Yes, there are always those seeking to attach their names to worthy causes for their own gains. However people have taken that legitimate critique and amplified it to the degree that "If you aren't fixing the problem, you have zero right to complain about it" which is flatly ridiculous. You can be in a position where helping fix a given problem is simply not possible for any one of thousands of understandable reasons, but that doesn't mean you aren't allowed to speak about it, if for no other reason than so the other people who are able to help might know about it.
People like to rip on others for the perception that they only draw awareness to issues and nothing more, but what exactly is a 20-something in college supposed to do? They often don't have disposable income, they often lack the means to travel to places, unless they are in the right college chances are they can't join a protest, the one resource they have in abundance is time. And so they use what they have to generate whatever impact they can.
However small it might be, that impact is still worlds more helpful than the collected caws of "WhY aReN'T yoU fIxINg iT YOuRseLf?!"
It's very easy to throw stones from afar when you've never been in the trenches. Those who don't do often make unreasonable demands because they have no connection to the reality of the situation of actually getting a thing done.
Travel expenses, taking time off work, food and drink, accommodations...
> It doesn't take money to volunteer, even if it's just maintaining a newsletter or occasionally seeking donations for your local org.
Many activists do those things, though. They're still dragged through the mud for "not doing enough" or "just talking."
> It's very easy to throw stones from afar when you've never been in the trenches.
I've never flown a helicopter, but when someone puts one in a tree I can still say "dude fucked it up." and be correct.
> Those who don't do often make unreasonable demands because they have no connection to the reality of the situation of actually getting a thing done.
"Reasonable," "civil," "practical," are all examples of words used by those empowered by a status quo to resist changes to it. "We're happy to discuss issues, but the discussion should be ciiiiviiil" which I mean, yeah, I generally prefer civil discussions, but when the topic at hand is decidedly uncivil, for example taking people's children and imprisoning them at the border, then I believe an uncivil response is warranted.
Most protest organizers can set you up with a free bus ticket if you reach out to them and are in a reasonable bus distance. Your city may even have discount bus tickets already available if your protest is happening at a government building (which is an ideal place to protest). There are people at protests who go not for any protest cause itself, but to make sure people get water and don't die from heat stroke. Fill a water bottle before you go.
No, going to protest on the cheap won't get you an airplane ticket and a free lunch. Pack a sandwich if you want to eat. If you can't afford that, ask your fellow protestors for some crackers or something. Remember that your fellow protestors are on your side, and will actually help you.. if you ask them. They're not psychic.
> I've never flown a helicopter, but when someone puts one in a tree I can still say "dude fucked it up." and be correct.
Can you? What if it was a SAR helicopter that was given bad flight relay information and got caught in a storm? Helicopters sometimes crash, and it's not always the fault of the pilot.
> but when the topic at hand is decidedly uncivil, for example taking people's children and imprisoning them at the border, then I believe an uncivil response is warranted.
It's possible to disagree with a situation, be civil, and take time to understand it. I've spoken to the people who work in those "prisons" with children, and most of them are dramatically against the wall, but also recognize when a kid who is 8 shows up at an international border alone, they need to go somewhere.
Again, that doesn't mean you have to agree with it, but throwing stones at the people who are at least trying to help isn't productive.
In the context of the linked article, HN for example could easily shut down 2 days a week and Planet Earth will continue to spin. And maybe the mods(and the addicted readers) will get a break from what appears to be a thankless energy draining job.