For example, in December of 1977, the Boston Tea Party was when a group of officials refused to fill the shiploads of tea and dumped tons of tea into the harbor. The Tea Party was the culmination of a resistance movement throughout British America against the Tea Act. It was a key even to the growth of the American Revolution, but stands as an event of justice and freedom.
People tend to characterize riots and protests as an unlawful attack between peaceful civilians fighting for their rights and government security or police. Feelings of 'threat' from riots are especially important, as they have been shown to have powerful effects on public attitudes towards issues such as immigration and diversity.
In most cases, people that did not associate the riots and protests with specific minority groups felt more prejudiced in their aftermath. After Dr. Matthew Goodwin conducted his research regarding the impact of people feeling threatened or prejudiced on riots, he concluded that that study revealed how threats to security and culture can reduce tolerance in our society.
The Boston Tea Party is a good example of a public protest. It certainly did add to the start of the American Revolution and definitely got their point across. While minority rights are a common fuel for a protest, they are not the only reason why some groups begin a protest or a riot, however. This posting was not exactly organized and it was sometimes hard to find the true message you were trying to convey.
ReplyDeleteI agree that most people believe riots to be blood baths. However, on many occasions small civil protests have turned violent. The Boston Tea Party could be considered an example because it spurred the American Revolution which would obviously turn out to be a very violent and fatal event in American history.
ReplyDeleteI also agree that riots are commonly taken out of context for what their true nature may be at that very moment. Sometimes we riots occurring due simply to a handful of people. The greater population tends to allocate themselves which tends to make it seem as though these "riots" occur with devastating aftermath. Great example, writing on the Boston Tea Party. It was not violent yet made a powerful impact on the American community.
ReplyDeleteMatt Davis – Group 8
It is really important to look at the type of the government were protests and riots are occurring. Because in some other parts of the world, governments don't give a chance for its people to express what they want, and they are usually oppressed-with the media. Another factor that effects how violent riots are is the cause. If the cause of the riots means so much for the people participating in them, then the people will fight harder for it and sacrificing health and freedom becomes so small in their eyes.
ReplyDelete-Obai Shaikh
group 15
nice post! i like how you used the Boston Tea Party as an example because that is a perfect example for a riot. After this riot had occurred, the British king surely knew what the Americans wanted: to get no more tax on the tea. Often riots are used to send out messages to a political figure or the public so everyone will be aware of the situation. Riots are kind of a gateway to change and even an expression of the views of a city. And like everyone else is saying here, there is no need to use violence in a protest because the Boston Tea Party got the job done without anyone getting hurt.
ReplyDelete-SeongHo David Choi
Its a good point that you show that riots are not just an angry mob there is a purpose to it. They all have a purpose and hunt for it trying to work for it and make sure that they are able to make it happen. They will always keep going and go more and more as long as they still are working for it they will keep working toward that goal.
ReplyDelete-Sean Ledbetter
I think that the tolerance for riots in the United States is pretty low. Usually the only causes of riots are sports related and have nothing to do with government policies. The public seems to be taking a rational ignorance stance when it comes to following and voicing opinions for or against government actions. We really do not have an issue with riots in America.
ReplyDelete-Andrew Berkowitz
The reason why I think it is great that you brought up the Boston Tea Party is because I began thinking that maybe people continue to use rioting as a form of free speech and expression because historically it has sparked change in the American society. People believe that when individuals can not be heard, masses of people must band together to represent how serious the cause is that they are rioting for. Unfortunately the hostility leads to violence, but either way people do walk away feeling like they have made some historical mark for change.
ReplyDelete-Ashley Broderick
Protests/Civil Unrest are what made this country. Without them, we would not see the US that we see today. It can sometimes be a huge disturbance/annoyance and sometimes dangerous but it has been the most effective way for the American people's thoughts heard.
ReplyDelete-William Kwan
While it's true that riots in the U.S. today do not stem from political issues, we still have a problem with riots. When large groups of people get together and develop very strong feelings about any topic, normally sports, they often over-react because they don't know how else to express their emotions. Historically riots have led to some form of change, and if riots continue after major sports events, they will lead to a change in policy of those events as well.
ReplyDelete-Rachel Atkins, Group 4