Uncivil disobedience

The state of civil disobedience in this country is a joke, and the protesters at the G-20 summit have all but proved that.

When asked, 90 people of the people "protesting" say they are protesting "the G-20." When asked what the G-20 is, they generally stumble for words, because they don't really know, and eventually will spout some talking point they read on a Web site that is completely unrelated.

When you explain to them that what really was happening was that the leaders of the 20 largest economic powers were gathered to try to work together to solve important global problems, for an instant you can tell they feel stupid for protesting it, but then they just dismiss you and go back to their fantasy world.

I feel bad for the other 10 percent of the protesters who actually have a good cause, say freedom for Tibet, or global warming, because their causes are sullied by the association with this group of uninformed misfits who are simply protesting because they think it's cool.

I'm all for freedom of speech and civil disobedience, but the key is, it's civil and you really should actually have something to say.

 

JESSE B. NICHOLSON
Shadyside