How Not to Convert People to Your Cause

[rowyn]

Sigh.

I suppose it's not quite as horrible as picketing the funerals of servicemen, but rampaging through a church service is the exact opposite of a persuasive argument, and acting like spoiled children is only going to give ammunition to the people who oppose your cause. Blah.

Comments

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Well, the point of this thing could be:

(a) Something really horrible JUST HAPPENED and we want to make sure people know we are angry about it and that it was important.

(b) We've given up on trying to convince these people and want to make their lives uncomfortable so that people will be afraid to join their side.

(c) We've suffered defeats lately and striking back would be a great morale booster and/or get more people to join our group who already agree with our cause.

(a) is the normal protest motivation, (b) is the motivation behind things like picketing abortion clinics. I have no idea what these people were thinking unless something anti-gay just passed in Michigan?

[detroitfather.livejournal.com]

Nothing was on the ballot this year in Michigan (only Medical Marijuana and Stem Cell Research, both of which passed).

I think it is Prop 8 related.



There is a national-level protest scheduled for Nov 15.

[rowyn]

Yeah, that's what I expect, too. Not that it makes it any better.

[whitefangedwolf.livejournal.com]

(b) We've given up on trying to convince these people and want to make their lives uncomfortable so that people will be afraid to join their side.

(c) We've suffered defeats lately and striking back would be a great morale booster and/or get more people to join our group who already agree with our cause.

Unfortunately, their actions might stir up an opposing reaction; "Hey, that cause is made up of morons. I'm staying away from them."

[rowyn]

It's sure not doing anything for my morale.

[rowyn]

I'd have more sympathy for motives (b) and (c) if I thought it would actually work. I support gay rights and these guys are definitely not winning me to their group. And making me miserable like this would only strengthen my resolve if I'd been opposed in the first place.

I guess it might be raising awareness, but making people aware that your own group is full of jerks doesn't sound like a useful strategy either. :6

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

Yeah, they went too far with the fire alarms and stuff, I think. If they'd just picketed they could have made the churchgoers uncomfortable without, you know, *actually breaking the law*, and might have looked more sympathetic. Assuming the church was somehow a legitimate target.

I'm not sure protests work very well in America in general anymore, though -- the spirit of revolution that makes them effective is pretty weak. Too many people think 'oh god, they're acting like whiny idiots' instead of getting caught up in righteous indignation or whatever.

[rowyn]

Yeah, picketing is sort of ineffectual, but at least it's not directly counter-productive.