On these protests , I have just one question

[blues90]

I see people wearing huge bush heads and other sorts of costumes .

Am I missing the point , are these costumes really helping , are they just a creative expression ?

Personally I don't get the point of these , I can understand creative talent but how does this get the message out without looking a bit silly for lack of a better word .

[TheConstantGardener]

1. Protests don't create a message mostly

They rally support among people who are already with you; these are just creative expression.

After all, what did Lennon's "bed-in" do? It was creative outburst, a good one. But did it make some warhawk step back and say, "God, maybe all of this really is wrong?! Thank you John and Yoko!"

[Jcrowley]

2. Hold on,

My shoe is untied, I'll get back to you.

[texastoast]

3. Creative expression, like this

[Firepit 462]

14. that pretty much sums it up,...but it's freaking creepy.

[Warren Stupidity]

4. It is all the fault of the code pink women.

They cause all of this bad protesting. Huge bush heads: code pink did that.

It doesn't help at all. I agree. It is shameful. Everyone should just wear nice sweaters and dockers and nice shoes and march quietly and go home. That would be a good tidy protest.

[KG]

5. why bother protesting at all? let's just stay home, write letters to our congress critters,

and send checks to the DLC. then go out and have a nice lunch. pretty sure that's how the viet nam war ended....

[Lex]

7. I'm pretty sure Warren was being sarcastic.

In a major way.

[Warren Stupidity]

8. Not possible, no sarcasm smiley. Can't be sarcasm.

I've been taken hostage by code pink women wearing huge bush heads and PINK TIARAS. They are making me type this crap. Please help!

[KG]

9. i'm pretty sure he was, too. so was i.

in a major way. :hi:

[Lex]

6. Not everyone has these. Most don't. But when they do

it rallies the crowd a bit:

[ConsAreLiars]

10. They are "The signs of freedom marching"

Every banner, every pin, every face is part of the message being communicated, both within the rally and to the limited extent the media show it, to others.

The puppeteers, masks, costumes. drummers and such all do the same thing, but require a bit more preparation and typically are very effective at conveying their messages.

One guy locally, now with a walker, participates by dressing up as "Uncle Sam" with an oil barrel strapped to his back, and a butchered soldier manikin carried on his back draped over his shoulders and the barrel. Says a lot.

There is also a Carnival (as in Rio) aspect to these events. If you participate you will understand. Costumes, puppets and so on help make this a celebration of diversity and creative freedom and is just plain fun.

[Synnical]

11. I have one question

Have you ever been to a protest?

[blues90]

12. Absolutely

The ones in chicago during the 60's and the ones in LA ,CA last year and this year and yesterday .

[submerged99]

13. I guess it depends on the point of the protest

Some of my friends and I have joked about the puppets and other street theater we've seen at protests. I appreciate the creativity that goes into making a puppet and I think it lightens the mood and brings an element of humor to a protest.

However, some protests, civil rights for example, might not be all that well served by the inclusion of puppets and other humorous props.