Any display of patriotism has always been a very cool thing to me. Today, it means more than ever. Did it accomplish anything? It impressed me for one. Almost 40,000 views in a week for another, 400 plus likes, 2 dislikes.
We have to start somewhere. These everyday citizens stated their allegiance to the United States of America. 54 out of 62 Colorado Sheriff's are suing to block gun restrictions. The State of Kansas stood strong for their rights, others continue to join. Even Jim Suttle was recently replaced, I feel in part anyway, due to his ideas on gun control.
I'm glad to see people are starting to stand up.
I'm always glad to see acts of patriotism, but I also see too much being made of highly vocal gestures that don't translate into impact on the political system.
That was a state senate subcommittee doing business according to legislative rules. It makes great video for people to make noise and "stand up to the Man" but those in power brush it off. Just take a look at the cause of the day on facebook, "Post this to show your support for XXXX".
The best way to impact the political process is to get organized and engage the political process where it can be influenced. That means grass roots campaigns, supporting candidates with the right credentials, lobbying, and holding elected officials accountable. Money and organization matter.
One of the reasons the Tea Party movement was successful was that they engaged the electoral and legislative process. Contrast that to the Occupy Wall Street silliness that made a bunch of noise but faded away without impacting anything. What I saw in that video is more akin to OWS than Tea Party activism.
Did any of those people contact their representatives or did they just show up at the hearing to make noise? We'll probably never know, but I'd suggest the former would be more effective.
