Why do people love protesters only if they protested decades ago?

Question

Sure we sing praises to the protesters who brought us things we now take for granted like the 8 hour work day, women suffrage, and civil rights, but when it comes to protesters nowadays we vilify them and accuse them of hating America or whatever other smear comes to mind.

Why is that?

Answer 1

Protesters are idiots! They are always a small minority of radicals protesting something they have no control over whatsoever! They need to stay home or get a job. Protesters come off as non-productive members of society!

Answer 2

Hippies smell.

Answer 3

Dunno.  Good question.

Answer 4

Because then we can ignore them.

Answer 5

OIL -

I don't think all protestors are vilified.  Plus, the causes you cited as your examples were things that were good, needed and necessary.  I think the same attitude exists today.  The KKK is rightfully vilified, yet other causes where real change is for the good, there is still some credibility.  However, even when a group is protesting for something good, yet employ harmful or damaging tactics, then their cause does get lost in the shuffle.  PETA is a good cause (IMO), yet throwing real or fake blood on a person wearing a mink coat is wrong.  I believe in saving/restoring nature, yet putting spikes in logging trees is wrong.  

In the end however, the good causes stay with us, they just have to endure longer when bad publicity shadows efforts.

Even during the days of protesting for unions, losing of unsavory things occured (on both sides).  Yet it was a good cause that eventually came into being.

good luck

Answer 6

Protesting for a cause is accepted and I might say admired as a example of free speech.

However many of the protester seen at the recent conventions are not protesting for a cause but are anarchists that just promote destruction.

Protests that also interrupt the free speech of others such as during McCains acceptance speech  lose my respect as well.