After reading Jed Lewison's Diary on threats by teabaggers and their targeting of SEIU over this fight, we need to hit them at their heart as well.
We need to not only have folks at our meetings and follow the suggestionsof other diarists here on Kos when organizing those meetings, we need to up the pressure on the sources of instigation, listed below.
Those sources are:
Republican Congressmen - at their offices at home at in Washington. Ask them if they approve of the tactics their minions are doing, and if they refuse to answer or say they agree, have a sit in at their office.
Hate Radio and TV Hosts - Find out what time they and their bosses go to work and leave, and at what entrances. Protest there. Block the doors, but let folks (ie regular workers) not a target of the action through. Give them an earful. If they use a parking entrance, block the entrance, but again, let folks in who are NOT the targets of the action. If those media want to sit back and send folks out in hate as in Rwanda, make sure they know we will make it as uncomfortable as possible for them.
Offices of 9-12 and Freedom Watch. - Same as above. Let them know they will feel pressure and see our people in their face every day. If folks work for those organizations, again, don't give them a free ride. Give them a taste of protest and see how they like it. Sit-ins to block their entrances.
Teabagger offices and locations where they may congregate before they move on to protest - Don't block them or their vehicles, but let them know we know where they get together, and they won't just be fighting on our ground, but on theirs too.
IN ALL INSTANCES - Let police know you will be having a protest and designate a contact person for them. Also designate who will video and tweet and blog. Keep folks watching the action and revise tactics for the next day. Do not fight - do not call names If you want to yell, cry "shame" and point. Put the name of advertisers and donors on your placards so video will pick up on those names at the event and viewers KNOW those people & entities are supporting hate.
If anyone lays hands on one of you, have your police liaison contact them immediately. Get the incident on video tape. If possible, have a live feed in case the recording device is taken or broken.
Yes, I am suggesting retaliation. Yes, I am suggesting broadening the fight. Yes, I am suggesting a longer term effort. Yes, I am talking about non-violent civil disobedience.
But if we don't strike back hard, those folks will step up their efforts. These folks seem like they are one step away from Brown and Black shirts. The only way to make them back down is to make it costly for them. Their leaders are thugs and bullies and hatemongers, and the followers are often scared, confused, and angry people easily misled.
Confuse the mendacious, manipulative brains, and the unthinking limbs won't work.
I will be trying to get this started in SE Michigan, but any help is appreciated.