You Say You Want a Revolution?
Is it coincidence that while we mourn Rosa Parks and reflect on the societal changes that have taken place over the last fifty years that I’m inundated with information about protests in Atlanta?
If you’re feeling it, if you’re fired up and want to make a difference, here are two things on the horizon for you to participate in:
~ J Cruel
This coming Friday afternoon, a safe distance from a store near you. Read for yourself, I won’t be reprinting any of the ugly details here.
The first anniversary of Bush’s “re-election”, we will take the first major step in this by organizing a truly massive day of resistance all over this country. People everywhere will walk out of school, they will take off work, they will come to the downtowns and town squares and set out from there, going through the streets and calling on many more to JOIN US. They will repudiate this criminal regime, making a powerful statement: “NO! THIS REGIME DOES NOT REPRESENT US! AND WE WILL DRIVE IT OUT!”
I’ll be sure to not wear my mink as I walk out of my home office in protest of Bush and the fashion industry. I hear they both hate animals.
Protests are lame. Grab your arms and let’s get out there and make a real change for the better. First, let’s run the Hawks out of town. Then when we’re good and warmed up we’ll march on D.C. and get rid of the real oppressors, the Congress since they make the laws and authorize the President to go to war (of you are against it, which I ain’t). And for good measure we’ll rid ourselves of the IRS and their million plus rules for taking away OUR money.
So see, there are more important things to worry about than skinned animal carcasses and the president.
Did you say something?
Yeah, the “World Can’t Wait” protest is a great idea. Here’s a thought, if people who are going to take part in that protest had actually VOTED then maybe Bush would not have been elected.
I agree with Tony, protests are lame.
I’m not really sure how protests are “lame” but voting isn’t.. The idea of trudging off every 4 years down to some old folks home or oddly urine-scented elementary/high school to pull a lever for my choice between two barely different white christian death penalizing men and then sucking my thumb for the other 1459 days sounds kinda “lame.” I’m not saying stay home altogether, but that voting is not a means to any ends.. at best it keeps the ultra-worst at bay a few years longer, giving the people who do REAL activism more leeway to chip away and help those people really affected by the policies of government (the poor, immigrants, minorities, working people, military etc). And having to settle for 2 car payments cuz your income tax is too high doesn’t cut it.
I’m not sure protests do much immediate change at all, but I think they do charge the batteries of those fighting for change and justice. People standing up and speaking their mind, talking against the injustices they see..that doesn’t sound lame to me.
Wheee!
You guys are alive…dig it.
heh heh heh
Yes, because we all know that every one of the millions of white Christian death-penalizing men in the U.S. is exactly the same as all the others. Profound insight, Lame.
There hasn’t been one good protest since the civil rights movement. Now those stood for something. The “peace nik” marches against Vietnam did nothing but show the enemy that we were a country divided and they decided to fight as long as it took until we were in even more turmoil and would leave.
The Constitution guarantees our right to protest and I am thankful that we have the right. But seriously, leaving work or school early will not change the current government or their actions. That’s what elections are for.
“will not change the current government or their actions. That’s what elections are for.”
Again, this implies no accountability between elections. When large groups of people demonstrate- it is noticable. The adage of “for every one who writes a letter there are 10 who feel the same way” applies too. By the elections only logic, Hitler could be elected and we’d just have to wait 4 years to get the chance to kick him out (fun: draw your own parallels.) Look what happened with the last SC nomination. Voting didn’t do that. Though it did give us another chance to sample the wide range of opinions in that pool of white christian men, right CM? Almost had a white christian WOMAN! Whew!
Seriously.. being thankful that we have a right and then deriding the practice does not ensure it remaining a continued right. You have to exercise it. Or watch them float away as they seem to be.. hello emminent domain! Even if I don’t agree with a position, I’m glad people speak their mind about it rather than turn in this voting booth only apathy. It even seems like active apathy- being sure to shout how apathetic we should all be from the condo-top. Real democracy requires active participation, not voting representatives.
You should protest if you want. I am thankful that we have the right.
Which protest made Harriet Miers withdrawl? Oh yeah, there wasn’t one.
But I do like the new choice better. Confirmed by the Senate twice and loads of experience.
“Real democracy requires active participation, not voting representatives.”
Thankfully, we don’t live in a Democracy. We do live in a representative Republic.