Silent majority is a term coined by President Richard Nixon in 1969. He was referring to the vast number of Americans who didn't participate in demonstrations against the Vietnam War, who didn't join in the counterculture conversation, and who did not participate in public dialogue on public policy. Nixon rightly saw this group of Americans as being overshadowed in the media by the more vocal minority, a small group of individuals who frequently and strongly share their opinions.
Sound familiar?
Today in our social media-consumed world, the vocal minority and their issues are garnering a lot of attention. It's these folks who are creating a loud, steady narrative against pretty much anything and everything they don't agree with.
Looking back over the past 18 months, we've witnessed march after march. They've marched for women's rights, science (global warming), against President Trump, and most recently they marched for gun control.
Unlike the upheaval of the 1960's, a time in which there was actually some stuff to warrant a bit of civil unrest, today's protest issues are perplexing in that they seemed to be fueled more by anger and less by civic responsibility.
So I asked myself, who is driving this rage? And who is financially capable of organizing these marches (complete with website, press releases, logo'd backdrops and printed collateral)? Who is
financially capable of organizing and launching a social media campaign in a matter of days? My guess was that it was not the unemployed 30-somethings in their parent's basements.
In an effort to discover the answers to my questions, I took a gander at the March for Our Lives website (sounds very dramatic, urgent and exciting), and it was pretty clear who was driving the agenda. Here's their welcoming message:
"Be counted today, at the March For Our Lives in Washington DC and 800+ sibling marches across the globe.
Be counted this November. And if you’ve already registered to vote – register your friends.
Be counted next week, and the next, by continuing to show up and speak truth to power. Demand action. Join us in this Fight for our Lives."Um, it doesn't say anything about the gun issue or why we must march for our lives. It's a voter registration propaganda campaign. Gosh, who ever would have guessed?
Then I dug a little bit deeper and hit the "donate" button. Actually, I was wondering why an organic social movement of outrage would need a "donate" button. You know, given that thousands of people felt so strongly about these issues they took to the streets of their own motivation and volition without any prompting. Low and behold I found that the donations go to the March for Our Lives Action Fund, a 501(c)(4) social welfare (labor union or political action committee) organization. The fine print: "Contributions or gifts to March for Our Lives Action Fund are not deductible for federal income tax purposes as charitable contributions. All donations are made to support March for Our Lives Action Fund's general mission and aren't designated for any specific political candidate or race." For legal reasons I won't venture a guess as to which "organization" actually gets the money, but I have my suspicions.
Reflecting on all of this marchiness, I can safely say that no issue, regardless of how strongly I felt about it, has ever compelled to me to grab a sign and march down the street (although it would probably be good exercise). While certainly rarely silent, I guess I will continue to be an active part of the "silent majority". Instead of screaming from the rooftops and irritating my social media friends with political rhetoric and hyperbole, I along with millions of others like me will stage my protest at the ballot box. The rest is just noise. #tb
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