Why I didn't march for peace this weekend.

[Armstead]

Honest answer. It's too damn cold here at the moment.

In my defense, during the pre-war protests, I did go out to vigils and stood around in 10 degree winter weather for several hours at a stretch. Maybe the differece is that now it's obvious that a majority of Americans are opposed to the war. So it seems kind of redundant.

(Plus, I have to admit, this weekend I didn't have any great desire to go out and get frostbite to stand in a line of people singing "We Shall Overcome." ...They still do that around here at peace marches. The intentions are good, but it seems so "hippieish.")

Not a good excuse I realize, but that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

[derby378]

1. I didn't march, either - Dallas was being strangled with flash flooding

I have no idea if the peace march even went ahead as planned.

[5X]

2. 50 of us stood in pouring rain in Tulsa...

and you are right, no excuse.

[zanne]

3. I don't think peace marches are making a difference.

I know it feels good to be actually doing something and raising our voices, but the media has become so stingy on covering any kind of anti-administration protest, it's really not worth it. We don't get the word out that way anymore. It worked during the Vietnam era because television and newspapers covered it on the front page. Now, it looks like they realize that if a protest happens but nobody covers it, it doesn't matter. We have to put our energies and resosurces to better use.

[gratuitous]

6. What's wrong with doing something just because it feels good?

Considering the steady diet our country has been on from the fascisti in power, I'll take a chance on feeling good by joining with 30,000 of my fellow citizens who are invisible to the major media for 364 days out of the year. A little mutual support doesn't hurt at all, and if you get involved in the planning of a demonstration, you can also pick out a musician or two, and sing something besides "We Shall Overcome" or "Down by the Riverside."

Nothing wrong with feeling good.

[zanne]

11. There's nothing wrong with improving morale...

It's just that marches and demonstration are only effective if people see them. So, they're great for feeling good and morale-building, but not so good for getting our message across.

[mdmc]

4. neither did I , Armstead

perhaps I will go out on 5-1-2006. Three years after flight suit boy declared Mission Accomplished!

[Armstead]

5. Imagine a whole "flight suit protest"

That would be an interesting concept. Get a bunch of flight suits (or make them) and have a crowd of people wearing them together.

[mdmc]

7. or colorful jump suits, with mission accomplished banners

"We will be greeted as liberators!" http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=699217&mesg_id=699217

[Sparkman]

8. those damn hippies...useless smelly and pot smoking bums. love it or leave

it needed government enforcement. If you hate the cops, next time you get robbed, call a hippie.
the peace sign is the footprint of the american chicken.
Does this sound familiar to you? Using hippieiesh, in a derogatory sense, may not give the credit to those who establised the most critical statement of the yuppie and the military war profiteering life style that have driven the U.S. to scourge the planet for OIL, for cheap labor and for unrestrained pollution and deforestation & mining abuses.

[Armstead]

10. Lighten up sparky

I'm a bit of hippie myself....Or a preppy hippie to be more precise.

My comments were made in a bit of jest. I'm all in favor of old hippies. I just get personally uncomfortable in a crowd of them trying to behave like it's still 1965.

[Sparkman]

12. Maybe you're right, moods like biocycles grab us all. I miss passin doobi

[Minnesota Libra]

9. Physically, I couldn't march more than a few steps so I choose to......

.....make everyone around me think and give them information.:hug: IMHO, it works better than marching because a country wide change of heart will get rid of this whole criminal bunch:grouphug: - marching can be discounted as being "radical":grr: but a change of heart is not so easily dismissed.:toast: