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Keller @ Large: Will Gun Control Sit-In Be A Turning Point?

BOSTON (CBS) - For people of a certain age, the sit-in over gun control on the floor of the U.S. House is a real blast from the past.

If you grew up in the late 1950s and early 1960s, you will recall that sit-ins were a common feature of the civil rights movement, mostly used to protest segregation in restaurants and other public facilities. In general, it was a successful tactic. Diners faced with a loss of business were often quick to change their racist policies. An early success story was a 1955 sit-in at a Baltimore lunch counter that led to the desegregation of 37 restaurants in that city.

Sit-ins are a way of attracting attention, and prompting the powers that be to confront an issue they would otherwise prefer to ignore. But when it comes to forcing sweeping legal or political change, sit-ins are just one item in the toolbox. It's worth noting that the Civil Rights Act wasn't passed until a decade after that Baltimore sit-in, and it took a lot of sweat and bloodshed to get us there.

So will the gun control sit-in be remembered as a turning point?

I'll believe that when I see it.

Attention spans are much shorter than they used to be, and the news cycle turns at warp speed. We've seen a pattern where horrific incidents of gun violence spark a clamor for change that fades away over time. The DC protestors may get their wish for a debate and vote, but will any of it be a factor come Election Day?

We'll see what happens. Perhaps there will be movement this time, a reminder that sometimes an old-fashioned approach is the best one.

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