Dissent: An American Privilege

"The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously."

-Adlai E. Stevenson (1900-1965), American politician & ambassador

Glenn Reynolds at InstaPundit has an interesting post on the anti-war protests that have taken place around the country on the first anniversary of the war in Iraq. He links to Citizen Smash who attended one of the demonstrations and was able to garner an interview with Rebecca, a student who was a speaker at the event.

While Rebecca's views may not be representative of all those she was addressing, I suspect they were representative of a majority of them. Though the post is lengthy, especially if you read "Rebecca's Remarks," and the "Interview with Rebecca." I'd recommend it as a means of getting some insight about the folks who protested the war over the weekend. 

Glenn also links to James Lileks' The Bleat, whose post includes a rather inflammatory poster being displayed by one of the marchers. Lileks' comments about the poster, the person who's carrying it, and the marchers in general, communicate his displeasure with all of them in his usual articulate and thought-provoking way.

I'm in favor of demonstrations, free speech, dissent and protest. It's a part of what makes this country great. I just wonder sometimes if those who are involved in these activities always understand what they're doing, or simply demonstrating for the sake of demonstrating.