Malcolm X has never been to Gasparilla, so far as the historical records indicate. Nevertheless, when asked about the militancy of student activism in 1965, he felt inclined to comment: “In America students have been noted for involving themselves in panty raids, goldfish swallowing, seeing how many can get in a telephone booth-not for their revolutionary political ideas or their desire to change unjust conditions.”
Thus, with one fell swoop of his notoriously quick-witted tongue, Malcolm X saw fit to portray American college life as the epitome of self-indulgent decadence, students without the slightest concern for the plight of their fellow human being. But then again, Malcolm X had never been to Gasparilla.
As I walked through the parade on Saturday grappling with the congestion and the heat, I had a difficult time discerning whether it was 2006 on Bayshore Boulevard or 1989 in Tiananmen Square.
In a matter of minutes I completely regained my faith in the collective voice of my fellow students. Surely Malcolm X would’ve been profoundly impressed.
Goldfish and telephone booths were nowhere in sight; lined with students and others advocating a motley of group causes, Bayshore had become a virtual buffet table of social activism.
The first sign that I noticed was so prevalent that it had to be one of the main slogans of the Gasparilla protest: “Surrender the Booty.”
I immediately recognized the rallying cry as a conscious display of historical solidarity with the British working class movement of the 19th century.
Stemming from late Middle English, the term booty originally referred to something seized by violence and robbery.
In associating the protest with their historical predecessors, the Gasparilla activists delivered a chilling message to those in power who use sheer force to exploit the workers of the world: Surrender your booty while you still can, for your end is near!
For any interested readers who couldn’t make it to Gasparilla, you can probably join their movement at the web address that they had advertised on the back of their signs; visit them at http://www.tampabaydrunks.com.
But the Tampa Bay Drunks weren’t the only activist group that showed up at the rally maintaining a strong association with a 19th century movement.
The cause of the Confederate States of America was represented in full force at the protest, with Confederate flags handed out by the dozens to the faithful and new recruits alike.
Undeterred by their temporary setback in the War of Northern Aggression, the Confederates seem to be slowly building support at rallies such as Gasparilla until they get their long-awaited second chance.
The tenacity and perseverance that such a movement requires just goes to show that American students aren’t apathetic toward social issues.
That rapacious instrument of death and destruction, also known as the United States Army, was another group propagating at Gasparilla.
Handing out beads and socializing gregariously, the murderers seemed to be doing quite well in furthering their cause.
It, however, is unlikely that they met their goal for the day, since President Bush’s recent troop increase in Iraq probably had them eyeing up four fifths of the crowd for shipment overseas.
And finally, I can’t complete my overview of the diverse social movements at this monumental rally without mentioning the group that serves as a benchmark for all real activism.
I’m talking, of course, about evangelical Christians. Immediately attracted by their multicolored “Ask me why YOU deserve Hell” sign, I noticed that the Christians were using the rally as a platform to freely spread their interpretation of the Bible.
As the sign made clear, they were hoping for questions and ready for theoretical debate. For example, when a passerby who I assume was a rival theologian advanced the interpretation that “Jesus wants you to show me your tits,” the gentleman addressed immediately clarified his denomination’s position with the rejoinder: “You are a sodomite, wicked person.”
I had the chance to talk to one of the students in this particular movement, and I found him both informed and sincerely dedicated. The literature that he proffered informs me that “if you die in your sins, you will spend eternity in the flames of a burning hell,” which, I learn from another of his pamphlets, “will be filled with anguish and pain beyond any human’s comprehension.” With such high stakes, I now understand why so many students selflessly devote rallies like Gasparilla to spreading the Word.
After seeing with my own eyes the plurality of diverse activists at Gasparilla, it is obvious to me that American students deserve to be known “for their revolutionary political ideas” and “their desire to change unjust conditions.”
They say that the best defense against slander is the truth, and after observing for myself the Gasparilla parade, I can finally put to rest the myth that American students are self-centered hedonists.
Malcolm X didn’t know any better, for he had never been to Gasparilla. But in contemporary society, it is about time that we as students take credit for our valiant actions.