In Defense of Midge Potts (Code Pink Protester)

[Mortos]

I was conflicted when I saw Code Pink protester Midge Potts but I thought about it and wrote a piece on it. It starts...

When I first viewed the video of Valerie Plame Wilson testifying before Congress I was bothered by the sight of a pink clad, pillbox hat wearing, muscular blonde woman popping up and down in the audience seated behind the witness table. This woman was wearing a homemade t-shirt which said "Impeach Bush". She stretched, yawned, moved, stood on tiptoes and did whatever else she could to stay in the frame while Plame testified. It was annoying, flamboyant and somewhat clownish.

I later found out the woman is named Midge Potts and she used to be in the United States Navy…and a Republican Congressional candidate…and a man. Yep, Midge used to be Mitch and because of her colorful past, the story of the transgendered ex-navy, ex-Republican protestor in pink peaked alot of interest in the media and blogosphere.

“What the fuck is wrong with these protestors,” I said to myself. Can’t they see that this kind of ridiculous behavior weakens sincere criticism of Bush and the war and plays into the hands of the right wing echo chamber? Rush, Hannity, O’Reilly and the rest of the hypocritical right wing Bush-apologists will trip over each other with this little gem and use it to paint anyone who protests the war as a freak and a joke. Hell, even the mainstream late night talk shows won’t be able to resist a Jackie-O fashionista, transgendered, ex-navy protester named Midge…the jokes practically write themselves. Look for an parody skit on SNL or Mad TV coming to a tv near you soon.

I was going to write about the way groups like Code Pink and Act-Up among others need to find more professional and staid representatives in order to be taken seriously by mainstream America.

The more I thought about it, though, the more I realized that at least Midge is doing something to protest this war. It is easy for me to sit back and criticize those who have the courage to stand up against our corrupt government and get in the representatives faces about their complete failure to hold thePresident Bush accountable for his many, many, many failures and lies.

Midge is doing something that she must know will get her criticized, arrested, parodied, lambasted and attacked on all mediums. She feels so strongly about the wrongness of this war and the sanctity of protest that she goes out and engages firsthand in Democracy. Whether or not I agree with the way she does it, she has more courage and conviction in her beliefs than I do and, for that, I admire her and respect what she is doing.

My wife and I have asked ourselves, “What have you done to stop this war?”, and our answer, for the most part, is bitch to ourselves and our friends, engage in the occassional debate with our right wing relatives and friends and write a few emails to our representatives in government. It’s not enough and the failure of so many people to actively engage in protest has empowered the corrupt in this country. We, who do nothing, are complicit in the immoral actions of those who represent us. Our selfish concern about other people’s opinions keeps us from protesting that which we know is wrong.

Code Pink refuses to let what other people think of them stop them from doing what is right. Like Ghandi and Martin Luther King, Jr. they won’t let the powerful mock them into submission. Ghandi said, “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win”. You can bet they aren’t going to ignore Midge anymore and they will laugh at her, so she is almost there.

I salute your courage,Midge,to do something while so many others, including me, do nothing…keep on standing up to the powerful in our country and do it in whatever outfit you choose.



www.conservativefighter.wordpress.com

[Bitwit1234]

1. What I can't understand is...

why didn't the protest the republicans. They never ever showed up. Now they are trying to smear and slam dems. If they want the dems to end the war and help promote social programs, they still should protest republicans. They are the ones holding up the bills. Especially the republcians in the senate.

[Mortos]

2. I honestly believe

that protests in republican committees are met with arrest and eviction from the proceedings. The fact that Midge was allowed to quietly protest is an example of how Democrats let democracy take place. Republicans would have quashed Midge's right to protest in a second.

That is one reason Democrats are better for democracy.

[jwirr]

45. That is what I thought when I saw her. At least we allow free speech.

Even when we may not approve of the time, place and means.

[MuseRider]

3. Are you kidding?

They have always been there but the difference is that if you did not spot them quickly you missed them because the republicans had them hauled out by their hair or by any means possible. The fact that she was allowed to stay should say a whole lot about how far we fell and how easy it is to be surprised by what should be normal for a country who calls itself the land of the free and the home of the brave.

On Edit: Mortos, you beat me by two minutes!

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. Muse,

Sadly, DUers were attacking Midge here yesterday over her sexuality.

I have also made this very point that you are making over and over and over on DU since last week, when my other friend Tina was attacked here for confronting Obey.

This board is not a nice place these days. :cry:

But glad to see you participate in this important discussion :hi: :hug:

[MuseRider]

21. Hey you!

Thanks. :hi: I did see a little, I have had relatives the last few days and a son coming home for the afternoon then he is off to NYC for break. I wish I could have participated in this more than I have.

Keep sticking up for them, I know you, you will never give up and that is a great trait to have. I thought that her sexuality might be part of it but I hate to assume something like that about supposed progressives. I did see one post like that but I had to leave after I saw it.

I respect these people like Midge and Tina. If I don't agree with someone they should still be respected for sticking their necks out and doing something. God it would be a boring world if everyone did things exactly like I thought should be done. Thankfully we are all different and until we all learn that and accept each other for our differences and different ideas about how things should be done then this is the kind of discussion we will see.

Gotta run, keep it up, if I know you like I think I do then I sure don't have to worry about you letting things slide :).

[robinlynne]

22. don't worry proud, the truth eventually comes out. there are several

beautifully written pieces today supporting code pink, and they stand taller than the garbage thoughts in the end.

[proud2BlibKansan]

26. Thanks robinlynne

I am off to our own rally in a minute here. That will make me feel better.

Peace!! :hug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. . . .

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=440066&mesg_id=441096

[earth mom]

38. The Dems won in 06 because THE PEOPLE wanted and demanded change.

Instead the dems in D.C. are playing politics as usual and people are sick to death of it. NO battle was ever won by quiting before the battle even started. But that's what the dems are doing by NOT trying to Impeach and NOT trying to stop the war. Simply put, their actions are all bullshit and they are being called on it. It's a waste of time to try and pressure the rethugs, so the dems are getting a fire lit under their asses because they are NOT doing their jobs and NOT doing what they were elected to do. :grr:

And BTW- don't expect ANY of them to win re-election either when the time comes if they don't do the bidding of the people soon. :grr:

[MadHound]

4. What kills me in all of this

Is that the folks here at DU and elsewhere are making a huge deal out of this incident. Meanwhile, out in the MSM and the real world, nobody has really noticed, nor cared.

Can you say tempest in a teacup?

Give up, let go, it is no big deal.

[MuseRider]

6. The more I think about this

the more I respect her for doing it. Not only has she put herself out there once again for possible ridicule (see DU), the subject of anger (see DU) and whatever else the computer warriors have to smear her with she used her uniqueness to make a huge point. A lot of people noticed her and many were probably like me, they wondered why she was still there. Where were the police? Then it will come to them, this THIS is what we are supposed to be about in this country. She was able to stay there and be seen and to anyone with half a brain her point was made very strongly, not only to impeach but to see how far we have fallen and how much we have given up.

[MadHound]

9. Good points all

I noticed her in the background, when I was watching the nightly propaganda on NBC. I laughed for her, thought it was a great way to get a point across, and went on my way.

Then lo and behold, I come here to DU and find out that she is is somehow the devil incarnate for daring to express *gasp* sentiments that we all agree with and have been pushing for years now.

This puzzles me, after all, don't we want Bush impeached? What, it is the way that she delivered the message that people don't like? Well, you know, as the old protest march saying goes "this is what democracy looks like". When people don't have access to the MSM, then we have to get exposure anyway we can:shrug:

That we didn't like her doing this during our "moment in the sun" with Plame? Well, two or more fine things and messages can be delivered at once:shrug:

What we're afraid that the MSM will make a tempest in a teapot on this. In reaction to this fear, we do exactly what we fear, make a tempest in a teapot. Meanwhile, the MSM pays little attention to this incident.

Funny in a way, but a bit sad too.

[MuseRider]

11. I did not come away

not knowing what Plame and the others were saying. I was not distracted and appreciated both the quiet protest and the brilliant investigation. I don't see why the two need to be separated.

Unfortunately one of the responses in those threads included the use of the term "person". "person" Hmmm, I wonder if some small part of the upset was because she is transgender and some people think that makes us look clownish? Hmmmm.

I could care less that the media might try to make us look foolish. I believe that people who have not seen what is going on are not stupid but uninformed and insulated because of their lives and because they have never been taught to use critical thinking skills. They are not too stupid to see what was going on and appreciate it however there are a lot of people who think that even we can not handle two ideas at a time.

I agree with you. Of course we can all have different perspectives on every thing that happens but we get so angry over someone doing something that we do not agree with, even when they are on our side. It scares me and upsets me. Ahhh, democracy is a messy business. :hi:

[Mortos]

8. CNN did a piece on it

you know fox's various shitheads will be running with it on Monday.

[MadHound]

10. We'll see

Personally I haven't seen a mention of it at all, but then again I don't watch news 24/7, neither does most of the population.

I think that if we let it drop, it will go away.

I also find it vastly amusing that here we are, criticizing a person for expressing a sentiment that we all agree with. Now how fucked up is that?

Protest and democracy isn't a nice neat tidy little package that we can control and micromanage. If you think Midge is bad, hell, go back and look at some of the stuff that was done during the Vietnam war. You get the message in anyway you can friend, just so long as you get it out there.

[jazzjunkysue]

39. That's the point. CNN made a whole piece on it. That's why it was good.

Our whole problem is getting the MSM to even say the word impeach. It has to be wierd or outrageous to get on air. And she/he sure did.

That's whay Code Pink is for. Not sitting around bitching that we don't get coverage. They make their own coverage.

Good for them.

[wryter2000]

5. I had no problem with them at Pelosi's house

I don't believe Nancy Pelosi is the enemy, but if they want to pressure to act more affirmatively, fine with me. However, those hearings were the first real effort to expose to the country what had really been done to Valerie Plame Wilson and to expose all the rw lies as lies. I really didn't appreciate having that made into a sideshow. I'm only glad Midge didn't get any more prominent than she was.

[Mortos]

7. I just posted the entire article

please click on my link if you like it and make a comment there too. Thanks.

[cali]

12. Oh yay, yet another person

who feels it's of the utmost importance that their voice be heard on the Midge Potts protest.

[Mortos]

23. I thought that was what this board was for

voicing opinions. And I will keep doing it, kinda like Midge, whether you approve of it or not. Jesus H. Christ it pisses me off when people, like the above poster, feel they need to slam someone for posting an opinion on a popular topic.

Disagree with my points if you want, but don't do a drive by insult and feel you have accomplished anything other than making yourself look asinine.

[Greyhound]

33. All too common and indicative of what's wrong with social discourse

in America today. We've become a nation of children with no ability to formulate an argument to support our opinions, most of which we merely parrot from others we happen to like.

Incuriouser and incuriouser...

[Lilith Velkor]

13. She's also a Gulf War vet

I've seen her protest Rumsfeld's house, the Supreme Court and the Justice Dept. over the torture thing. She sincerely means well, but she gets carried away sometimes, and this was one of those times.

Eh. What can ya do? Some people are just bound to go nuts if their government goes around kidnapping and torturing and a large chunk of the populace is OK with it. :shrug:

[NMMNG]

14. I'm happy to give this post the 5th recommendation

The way some people around here are frothing at the mouth one would think that Midge had run buck naked through the Plame hearing screaming obscenities. I wouldn't do what she did, and I can't say I completely approve of it, but the reactions I'm seeing are way over the top.

[babylonsister]

15. Thank you, Mortos, for expressing how I feel, too. Nom. nt

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

16. There Was No Honor ANd No Respect Deserved For Her Actions In My Opinion. NONE.

During other times, other events, other protests, other marches, they've absolutely been worthy of honor and respect and have definitely put much effort into stopping this war that many of us haven't. But it isn't all or nothing. Just because many times they've protested honorably doesn't mean that it is not acceptable to criticize their judgment for the times they didn't. This does not come down to some black and white decision of "well they're putting more effort than I into stopping the war so I guess what they did the other day was ok". To simplify it like that is hogwash in my opinion.

Yes, they put a lot of effort into protesting that many of us don't come close to reaching the level of. But each incident is its own and worthy of being judged on its own merits. And in my opinion the fact stands: No matter how honorable they normally may be; no matter how beneficial some of their acts in the past; no matter how worthy of respect for past efforts they are; they still TOTALLY acted in a disgraceful, narrow minded, selfish, misguided, inappropriate and ignorant manner the other day during the Plame hearing. Saying so does not erase all they've done prior or what they may do in the future. Saying so does not create some all or nothing black and white logic of you either respect everything they do or you don't. Just doesn't work that way.

What they did the other day was something I absolutely cannot condone and I found it to be disgustingly inappropriate and short sighted. I don't care what they've done prior or how appropriate they've been before. This time they weren't. This time they crossed the line. This time they are absolutely deserving of our criticism rather than respect. That doesn't mean all their previous respect is erased. It just means in this case, for this action, they deserve to be slammed since it was just nothing more than a completely disgraceful attention seeking act at the LAST place they should've done so. It was ignorant, it was short sighted, it was selfish, it was stupid. It is ok to say so.

Peace,

OMC

[kdpeters]

31. Did anyone ask you to condone or approve of anyone?

No. They didn't.

Did she break any laws? Break any rulse? Disrupt? Obstruct? Interrupt a damn thing whatsoever?

No. She didn't. So BACK OFF, bub!! Grow up and get over it. Your freakish need to control or condemn is of no interest to me and no legitimate criticism of anyone who is not your own child.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

34. You're Silly. I Like You.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[kdpeters]

35. I am silly. I like you too.

You're belligerent and thick-skinned -- like me. I don't much go for mincing words or beating around the bush -- like you. Truthfully, I was hoping you were up to the challenge. I hate forfeit victories.

Cheers, buddy.

[Neshanic]

17. If the person was dressed as Betty Davis, this person is a hero.

For the decorum devotees, well decorum does not get very far these days, and this person did something. Anybody doing something is better than "I will leave that up to others" crap any day.

During the Vietnam Era, I fail to remember a best dressed list being compiled on protestors. But then again we did not have the earth shaking events of celebrities with no panties.

[wryter2000]

27. I'm a bit dim on the history

Probably we were already out of Vietnam by the time of the investigations into Watergate, but I would not have appreciated seeing a "freak the establishment" flower child behind Barbara Jordan as she spoke. And I dressed up as a "freak the establishment" flower child when I marched in anti-war marches.

On edit: I hope no one has construed anything I've said as negative toward Midge's sexuality. That's wrong and absolutely not my intention.

[GETPLANING]

20. I disagree

This was Valerie Plame's time, not Midge Potts' time, and she should have shown the respect that Valerie deserved. Your first thoughts are correct. Potts was a distraction from the important proceeding and should have stayed out of it.

[Neshanic]

25. Maybe just a hint. It's all our time.

I can only imagine the DU if it existed during 1968.

"Did you see that group of people dressed up as war victims at the protest? God, don't they know their place?

The Vietnam protests were on many levels, many places, and in the places you would least suspect.

I guess Code Pink needed to check with "Demonstration Planning and Decorum"....guess the lines were busy.

[Beelzebud]

46. Your example is flawed. This was a hearing, not a protest...

You'll NEVER see me criticize any peaceful action done during a protest.

You compare apples and oranges. "Did you see that group of people dressed up as war victims AT THE PROTEST?" That would be a lot different than: "Did you see that group of people dressed up as war victims during Valerie Plame's sworn testimony in front of congress?"

Valeri Plame's sworn testimony was not a protest.

While I'm sure it was well-intended; protesting during Plame's sworn testimony was just selfish and dumb.

[johnfunk]

24. Midge Potts is one righteous babe

I was kind of shocked but also delighted by her shenanigans at the Plame testimony. The least you can say is she has far bigger cojones<[/i> than most antiwar protesters.

[kdpeters]

28. These types of dialogue are standard and long standing in the gay community

Who to blame, who's embarrassing, who gives homophobes ammo --- who who who --- who is it among our own that we can exclude, reject avoid and deny -- because THEY won't accept me as gay if I'm associated with those gays.

It's homophobia all over again, but it homophobia we do to our own. Sometimes it's depressing. Sometimes it's maddening. But NEVER NEVER EVER do I accept that crap as legitimate.

Same here. This isn't about Midge Potts. It doesn't matter who she is or where's she's from or who's side she's on. There will always be someone else and it won't matter who she is either. Her actions didn't do anything that disturbed or disrupted anyone. They were visible in the background and that's only a problem for control queens who just need to let it go and back off. Back way off.

[dogday]

29. ANYONE who stands against the War ANYTIME

has my full support... Even as Plame is testifying, people are dying in Iraq... It is all about this corrupt administration, who also did wrong by Plame. We need to hold them accountable for the war, for Plame, for the constitution......

[nashville_brook]

30. mortos, i went thru the exact same thought process

and, from what i've read here for the past few days, many people went thru the same span of emotions.

the strength of Midge's protest is evident in the fact that we are still talking about it. we are asking ourselves, "what have I done lately? am i living my belief?"

thank you for sharing this -- it really resonated with me.

[Mortos]

36. Thanks

It does make me feel inferior to those who take the time and effort to do something. I don't know if my writing will change any minds or make this war end sooner but if it get's people talking and hopefully acting out against this war, then I have done some good.

[Forkboy]

32. I love groups like this.

Our world needs to be shaken up as much as possible from the way we've been going.This was a great,non-violent action to protest something deeply wrong.Art,satire,joke....I don't care anymore if it helps stop this shit one day earlier.

[blogslut]

37. What I find interesting

Is the fact that the actual 12th juror -the dismissed juror, the art curator- from the Libby trial sat fussing and glaring behind Victoria Toensing during her entire testimony.

How come nobody talks about that? I really want to know what was going on there. Talk about distraction!

Oh, and that thing about the President lying, there was no internal investigation, in defiance of procedure. That was damned fascinating. Oh yeah, and you know, Valerie Plame was undeniably covert and her betrayal by Cheney and friends has consequences so grave they can't be mentioned in an open hearing.

<sarcasm> But I do hope the pearl-clutchers keep slamming Midge because that matters so very much in the grand scheme. </sarcasm>

[troubleinwinter]

40. Evidently, Midge was not deemed a disruption, as Rep. Waxman did not have her removed.

I managed to concentrate on the content of Ms. Wilson's testimony and wasn't blinded, deafened, confused or distracted from the testimony by Ms. Potts' presence.

I am sure that Rep. Waxman would have asked that Ms. Potts be escorted out of the room had he deemed her to be a disruption to the proceedings. Evidently he did not find her to be nearly as fascinating as DUers do.

[Mortos]

41. Yes

Somehow the Mrs. Wilson's testimony still got out. She was covert. An operation was destroyed by Karl Rove and Dick Cheney and agents lives were endangered. The message got out. No we shall see if our Democratic reps will do anything about it.

[Usrename]

42. Right on.

A whole lot of people are proud to be on the same side of this war as Midge.

[proud2BlibKansan]

47. Count me in that group!

Midge rocks!!!

[NoSheep]

43. I can't tell you how many people have accused me in the past of being "rude" because

I stood up and confronted the enemy. I'm outraged. I've been outraged a long time. I'm doing something about it other than just bitching in my living room and writing a letter to the editor. I confront. I don't really give a damn what anyone else thinks. Yes, it takes courage and I do it because I know I'm right.

[AngryAmish]

44. We have much to learn from her quiet dignity

[Tekla West]

48. Armchair activists

are what caused all this to come about in the first place. code pink was there from the start, while others were busy, they got out an protested. Midge runs for congress, gets arrested, and all you can do is run some sort of dress code check because of some sort of trannyphobia.

I will tell you one reason she stands out, its because the rest of you were too busy to be there. Had a half a million people showed up no one would have noticed her. But she stands out, because she is one of the few who is willing to stand up.