Comments on: Virtually Conflicted

By: Terry Miller

Terry Miller — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 12:45:23 +0000

Great article!! I believe your Mom would be equally proud of your convictions and your writing skill.

By: MIKE LEVINSON

MIKE LEVINSON — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 02:04:03 +0000

I really miss the live gatherings and meetings with live people, they are often lively encounters, especially for somebody like myself who has felt quite isolated from my community of resistance for quite some time now. But this past week I experienced something really special: I participated in a ZOOM meeting via my laptop computer, with other nonviolent activists, and it was really thrilling! Perhaps it would not have been so thrilling if I had been doing it for some time, but what made it so refreshing is that for the first time in a very long while I had the opportunity to actually see other people’s face alive, not just still photos or video shots, and I got to hear their voices, and hear them speaking extemporaneously, which is something that doesn’t really happen when one communicates via email, facebook or texting. It was a delight, just like a family reunion, like meeting these activist friends again after a long separation. So it wasn’t so bad, and it gave me a booster shot, and I am grateful. BUT STILL…I wait impatiently waiting to stand next to folks again and chant, and march, and sing, and sit down, and do things, or do nothing. I remember a protest action sponsored by Majority Report back in the 1970s, a protest against the anti-vagrancy laws in New York City which had been enforced to clear the Times Square area of undesirable people. The Loiter-In was a success, and the poster inviting participants said, “Come to Times Square and Do Nothing!” There was even a training session offered to teach people how to loiter. The struggle goes on at many different levels! Hi Ho!!!

By: Ginny Schneider

Ginny Schneider — Sat, 25 Apr 2020 09:33:25 +0000

I think protesting in cars would work and be at least public. In smaller towns, it could make quite a splash.

By: Sue Barnhart

Sue Barnhart — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 18:47:43 +0000

I always love reading your posts Ruth. I do miss the big protests, a small group of us held up some signs on earth day, but we were expecting before the pandemic a crowd of thousands. And not being at the Post
Office for tax day for the first time in 35 years was rough. I guess learning to zoom, face time , etzi and go to meeting has been good for my old brain but I miss face to face meetings with hugs and seeing old friends at protests, as well as a chance to do outreach to a larger cross section of folks.

By: Chrissy Kirchhoefer

Chrissy Kirchhoefer — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 18:15:13 +0000

Great article Ruth! You raise a lot of good questions that I have been pondering as well about moving forward. I look forward to hearing others thoughts.