Protesting - Ego over Issue

Being in the nation's capital, I'm always seeing things that the average American doesn't get to see.  One unique thing to DC is the constant presence of protesters.  They can be found just about anywhere, protesting just about anything.  After a while, you begin to notice things about them and you realize that whether they are here, there or anywhere, they all have something in common - their big fat inflated egos.

For the past two weeks or so there has been a daily protest in front of the White House and it screws up my lunch-time jog (yes, I jog daily and I'm still terribly fat - I don't know how it's possible, but it's my reality).  Several federal law enforcement agencies set up barricades everyday around these people who are engaging in a "sit in" and spend the bulk of the day arresting them.  It's not like you think it would be - let me explain.

I have no idea what these people are protesting, but they've been doing it for two weeks now and nobody in the media could give a shit less about it.  Late last week they procured a banner that appears to refer to some kind of pollutionsomewhere on an island.  The group of protesters earn an "F" for issue identification right off of the bat.  It's worthless to go sit in front of the White House and get arrested everyday if nobody knows what the hell you're protesting - more on this in a minute.  By the way, when I write "sit in front of the White House," I mean that they literally just sit there - no chanting, no ranting - nothing but sitting there silently staring at the crowd gathered in Lafayette park to watch them get arrested.

The reason they get arrested is unclear to me because I know there are several rules about protesting in front of the White House and one of them is that you have to keep moving.  You can't just sit down.  The other has to do with permit and size of your group, but I'm not exactly clear on that one.  It doesn't matter because these people are fully aware that they are going to be arrested every day they show up.

So every morning when they show up the federal law enforcement people literally put a huge perimeter around the people using black barricades and yellow caution tape.  They deploy roughly 40-50 federal agents from what appears to be three or four agencies. You have everyone from the U.S. Park Police to your normal White House Police Force (Secret Service) out there.  They erect a nice pop-up tent where they book each protester.  They have everything there they need to book a prisoner - it's crazy.  Then there are three to four vans sitting there running all day (so much for environmentalism, right?) waiting to take the arrested protesters off to wherever you put arrested protesters.  

Once all of the above is set up, they calmly and nicely stand up each protester one by one and put them in cuffs and walk them to the tent.  From there they end up on one of the vans and then off to wherever they take arrested protesters. This takes hours - and it blocks roughly all of the direct access to the front of the White House.  If you traveled from Portland, Oregon with your wife and kids and had on your "to do" list a picture of the kids next to the fence in front the White House - too bad!  You aren't getting near the place as long as these assholes have the place locked down - more on this in a minute.

Here's where you have to know that all of these morons who show up every day to get arrested are just there for their ego.  First of all, they have all of their friends snapping pictures of them standing there and subsequently getting arrested as if they're walking up on stage to receive their diploma - the vanity of their actions is very apparent.  Second, whatever issue they're protesting is so unclear that even I, after jogging by for two straight weeks, have no real idea what they're protesting other than I think it's environmental in nature.  Third, the President hasn't been at the White House the entire time they've been there and exactly zero media coverage has come of their public display of stupidity.   One has to wonder what they are accomplishing here other than some kind of ego trip about their commitment to whatever issue it is they are trying to push.  How does getting arrested stop drilling in Alaska?  It doesn't, but it makes for a good story about yourself, now doesn't is?

I have found that instead of doing something to affect a legislative or regulatory solution to their problem, they would rather throw a little party where they make themselves a martyr.  Their stories will be the same - "I was arrested protesting evil drilling of oil wells!"  The key part - "I was arrested."  These people are big on the "I" and the "me" if you ever hear them talk.  Whatever issue they are interested in takes a back seat to the obvious "look at me" moments they seek to generate by their actions.  Why else would someone get arrested every day in front of an empty White House? 

I think each of you should be very wary of the people who organize for any one of the many issues in your community.  Quite often the whole issue and it's surrounding activities become about the person/people running the show.  You might have had the feeling that the person ranting and raving in front of City Council is more interested in being the center of attention than anything else, and you were probably right.  El Paso is no different when it comes to the causes created by those seeking to boost their egos.  Your best bet is not to feed their ego and actually figure out how to solve problems yourself. 

The saddest part of this story involves the hypothetical family from Portland, Oregon.  They made a once in a lifetime trip to the nation's capital to show their kids where it all happens.  Their dreams of a great photo of the two tax deductions standing arm in arm in front of the White House are dashed by the selfishness of a bunch of egomaniac assholes.  It's a lesson in freedom - you're free to be an asshole in America even if it ruins someone's vacation. 

And don't think that family from Oregon is all that hypothetical in reality.  I run through the crowd of tourists attracted to side-show every day.  What starts out as curiosity quickly turns to disgust once they realize that those goofy bastards getting arrested, for what appears to be no reason, are keeping them from getting up close an personal to the White House.  Way to go protesters - you really know how to get people on your side.

Anywho, just be careful who you follow, because you likely only to find their ego at the end of your journey.

Comments

[voter]

You certainly could apply this logic to the Recall/No Recall crowd as well as the anti PSB (seize the land) crowd.

[anti psb crowder]

well, i guess you missed this nut, but quite hot body darryl hannah during you jog.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/newupdated/ci_18788536

[voter]

Ah yes - the privileged white people that fly in private jets to protest at the WH (using lots of oil based products) about an oil pipeline. If she only had a brain - must be why she is nice looking - because she certainly doesn't have the smarts to understand what she is doing. Guess she can't get a movie deal so she's protesting at the WH hoping a super liberal producer will hire her. Add her to the list of actors that I will not pay to see any of their movies.

[pinky's spell checker]

capitol not capital

[David K]

Pinky,

"capitol" is the building, you moron. "capital" is the seat of government, you moron.

The level of your stupid has exceeded what I can deal with in a day. At least do a google search first.