This week the ecotrain community decided to challenge our knowledge with this thought provoking question.
Are activists who inconvenience the general public justified?
I'm sure we all know who activists are, they are people who stand for something, usually political, social or religion wise, they openly support It and would go to any lengths to have others understand them and join them.
Recently a lot of people haven't been listening to some of the things activists say, so some of them in recent times have decided to take things extreme in order to get people's attention. For example, almost a month or two ago during a premier league game between Everton and Newcastle a fan came into the pitch and used a plastic chain to hook his neck to the goal post. He wore a shirt which aired his views
"Just stop oil". He was removed from the goalposts by security and given various punishments including a lifetime ban from all football matches in England or Wales.
Now, he may think his mission worked, as he was able to get more eyes on his belief, but it's far from that. Sure he may get one or two people who will be interested in what he has to say, but now because his actions have annoyed a lot of the people in that stadium one way or the other they'll associate whatever he's saying in a bad light, whether it is good or not. Moreover, I don't understand how a football field is the best to share such opinions. Majority of the people there didn't even care what was written on his shirt.
I personally do not think activists who inconvenience the general public are justified. For me, and I'm sure a lot more people are like this, when you start to force your views and opinions down my throat I won't want to listen to what you have to say. I'd simply ignore it or even fight against it, if it's worth my time XD.
By making yourself an obstacle In people's life you'll only anger them and instead of making them for you, they'll be against you.
If you want to air your views, no one is stopping you, but when you start to shove them down everyone's throats by force a lot of people won't listen.
If you're interested in participating in the question of the week, click here for the rules.