VOTE: Do protests really work?

Protests seem to be popping up everywhere lately. We've seen Ferguson protests, The Eric Garner “Die Ins,” and even New Jersey bear hunt protests.

But do protests really work today when there are so many other ways to make our opinions known? Did the protests on the Ferguson verdict have an effect on the Eric Garner verdict on Staten Island? Have they stopped hunting bears in New Jersey?

I see celebrities wearing t-shirts that say “I can’t breathe.” Who’s selling them and where is that money going? I always question the sincerity of celebrities and athletes in the age of promoting their “brand.”

Now, I realize that our right to protest is one of the things that make our country great, and I don’t want to seem ungrateful. However, I question if they really work, or just give likeminded people a chance to hang out and feel less helpless about a situation.

Once upon a time, not that long ago, in order for you to get your opinion out there someone had to approve it. It was sort of like how a news editor decides if they're going to a story air time. Today, you have more ways than ever to make your feelings known. You can post, tweet, and of course call New Jersey 101.5 because chances are, if you’re talking about it, we’re talking about it.

Once upon a time, the protest was a great way, if not the only way, for those without media access to get the word out. Now with so many other ways to express our feelings, are protests really effective in creating change? Have they ever been?