel two of the three protesters. The difference between the two they kicked out and the one they didn’t?—the two they kicked out were black men and the one they did not was a white female. So not only do they look completely extreme getting rid of legislators from the other party out of sheer disrespect, but they clearly demonstrate racism/sexism as well. It’s a serious travesty on every level.
All Republicans did was turn the three (especially the two ultimately expelled) into martyrs for their cause. They are receiving national attention, national fundraising figures and elevating their cause to the front page again. Not to mention, they continue to shine a light on how disrespectful and antagonistic the GOP has become to democracy through gerrymandering, as well as shutting down dissent and discussion. Remember, the three were the ones that shut down the original proceedings; but the GOP’s draconian penalty just reaffirms already existing sentiments that the GOP is anti-democratic (and by what I have seen the last 10-15 years, they are).
Outstanding Tweet
I remember when Scott Walker took over the state of Wisconsin and rammed through Act 10 stripping bargaining rights for public sector unions. It was grossly disrespectful to Democrats and most Wisconsinites, yet they had just won a huge majority in 2010 (Tea Party wave year) and had the capacity to get it done.
The crowds looked like this:
How well did the protests work? Act 10 passed. They tried to recall Walker (it failed) and then when he ran for re-election he won. He gerrymandered the state to prevent Republicans from losing the last 13 years and until Tuesday this week when Democrats finally won a majority on the State Supreme Court, it looked like it would never be undone.
Which is why former Republican Joe Walsh’s takedown on Walker was so on point.
https://twitter.com/WalshFreedom/status/1644293413284577280?s=20
Footnotes and Parting Thoughts
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