When The Disgruntled Get Organized…
…the city better pay attention.
I have never protested in my life, except when we joined a peace rally in San Francisco some years back. Can you imagine? A Singaporean protesting?
Our democratic government panicked when they saw some white elephant cutouts in a particular part of Singapore, so of course that means organized protests are illegal. [Oh wait, they are illegal.]
Some of you already know that we are fighting an obnoxious and possibly deaf club owner who plays loud music every weekend.
We have done everything humanly possible to bring attention to this errant club, which, by the way, is breaking the law. There is a noise ordinance in the city, but no one enforces it.
We write letters, we call the cops (I have 911 on speed dial), and finally, we protest. Nothing like a photo op for the news-hungry media. Give them some old folks, a couple of kids and up the sob-story factor.
Still, exercising your rights doesn’t necessarily mean you get heard at City Hall. In that sense, every democratic buck does stop there. Does the city care? It doesn’t appear so.
In the end, there is nothing that beats media coverage (public shaming does move mountains), a connection to the Mayor, or an uncle who works in city politics. Cronyism moves democracy along. The only difference here is, I get to hold a sign on a public street without incident.
I can’t say I’m totally converted. I am nervous protesting, especially when a patrol car rolls by. I think, “Will they arrest me?”
You mean I actually have rights? So this is democracy, huh.
Funny, tastes like chicken.