The Protest Pot Is on the Boil

(NY Times, July 25, 2020) SEATTLE —

Weeks of violent clashes between federal agents

and protesters in Portland, Ore., galvanized thousands of people to march

through the streets of American cities on Saturday, injecting new life into

protests that had largely waned in recent weeks.

Galvanized, did it? Interesting word; “to stimulate to

action.”

And what is the subject of this

dynamic verb?

“violent

clashes between federal agents and protesters”

Aha, now we’re getting somewhere: to stimulate to action

violent clashes between federal agents and protesters.

There are several things worth doing when you read an inflammatory

statement or article. God knows, they’re everywhere today now that social media

has been invited into the national discourse—rather like allowing a wild-eyed,

racist, conspiracy-theorist uncle to sit down at the Thanksgiving table.

Anyway, those several things

include

1)  The

source. Who wrote this and what is their agenda? If an individual, a Google

check usually suffices. If an organizat…