How to make the next anti-Bush/anti-war march UN-IGNORABLE!

[Atman]

Check out this line in article found in E&A forum. This one line speaks to something I noticed in viewing the footage of the sea of immigrants and other protestors yesterday. I think it is something we'd do well to copy. For lack of a better term, uniforms. Maybe all black? All blue (for "DEM?")


"...the demonstrations were conducted with such dignity, unanimity of purpose, and uniform discipline (a human river of white shirts and blouses as compared to the motley look of antiwar demos),..."

This is an excellent point. How many times have you heard fundies, righties and assorted stuffed shirt republican hate-mongers dismiss us because our marchers turn up painted in rainbows and clown hair and assorted Mardi Gras costumes? But can you imagine the impact if the Washington Monument was surrounded by as massive sea of humanity all dressed in BLUE? It would a total mind blower! UNITY. FUCKING UNITY, BABY!

Whaddya think?


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=203181&mesg_id=203181

[purduejake]

1. Sounds like conformity to me...

We're a diverse group. I think it will be tough to get people to go along with it.

[Atman]

6. Conformity and unity aren't the same things!

I hear you. Really. But remember, we aren't trying to impress ourselves. We trying to send a message to suits and stupid fucks who actually respect such things. These are the guys who have twelve identical navy blue suits in their closets, which they wear with identical starched white shirts.

I'm not talking about conformity, I'm talking about sending a message, one which will scare the Washington piss out of them.

[babylonsister]

2. No Way! We are liberals, individuals, and we can do

whatever trips our trigger individually, while getting the message out!
I welcome diversity, and that could be the repug problem; they don't.

[OKDem08]

3. not a bad idea; however, by nature

we're a pretty non-conformist bunch

[Karenca]

4. i think all blue is a great idea

but how could we get this message out to all the marchers?

[Atman]

7. How did Telemundo get the message out to 500,000 marchers?

You're telling me we don't have any resources?

[Karenca]

9. no,

just that theres only about 2 weeks left.

[RagingInMiami]

5. Don't let the media dictate our demonstrations

[cdsilv]

8. If the media does not report it, it did not happen.....

...as far as those who were not there are concerned.

[Atman]

10. Exactly. We let the media TOTALLY dictate our message last time

We need to impact the suits making the programming decisions, too, you know. We had nearly as many marchers as some of these protests, yet didn't get three seconds worth of air time. But 500,000 people in BLUE, creating a living sea of unity against Bush, surrounding the Washington monument...it's an image no programming exec could ignore.

[bluerum]

11. Sounds like msm crap 2 me. White shirts! The only thing this will do is

burden us under the yoke of conformity. I like color! Lots of loud brash color all over the place. There can be unity in non-conformity.

But if your going to dress up in uniforms, use one that will scare the pants off em - imagine a million people - half in Clinton costumes and half in Gore costumes marching in DC!

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. Maybe we should all just have flags from the countries our families

originated. Lots of flags waving, lots of flags!

We all have a stake in the future of the United States.
We are united in this concept regardless of our diverse cultures and views; We are the nation.
~~Whoa_Nelly 2003

[htuttle]

13. If you really want to make it un-ignorable, don't get a permit

A demonstration with a permit is a 'parade'.

Look at how they do it in Paris. Stand in the street. Shut down traffic. Shut down normal commerce using civil disobedience. That will get their attention.

I don't think the recent immigration demonstrations got attention because they wore similar clothes. It think it had more to do with the media's own agenda.

[Atman]

15. You're missing the point

It is the message. The marketing of that message. I've heard so many people, friends, foes, pundits, reporters and commentators alike, point out that when "liberals" march, they don't march about anything. We have the Free Mumia contingent, the Gay Priders in leather and rainbows, the old hippies in a cloud of reefer smoke, the costume contigents of all sorts, but not any real unified message.

I'm talking about marketing a message of unity, a country united against the atrocities of its government. Maybe red shirts, white shirts and blue shirts. Something to deny them the ability to write us off again as a bunch of disorganized individual opportunists.

[walldude]

14. I think anyone who looks out to a sea of demonstrators

and worries about how they are dressed is missing the fucking point.

[Atman]

16. "Worried" about how they're dressed?

Talk about missing the point!