A new look on protests

I think the biggest thing that has changed for me in the way I view a protest is what a protest is When I first entered into this class I didn't think that there were so many protests going on in the world. I come from a pretty small town and have been in Austin in only a year and my view of a protests was the picketers that protested their wages. This class has opened up my eyes to alot of individuals struggles that I did not know was going on in the world. To me it will really make me look different at certain groups. I know look at handout and fliers in a different way becuase I realize that they are most likely trying to get a message out and a majority of the time it is in hopes to have change instituted.
Protests in my mind have changed from being a huge gathering to something that could include just one person that is trying to make change. A protest to be effective has to just change the view points of the people in charge. This process can start small by affecting one person at a time. However, throughout the protest in order for it to be successful it has to grow and gets its message out. I think some of the most effective protests are the ones that don't neccesarily feel like a protest and it feels more like they are just sharing facts with the group. The types of protest in my opinion are more effective due to the fact that they do not push a person to change and allow for them to make their own decision.

Annie and Mikey

I do not consider Michael Moore and Anne Coulter to neccesarily be protestors. I view them almost as celebrities. I think that they have very strong opinions and they at no means are afraid to speak what they have on mind. I think the Michael Moore's documentaries are of protest but they are also very largely about him trying to get his name attached to very confrontational things. Anne Coulter I believe just feels strongly on what she believes in and with people listening to her, her beliefs get stronger. I do not think that she really protests it is more of her just trying to be heard. The american public supports both people I think not so wholeheartedly. I believe that the common american can agree with one or the other on some stances however no one would most americans agree with everything that is being said. I do however believe that they go to these extremes and it makes people feel better about themselves when comparing it to thereselves. I know people who say I am liberal, but I am nowhere close to Michael Moore, and the same for Coulter. People feel comfortable not being the most radical and they find comfort in being in the middle. There loud in your face rhetoric appeals to people in my opinion who are less educated. I think that in both of them there are many weak claims. Personally I found it interesting that our class saw through most of the claims when we discussed Fahrenheit 911. It is interesting to note that the room, full of soon to be educated students, easily poked at flaws. Also in class people noted that the way he did things, though not necessarily true, allowed for them to get the thought in their mind.
In conclusion on both I think that I will probably use them for a laugh every so often and will probably never believe any thing either say unless I go and check there sources. However, alot of America believes everything they hear and with these two it almost never is unbiased.

Ann Coulter

The main problem that I have with this woman is not really her fault. To me she is very intelligent and making a lot of money. The problem that I have with what she is saying is all the attention she gets for the books she writes. Not every author after writing a book gets to go on Good Morning America. People enjoy what she writes which is evident by the multiple best sellers that she has put out. I do not blame her for being a radical because she has a following and she has made a name for her self as being an extreme conservative. Too many people get upset with what she says but I do not view her as a professional and therefore for me I do not see what she says as all that bad because in the United States she can say what ever she wants. It is her right. I disagree with what she says however if someone were to give me a book deal that made me write confrontational topics and told me I would sell millions I would jump on it. I think that if people have a problem with Ann they should reconsider it and put there concerns on the millions of people that buy the book and make it a best seller. I do not blame the woman for just talking about what she believes and making money for her. To me if all I had to do was write my opinon and get rich it would be the best job ever. She is just practicing her first amendment right and the national media gives her a huge audience.