Well kids, as much as we all like to sit at our desks or on our couches and contribute to our progressively tinged online reality, am I the only one who notes that we largely exist in a giant echo chamber? We talk only to ourselves. The goal needs to be to talk to people who disagree with us. That's not going to happen online. It's time to take the fight of right into the real world. Our blogs of protest are NOT enough anymore. It's time for us all to organize large, symbolic, massive protests to take REALITY and SANITY back. Not online but in the flesh, for all the world to see. The public is NOT gettiing the truth from the media, blogs (which they dont read) or Tony Snow. It is time to take the fight to them. On the street corner, in the coffee shops and in all of the LOCAL news stations.
Kos has given us a home. An incubator for thoughts. Nurturing. It's time for our "leaders" such as Kos, to push us into the real world, out of the nest, and into peoples faces to avoid a complete breakdown of this country's standards and ideals with the escalation of the war in Iraq and now what seems to be Iran too. We need to be ONLINE and OFFLINE, living in the flesh in the real world in order to make a difference.
(I'm including myself here) We grew up watching TV. Watching events happen, not having a part in them. The outside looking in. Always looking back at history. Watching the tanks in Tainamen Square, but not saying anything about it. Watching the wall fall in Berlin but not really having an opinion. What did it mean to me? Not too concerned with making anything happen, or standing up in the present. Just wanted to live my own life. 24 hour cable news almost made reality seem like one endless soap opera, with no ending or complete resolution to the story lines. The days of watching are over. They MUST be over.
Everyone asks me "well, if Iraq is as bad as Vietnam how come there aren't thousands in the streets protesting?" My freinds, it is because we are all here. Online. Chatting with ourselves. In 1967-1972, blogging MEANT going to the Washington Mall to hear voices of protest. There was very little TV and certainly no internet. To share ideas, you showed up. With your mind, spirit AND body. You had a visual impact just by showing the desire to be there because you knew you weren't getting the truth from your parents, the media or the military. Your desire and thirst for the truth was only quenched by seeking out the truth of people like Bobby Kennedy, hearing him in person, unflitered by the news. What you would have learned? Vietnam was lost FAR before it was over, just as Iraq is today. Also that there were millions of people who felt the same as you. By showing up then, you voted with your presence. You cared enough to come from 1000's of miles away to tell the world. Our impact online to the average american is not so dramatic. IT MUST BECOME DRAMATIC.
The few examples of people taking this fight peacefully to the real world shows what an impact it can make....... the thousands of crosses in the sand on Santa Monica Beach and also on a hillside outside San Francisco....... both wrought with protest. For what? Because people dont want to be reminded of what is happening to this country!! Yes, a picture of 3000 crosses is worth a thousand words. They (the non-blog world), live in thier various bubbles and prefer thier worlds to be small and controlled. They dont want to have to explain to thier kids that for each of those crosses, there is someone who was killed in thier name!! Someone who quite possibly killed others IN thier name as well, however I doubt that it would ever get that deep for most. But it forces people to think and confront the world. Those bubbles must be smashed with the truth of what is happening to this country and the great world. If there has ever been a time for a collective reality in my adult life (I'm 37) it is TODAY!! PROTEST. Every city should have thier own field of crosses. The death of these brave soldiers must be on thier minds. They must think for themselves "just what DID they die for?" It is our job to force people to confront that truth.
History, much as GWB likes to say, will be the judge. Will it be written 20 years from now that the war continued on despite much public protest other than online blogging. And the war dragged on, and escalted to an unimaginable conflict. Or will it be written that in 2007, the anti war movement got it's footing and grew it's collective balls back and started showing up everywhere for it's voice to be heard, and forced the end of an unjust, unneccessary and delusional war of choice?? We need to organize a HUGE anti war demonstration in Washington DC, on the mall, for all the world to see and hear. It is time to pull out the 1967 playbook and start to go for large visual impact. The public needs to hear from the vets who have been there. From Iraqi's who WANT peace, but not at the barrel of a gun. From religious leaders of all faiths, who's teachings are to seek out peach. From average, everyday people like us, who's voice will be to show up and to cheer for what is right. And condemn what is wrong. Invite people who support the war to debate the justification on all levels. Let Bush circle the White House with busses. He and his ilk SHOULD be scared of us.
So how do we reach (as Nixon liked to call them) the "silent majority". Most of us forget that the vast majority of americans still watch local broadcast news. It should be our goal to have demonstrations covered DAILY by the many small stations everywhere, so we have the chance to express the truth of what is happening to this country. We should bring back things like the TEACH IN, and teach people the truth, unfiltered, of what is happening. Sit in's in public buildings, force them to arrest us so we can express the reasons we are there to the media. Be attention hoars. The protests should be NON VIOLENT festivals of peace. There should be music. Powerful speakers. Iconic images. Enlist local celebrities. Multi media presentations. Show the photo's that no one wants to see. Read the names of the local troops killed or wounded in action, eventually to all troops. Run a slide show of pictures of all troops killed in action. (again, pictures tell the story). See if any of the families are interested in participating (respectfully of course!!!!!!!!!!) Talk about the numbers of dead and wounded not only on our side, but on all sides. Give people incentive to change not only thier opinion of the war, but thier life style, by choosing more efficent cars and understanding that OIL is at the root of this entire problem. Tell them to buy a Prius in the name of PEACE!!!
The media portrays us largely as geeky kids sitting at a computer doing nothing. An extended version of Matthew Broderick in "war games" back in the 80's. They must learn that we are partriots. Activists. Intelligent, caring people of all ages who want this country to be all of the things that it brags to the world it is in theory, but is not in reality.
It is time for us all to get off our asses. And show the leaders of this country that we mean business. Beyond typing furiously. Taking over parks. Shutting down traffic. Being a pain in the ass and a thorn in the side of this country until the wound that is George W. Bush is removed from our collective body. Until the infection that is the war in Iraq is cured by the sunshine of truth and reality.
Protest. Now.
Update:
There is an ever growing list of Presidential Candidates for 2008 eager for venues to express thier views. (Hint, Hint)