April 28th, 2024

I just finished reading an article about some pro-Palestinian student protesters who are lamenting the fact that their arrests at campus demonstrations might negatively affect their futures. After perusing this essay, I had to rest my forehead on the table and moan,

“You idiots.”

Okay, they’re university students, so they probably aren’t idiots in a literal sense, but they clearly did not think through the consequences of their actions. Yes, their actions will have an impact on their lives. That is guaranteed. As my son, Stefan the Ironworker, is wont to say,

“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”

I am not saying that these college students are wrong in demonstrating for an end to the war in Gaza. I am not saying they are wrong to protest the injustice that the Palestinians suffer every day. To a large extent, I agree with their views.

However…

I am no stranger to demonstrations, rallies, and protests. I have in fact been arrested for civil disobedience, once and only once. That occurred at Creech AFB in Nevada in April of 2017 (you can look it up if you like). The group I was with was protesting American drone warfare in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We blocked the entrance to the air force base at the time when the shifts changed. The police made it clear to us that, if we failed to move from the entrance after five minutes, we would be arrested and jailed. For reasons that I have explained in depth in previous essays, I stayed in the street with six other protesters, and we all got busted.

Please note that I knew that I was breaking the law. I knew that I was infringing on the rights of people who just wanted to get to work. I knew that I would be arrested. I knew that I would go to jail. I knew that there would be other legal ramifications. I still stayed put, because I thought it was necessary for me to take a stand on an issue that was important to me. I needed to show solidarity with the kids getting blown up by our drones and with my fellow activists. I was ready to do the right thing and then get punished for doing so.

These college students apparently see things differently. They are worried about suspensions and arrest records. They want to do something heroic, but they don’t want their actions to cost them anything. They want to follow in the footsteps of Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela, but they don’t want to lose their chance on getting their Ph.D. or miss the next Taylor Swift concert. They are demanding amnesty.

It doesn’t work like that.

I personally know peace activists who have spent months or even years in jail or prison for nonviolent civil disobedience. To me, these people are heroes. They put everything on the line for their beliefs. My arrest was at most a minor thing. I got my wrist slapped. The DA in Clark County eventually dropped my charges, and sent me a letter stating in legalese,

“Don’t EVER come back here and do that shit again!”

These young people need to grow up fast. Mommy and Daddy won’t save them.