Richard Harwood: Beyond the Outrage: Turning Protest Into Positive Force for Change

Richard C. Harwood

By Richard C. Harwood, “Beyond the Outrage: Turning Protest Into Positive Force for Change,” The Huffington Post, December 22, 2011.

What happens after all the outrage?

In many ways the rapid spread of the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street movements is a healthy sign that people are not mere spectators in the public square. Instead, they are stepping forward to express what matters most to them.

But outrage alone will never be enough to create the kind of society people want. It will not, by itself, create more jobs, improve health care, or make us safer. Nor does it build trust across fault lines in society. It ultimately leaves people and the country at loggerheads.

In my travels across the nation, what’s clear is that Americans are yearning to come back into the public square. They want to re-engage and re-connect with one another, join together to make a difference, and become a part of something larger than themselves.

The question is how to break down the silos…

Read the full article at The Huffington Post.