At the time I regretted not arming myself with a sign with some stupid saying on it, but in retrospect I am happy to have gone as an unarmed observer. And in the end, I walked away having a newfound respect for the WBC and a newfound dislike for my fellow students and neighbors who had happily congealed into the spiteful mass opposing the WBC members.

The two groups were arrayed against each other across Old Hickory Lane, on the east side of the high school. There were fences on the east and west sides of the street for the WBC party and the counter-protestors, respectively. Immediately I was struck by the mental imagery of the physical setting itself — at best, it looked like a zoo. At worst, a freak show.

Most of the counter-protestors looked like nothing more than giddy children eager to get a peek at the bearded lady. When the WBC members made their entrance (all three of them), the crowd went wild: They rushed to their edge of the fence and rabidly screamed obscenities, non sequiturs and a few statements related to the matter at hand.

All in all, it was something eerily reminiscent of George Orwell’s “Two Minutes Hate” from “1984” — a method of controlling real emotion and thought by directing it toward an invisible and imagined enemy. At one point, they even began yelling, “Go green, go white,” to scare off the fundamentalists with school spirit, I guess.

Many of the counter-protestors carried signs with silly things written on them, from, “You suck,” to one asking if the protest was the line for Justin Bieber tickets. While some indeed were funny, the signs and the counter-protestor’s behavior were indicative of a deep problem that persists in today’s youth as well as in progressives or liberals.

It’s been even more evident since the March to Restore Sanity/Fear this Halloween in Washington, D.C., which was well observed by Mark Ames of the eXiled Online back in October. This counterprotest was a microcosm of that movement, and was the first time I was able to see it firsthand.

The left, or really just my generation in general, is more worried about looking less dumb than the people they’re up against than really accomplishing anything or taking control of their righteous indignation to turn it into something meaningful. Hence, we see the wacky signs, silly slogans and fascinating irony of apathetic protesting. After all, we don’t want it to look like we really care that much, do we? Like we’re really making an effort?

In contrast, the WBC members, with their limited numbers and resources, take their emotions and ideals and focus them into a purpose, as disgusting as it might be. They face down their challengers outnumbered and outvoiced and advocate for their views.

That’s more than what can be said for us — we’d much rather just point and make fun, that’s much easier than actually doing some thinking and organizing.

Think back to Cedar Fest a few years ago and the heavy-handed response to the partying. No one raised a stink because we were too focused on getting our pictures with the troopers in riot gear uploaded to Facebook.

We’re set to become the most politically apathetic generation in American history.

The political world won’t come to an end with a bang or whimper, but with a student yelling their favorite sports chant to the people tear gassing them.

Matt Korovesis is a State News guest columnist. Reach him at koroves1@msu.edu.