The Duck Goes Quack: This is NOT About Phil Robertson (Well, Not Really)
7:05 AM
I was reading today about a sit-in that will take place in support of Phil Robertson. Organizer Eric Odom has started a Facebook campaign to "protest" the vast violation of Robertson's First Amendment rights and his suspension from A&E's hit show Duck Dynasty.
On Tuesday, January 21st there was to be the first Chick-Phil-A event, where Phil Robertson supporters from across the country were invited to go to their local Chick-fil-a, wearing camouflage to "Stand for Free Speech. Sit for Good Food."
Odom's idea was that as the controversy surrounding Chick-fil-a last year had similar undertones regarding Christian views of homosexuality that this campaign would also be effective.
So, putting aside the fact that the First Amendment of the Constitution of the United States of America applies to governmental interferences and not private entities. Putting aside that hate speech as conditional to a contract is totally within the lines of the law….
Putting aside that words matter and disagreement can come without hate….
Putting aside the gross beards, and the camo overalls….
My dear Mr. Odom: you disappoint me.
This is what you call a social movement? This is it? This is what will do to get your voices heard and the minds of others to change?
What has happened to us? Our society? What has happened to our visionaries and our leaders? While the generations of my parents and grandparents marched the streets of Washington D.C. to fight for racial and gender equality, for the right to vote, to stop wars and promote peace; here we are living in a time and space where radical mobilization means eating fast-food with like-minded others in a private establishment. Hmmmm….
So, is that it my millennial friends? Do we give gripe to the processes and paralysis that once was organizational development?
Woah, is, me, I say, I say…
I often find myself rolling me eyes when calls of millennial laziness are abound. "You old people are set in your ways" - "Tech communication will change the world"- this I shout from my internal proverbial hilltops, while attempting to assure myself of its truth.
We live in a society in where there are still inherent flaws, within which there are still outstanding injustices. So what are we missing?
Where is the movement? Why haven't we mobilized to the best of our ability? How is it that with the interest and instant communication having the potential to expose us and open us to a wealth of knowledge and resources that we're still here, just here?
At this very moment, citizens of Ukraine, Venezuela, and Thailand have risked and lists their lives in confrontational protests against their governments. Touching every corner of the world these people are seeking basic needs, questioning economic regulations, and shouting the calls of class warfare.
And here we are, in the most privileged country in the world… eating chicken sandwiches to "defend" our First Amendment rights.
So, now, here I am. I find myself aligned with those aforementioned "old folk" - WHERE'S THE FIRE, PEOPLE?
Do I believe we should engage in violent behavior? Absolutely not.
But when I look back at the acts of social mobilization that were engaged in by generations before - those that were acted upon because it was needed, because it was necessary, I can't help but feel a sting of disappointment in my fellow 18-26 year olds.
Civil rights, political diction, and race relations are all being challenged and suppressed… and I ask, my generational peers… what are WE going to do about it?
We have tools that leaders of past could not even image, means that they will die to have. So I ask you, close the tab to this pretty little blog, and get motivated. Go do something. Close the cat videos on YouTube, and dare I say, stop looking for various covers of "Let It Go." No more personality tests, or "which kind of latte" quizzes… Where's our passion?
Really. What are we going to DO?!
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