should peace marches have 'dress codes'? [View All]

[G_j]

Every peace march seems to have it's critics. One complaint that we hear is about the "image" progected to the public by people who look too "weird" and not like "mainstream" Americans.
This tiny rant reflects my experience from attending street demonstrations consistantly through the years.

One thing that has always been a distiction between the RW drones and the left is a joy-like, celebratory quality reflected in diversity and color. I've protested in DC and other places since the Viet Nam days and there was ALWAYS a colorful, radical alternative quality to the crowds. I had this very conversation with Peggy Seeger whom I was standing next to at a local rally before the Iraq invasion. We both agreed that the "rainbow" nature of the left gave us energy and inspiration. The bright relections of our diversity represent on one level our hopes for the world we invision. Now are we are supposed to give that up to? I'm even hearing people who have problems with puppets! Puppets?
Does the ABB philosophy now dictate that we need to match the drab colorless qualities of the dittos? I ask you, how long then will it be before other distictions fade as well?