Opinions: Actions speak louder than clicks

 by Kevin King
 published on Monday, March 24, 2008

The fifth anniversary of the Iraq war has come and gone, and I'm worried that expressing revulsion to the war is in danger of becoming a banal, yearly occurrence — something like Flag Day. I fear that students will not be motivated to act against the war effort until next March.

Forty years ago, and for various (if sometimes connected) reasons, protests broke out all over the world. Black ghettos in the United States erupted against racial discrimination. French students took to the streets, calling for university reforms in massive demonstrations and launched an enormous social movement in the process. In London, students opposed to the Vietnam War put the U.S. Embassy under siege. Comparably, our generation is relatively tame like the Pope is relatively Catholic.

I don't think the inaction of today's students can simply be summed up as endemic to our generation. I see it as a consequence of the world we live in — but not an inevitable one, mind you.

Our distractions are more numerous and easier to access than those of the generation of 1968. Cable TV, E-mail, and social networking are only a sampling of the things that have made it nearly impossible for a college student to be caught with nothing to do. Being occupied, however, is not the same as being productive.

The good news is that for every temptation away from activism the Internet provides, it also supplies the truly eager with a tool. Groups like the Progressive Democrats of America (www.PDAmerica.org) and United for Peace and Justice (www.UnitedforPeace.org) have quality Web pages, local chapters and resources like mailing lists and events calendars. It's never been easier to get involved.

While the Internet is certainly a tool, getting the job done can never be as simple as clicking your mouse or signing an online petition. If activists can be driven from streets and campuses into dim coffee houses and home offices, the fight is far from won. Electronic resources are valuable, but not an end by themselves.

Flourishing democracies must have an active civil society — groups of citizens who get together to make a difference. Unfortunately, so far the impact of the Internet has been like an anesthetic instead of a stimulant. The good news is that social networking and civil society are not mutually exclusive; they can be used to bolster one another.

So if you are upset about the war, about health care, or about anything else, don't think that the road ends with joining a Facebook group or by clicking a link that sends a donation. Steps like those are only the first ones; they create awareness and do a good job of it. But locating events schedules, talking to people who think like you, and acting upon your values are far more worthwhile actions.

Kevin can be reached via e-mail at: krking@asu.edu.