One of the greatest myths in American politics is that protests change policies.

This myth was created by white teenagers in the sixties who noticed changes occurring after they walked around outside carrying signs.

Protests let policy makers see what people are thinking. Or at least see the opinions of people with nothing better to do than walk around outside.

The people who change the policies are usually a generation older and actually at work.

So the connection between the marching around and the rewriting of laws and policies is loose. Or absent.

Because of this loose connection, protest and policy can also move in opposite directions.

This is what should happen in response to yesterday’s vandalism of public buildings.

Today grown adults will wake up early and go to work and fix the broken glass and file the papers. Sweep and mop and do the thing that actually holds all civilizations together—work.

The vandals will revel in their “overthrow” completely unaware of their impending arrests.

And their irrelevance.