Why I [Won't Go to] the Aurora Bush Protest, by iconoclastic cat

[iconoclastic cat]

I know my fellow posters will be disappointed when I say this, but I did not drive down to Aurora today.(edit: which is good, because it's tomorrow. Can you say, "duh!") Before you all shake your heads in disappointment, let me explain why I didn't go, and what I plan to do next.

My flimsy excuse is that I had a career-related meeting. I could have broken it, however, without any serious repercussions. My real reason, however, is that I just don't think standing around outside of a Bush event does any good: As the blivet himself said, "Who cares what you think?" He does not care. His handlers don't care. The Republican Party does not care. They are at war with me, you, and all other liberals.

This does not mean that I intend to go back to being a member of the Keyboard Insurgency, however. In fact, just the opposite: I am developing a strategy. I'm sitting down and reading the following books: Understanding Sun Tzu on the Art of War by Robert Cantrell; Stir It Up: Lessons in Community Organizing and Advocacy by Rinku Sen, Kim Klein; and A People's History of the United States : 1492-Present by Howard Zinn. While I finish my own personal graduate course, I am going to get a number of like-minded people and start throwing around some serious ideas.

Just to be sure that I'm not entirely insane, tell me what you think of the following musings:
--First, why should we bother protesting Bush himself? If he's not going to listen to Ms. Sheehan, he sure won't care about anyone else. Instead, why aren't we going local with our protest? Why aren't we standing outside the homes of our Repub congresscretins and demanding that they state for the recored if they: A.)support the Minuteman Project (who have allied themselves with a group whose very mention will invoke the Godwin law); B.)would support a total ban on abortion should both Roe and Griswold be struck down; and C.)if which they consider themselves to be first: a Republican or an American? Okay, so that last one is a bit argumentative, but you get my point.
--Second, driving to Aurora and back today would have cost me at least $30 in burned gasoline. Instead, I donated that $30 to the ACLU today, and I will instead commute to all my protests via public transportation. Again, local effort.
--Third, do you know what I discovered today at this meeting? That people are much more willing to organize and spend hours seriously discussing tactics of any sort when they have a chance to rehearse. I rehearsed several techniques today, and I went away with a much greater sense of self-efficacy than I ever have from a professional development meeting. Activists should rehearse, too.
--Fourth, there are a lot of people who would be local activists if they felt like someone was A.)in charge of organizing and B.) that their time was well spent.
--Fifth: approaching people on the street to donate money may not be the best way to raise funds. I think it's annoying.
--Sixth and last: why don't we use technology to begin the activist version of the flash mob? Think, flash protest: Melissa Bean is going to an Elk's Club tonight? You're there, asking to record one of the responses to idea #1, above.

I had more ideas, but I lost a few on the way home. Anyway, please feel free to critique. Am I nuts? Do you have better book suggestions? In the words of Ren Hoek, "WHAT IS IT, MAN?"


On edit: Okay, so it's tomorrow. Blame it on my very tentative grasp of the calendar.

Edit 2: I'm still not convinced that being there will do any good.

[ClassWarrior]

1. You're in luck. It's tomorrow.

:rofl:

NGU.

[iconoclastic cat]

2. Well, crap.

Laugh it up, fuzzball.

[ClassWarrior]

3. Busted.

See you there?

NGU.

[iconoclastic cat]

4. Listen, smartass, read the post. I'm not going.

:spank:

Although I do have a serious conflict with tomorrow, too. I really would be risking my life if I blew it off.

[ClassWarrior]

5. Even if a makeshift "Camp Casey" there would help bring attention...

...to Cindy's cause in Crawford?

NGU.

[iconoclastic cat]

6. You're making me feel very guilty.

But, seriously, he won't care. A few of his supporters might be vaguely dismayed, but he won't care.

Now, if you please, CW, would you do me the honor of seriously critiquing my ideas? Believe it or not, I actually respect and anticipate your opinions.

[ClassWarrior]

7. I don't care what Junior** thinks - it's the press...

...whom we need to impress with sheer numbers. That's why it's important for us to show up in numbers as long as Cindy's in Crawford.

And thanks for the compliment. I'll look at your post later. Dinner's on!

NGU.

[crispini]

8. I like your graduate course idea, but

-- I am assuming you are new to organizing given that you are putting yourself through "activism U," so to speak -- why not get involved with local politics and activists and have some good discussions about what is happening in your scene and what they are doing? There will probably be some old-guard folks around whom it would be worth having dialogs with. Often there is no need to reinvent the wheel.

And, most especially, why not become a Precinct Chair for your local party? If you are ready to take action, this is one of the best ways you can do it, IMO.

[iconoclastic cat]

10. That's a good idea (finding some old pros).

I still want to educate myself, of course, but you're right about the wheel-reinvention.

[Inland]

9. I don't think losing your job or costing big bux is worth it.

You are right that your money has better uses and you aren't that much help unemployed.

Somebody suggested a "ride bank" board. That would have been useful to get out to Wayne's World and Dennyland.

[iconoclastic cat]

11. Yeah, I offered to carpool, but a lot of people are going on their own.

That ride bank would be good, maybe as a permanent thread in each state's forum.

BTW, I wouldn't actually lose a job: I'm actually a teacher, and I'm just doing some professional development this month.

[Inland]

13. Actually, a standing ride arrangement....

Let's say that for any decided action, somebody's car leaves Oak Park for whereever. Everyone but the driver chips in for gas and for the pizza on the way home.

Then when the Bat signal shows up in the sky, it's ready to roll. Just thinking.

And don't apologize for not gettting to the loss of job stage. I'm not going to go. Like you said, there's no point talking to HIM, and I don't care to be penned into the free speech zone.

[John Q. Citizen]

12. Some responses to your musings....

First- If no one ever showed up and protested bush would it be a good thing for our side? The point of protesting bush isn't to change his heart, it's to change other peoples hearts (and minds)

Second - public transport is a good thing. However, you could take a greyhound to Aurora......

Third - activists do rehearse.

Fouth - true

Fifth - any legal way to raise money is good. I've heard people express just the opposite of your sentiments, ie. calling at home is annoying, direct mail is annoying. etc. So? It sounds like you are not cut out to be a fund raiser. Let someone who's temperment is more alliegned to fund raising do it because you will not be very good at it if you make those you are soliciting uncomfortable because you are uncomfortable with it.

Sixth. How do you rehearse a flash protest? Can more people show up at a planned protest than at a flash one?


That said, I strongly believe in understanding the difference in tactics and strategy and in understanding how tactics fit into a strategy.

For instance, the boycott has been both a very successful tactic and a failure as a tactic depending on the circumstances that it's been deployed. If the water co. is gouging people would you call for a boycott to bring 'em to their knees? Nope, because people can't boycott water. Try it some time. You would want to use another tactic in that case.

In the case of the successful boycott of Nestles (because of dumping substanderd baby formula in Africa) it was the bad publicity generated by the boycott that effected the warm fuzzy image of Nestles that brought them to their knees, not the fact that some people went without chocolate. This is of course the opposite of the Selma bus boycott, where black ridership was critical to the economic well being of the transit district, not their sterling reputation or brand name.

Anyway, keep thinking, learning, and acting to better organize and you will get better at it. In the mean time, give yourself a break on the Aurora deal.

[iconoclastic cat]

14. How does one come by your expertise?

Your response to my post was fantastic. I do have a lot to learn, it seems. Where did you cut your teeth?

[John Q. Citizen]

15. I volunteer for candidates and issues campaigns

I also worked for 3 years canvassing for Citizen Action/Fairshare groups and I got a lot of training on various aspects of organizing and campaigning through that experience.

If you are interested in a fast track, I suggest signing up for Camp Wellstone trainings. Wellstone came out of the DFL (Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party) and Minnisota Citizen Action.

Camp Wellstone offers courses in organizing and activism at different times and locations around the country. Check them out, they are non-profit and very progressive!

http://www.wellstone.org/camp/index.aspx