Roy Exum: Want To Protest? Get Paid!

  • Tuesday, January 17, 2017
  • Roy Exum
Roy Exum
Roy Exum

In a troubling time when “false news” is the rage and people ask me – to my face – if anybody from Russia ever approached me personally searching for votes for President-elect Donald Trump, there appears a website that, to cop a phrase, “is too good to be true.” There is a group out of California that allegedly wants to hire “operatives” to protest Friday’s inauguration.

Forget that at least 50 Democrats – each elected by the people – say they’ll boycott, and there are protests now planned in all 50 states and 32 different countries, you can make more than your monthly welfare check if you get in line at Demand Protest LLC.

Over the weekend ads began showing up for different cities on Backpage.com where “you will receive a monthly retainer of $2,500 on top of our standard pay of $50/hr, as long as you participate in five events a year.”

Up until now it is believed labor unions were the only good markets for “hired protesters” but Demand Protest is taking it to an altogether different level. According to the DemandProtestLLC website, “We are strategists mobilizing millennials across the globe with seeded audiences and desirable messages. With absolute discretion a top priority, our operatives create convincing scenes that become the building blocks of massive movements. When you need the appearance of outrage, we are able to deliver it at scale while keeping your reputation intact.”

Now, here’s the bad news. As of yesterday nobody is replying to various calls from the media. Yes, the ads appeared in at least 30 city editions of Backpage.com but remember Backpage.com ads are free and can be placed by anyone, much like Craigslist. The DemandProtest webpage wasn’t even activated until Dec. 2, 2016, and while the claim is the group has organized 48 rancor-filled campaigns for 17 different groups, nobody is stepping forward yet. No such company is officially registered in California.

Another flag the whole thing is fishy is that they promise family health insurance – even dental and vision -- flexible vacations, paid training, and all travel costs. Late yesterday afternoon the website was down with a note, “Due to an overwhelming number of responses, we have suspended applications at this time.

In San Francisco, allegedly home to the professional protest consortium, media outlets are knocking each other down trying to learn more but thus far it is a ghost chase. The ad further reads, “We pay people already politically motivated to fight for the things they believe," something that has never been hard to find in San Francisco.

"You were going to take action anyways, why not do so with us! We are currently seeking operatives to help send a strong message at upcoming inauguration protests." A reverse image search of the supposed logo for this, the "largest private grassroots support organization in the US," shows that the image of a fist is a piece of generic art.

“From grassroots organizations to advocacy groups, we seed the narratives and gather the audience you desire. When your strategy demands paid protest, we organize and bring it to life,” the ad reads and, for potential employees, there is this: “With absolute discretion our top priority, our operatives create convincing scenes that become the building blocks of massive movements. When you need the appearance of outrage, we are able to deliver it at scale while keeping your reputation intact.”

* * *

Two of the nation’s top divinity schools are recommending religion professors switch to inclusive gender-neutral language, even when pronouns are used for God. No more “He” or “Him” at Vanderbilt and Duke.

At Duke the suggestion is to use “God the parent … “instead of “God the Father.” Another suggestion is to use mixed genders, such as “God is the Father who welcomes His son, and the Mother searching for the lost coin.”

The Duke guidelines admit to being clumsy. “… but this is largely due to the fact we are in a transitional period with our use of the language. Imagination, patience, and diligence are required in order to use language that expands and enriches our understanding of God.”

royexum@aol.com

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