[DISCLAIMER: I wrote the article I'm citing]
K, so, I got this neat new writing gig for a site called The Good Men Project over the weekend, and my first article has already been published. It pertains to a
No War With Syria rally I attended on 8/31/13. I wasn't expecting much from them, at least not after the failure Occupy became, and it turns out I was pretty justified in my preconceptions.
http://goodmenproject.com/politics-2/how-not-to-stage-a-political-protest-gmp/Hidden amongst the usual anti-war signs and slogans were a few signs protesting Monsanto and calling for the legalization of weed, a clear indication that the purpose of a No War with Syria protest was somehow not completely clear to all of its attendants. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for having debates about GMOs and recreational drug use, but keep those to their own forum. They have no place at an anti-war rally, and advocating these subjects does little but detract energy from the primary goal of this protest. Unfortunately, this was something the rally’s speakers did not take into account, and they proved to be the most disappointing, and infuriating, part of my entire afternoon.
My understanding is that similar rallies in other cities, such as Los Angeles, have been much larger and more effective, and I certainly hope this is the exception rather than the rule. However, I have little hope for the San Diego branch of this movement to do anything of any real import.
Also, my next article for this site will be focusing on the situation in Syria. Specifically, I will be discussing the plight of the civilians and refugees, as that is hardly getting any attention in the media, and it's something I can more easily tie to the GMP's mission statement.
