Methinks they ALL protest too much

Confusing motion with action

With apologies to William Shakespeare, we borrow a famous quote from Hamlet (taken from Act III, Scene II). Notably, the line “The lady doth protest too much, methinks” is spoken by Queen Gertrude. The statement is in reaction to what is occurring in the play within the play (“The Mousetrap”).

At this point, the Player Queen is elaborately professing her loyalty to her husband. Notwithstanding that “protest” in the context of Hamlet connotes the idea of solemnly affirming something, rather than objection or denial, there are still implications for us in the present day. Suffice to say, Gertrude’s observation is more than a little ironic, given her own actions regarding her own late husband.

Street protests are as American as apple pie, and have only become intentionally violent and/or excessively disruptive in the wake of the Occupy Wall Street movement (2011). The confrontational tone was raised significantly during the George Floyd/Antifa riots (2020). It continues with the anti-ICE demonstrations and interference with law enforcement.

While paid protesters date back to at least the Civil Rights era, this practice exploded around 15 years ago. No doubt, some of the participants would have volunteered their services.

As a Boomer, I have observed my share of protests firsthand. Back in my student days, nearly everyone participated in one or two of them. But, there was also a hardcore cadre of “activists,” many of whom persist in their radical beliefs to this day. “Stuck in the 60s” we would say.

Where did these activists come from? As always, there was a small number of true believers; Red Diaper Babies, if you will, who were fed a nonstop diet of Commie claptrap from their earliest days. It certainly didn’t hurt that most public schools overwhelmingly tilted to the Left, and far too many teachers rewarded the “smart kids” for espousing leftist talking points. Not surprisingly, most of these “smart kids” stayed Leftist, if not turning even more leftward, as they grew older.

However, the majority of these activists were really opportunists, for whom the “cause” was a social situation. This group consisted of losers (of both sexes), who hadn’t accomplished much in their academic, or any other sort of pursuits. Latching onto a “cause” would give them an immediate identity, and standing holding up a sign in a protest, became an “accomplishment.”

Of course, the rewards of companionship (sex and drugs) would soon follow.

Many of these opportunists would eventually resume real life, but the siren song of joining a cause remains to this day, and there are plenty of new recruits. Even without the social benefits, what other pursuit can instantly transform a feckless loser into a crusading hero?

Returning to Hamlet, a major theme is the disconnect between appearances and reality, with deceit permeating the entire court. Claudius, who murdered Hamlet’s father, is the most obvious example, followed by the meddling Polonius, and Hamlet’s friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, who betray him by spying for Claudius.

Protesters like to believe that they can change something, but this is rare, and if change IS effected, it is nearly always because of the REACTION to the protest. Remember, it was the shooting of the anti-Vietnam war demonstrators at Kent State (May, 1970) that became a much bigger issue than the protests themselves. As it was, public sentiment still blamed the demonstrators for the resulting violence.

Even so, it took nearly another three years for the US to withdraw all of its troops from Vietnam. The massive demonstrations and student strikes now seem more like “A tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” (Macbeth Act V, Scene V)

Likewise, what pushed the needle on civil rights—besides the litigation—were the brutal police tactics in Birmingham, AL used on the demonstrators, and the vile bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church (September, 1963), which killed four little girls. Few wished to align themselves with the violent other side.

By the same token, attacking law enforcement, and a tragically misguided mother casting herself into harm’s way will not change too many minds regarding immigration policies.

As Shakespeare showed us more than 400 years ago, there is a wide gulf between appearances and reality.