Fuel price rally runs out of gas

In the world of rallies, there’s the actual Million Man March ! and then there’s everything else.

Place another way, not all protests are made equal.

By that we imply there are some rallies that develop so very large that it gets impossible even to count number how many people are in attendance. Arranged by controversial Nation associated with Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, the Million Man Mar drew people - mainly African American men - through across the United States to Buenos aires, D. C., 20 years back today, to bring attention to an array of issues affecting black interests in America.

How many people attended the particular Million Man March? Nobody knows for sure, but estimations range from 400, 000 in order to 2 million. March planners (responsible for the high-end estimate) were so upset through the low estimate (from typically the U. S. Park Police) that legal action had been threatened, and from that time onward the Park Law enforcement stopped making official audience size estimates at the Nationwide Mall.

Whether or not the Million Guy March lived up to thier name, numerically, is not particularly appropriate. The protesters’ points were created, en masse, by virtue of their specific and visible commitment for their cause.

Innumerability, on the other hand, had not been a problem for chroniclers regarding Wednesday’s rally against higher fuel prices in the Caymans.

How many people gathered near the Legal Assembly to deliver the relevant request to Premier Alden McLaughlin? We could be coy as well as say, “Not many” -- but instead we’ll be dull and state, “30 individuals. ” (We know this particular because a Compass reporter measured them up, on the spot. )

The 30 people who really showed up for Wednesday’s move is a far cry through the 14, 000 signatures within the petition against high fuel prices and in favor involving greater government regulation. Indeed, we realize that it rained a little that morning, an excellent a commitment dissolves in a little bit of rainwater, one might issue the depth of that dedication.

What this illustrates may be the varying levels of passion that individuals can have for or towards a particular subject. It’s super easy to get people to sign the petition - “Lower gasoline prices? Sure, pass the digital voice recorden! ” It’s even easier to build up anonymous posts online : “Send the same comment twelve or 15 times? Certain, I will! ”

What is much more difficult, and where one’s principles and beliefs tend to be more accurately ascertained, is to get individuals to take time out of their day time (particularly a workday) and create the effort to show up in individual. Out of the 14, 000 individuals who signed the gas costs petition, 30 people appeared - a conversion price of. 2 percent.

That is still far more people compared to who signed an not related petition, this one in favor of altering home mortgage rules, that was introduced Wednesday to North Part MLA Ezzard Miller. Which petition attracted a grand complete of seven signatures (Seven! ) - enough, nonetheless to prompt Mr. Burns into proposing a new Home loan Law for Cayman.

Within Cayman’s recent history, however , higher things have been done with often the active involvement of likewise few individuals. For example , a much-vaunted protest in Bodden City in 2012 against the Dart Group’s landfill proposal received fewer than 30 people. The actual fallout from that effort rapid in part because of the outsize press hype of the “protest movement” - is that, now at the end of 2015, Cayman is still coping with the current disaster at the George Town landfill, with no remedy in sight.

Confronted with loudmouths’ communications amplified by bullhorns, our own lawmakers would be wise to remember that noise doesn’t equate to figures - or to reason and also intelligence. Remember the rule: A mob has no thoughts.

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