Peaceful Protests in Washington D.C.

[InfiniteNature]

I began my little escapade in Ft. Myers, Florida, boarded a cramped bus, with a clogged toilet in the back. I get motion sickness so the entire trip over was miserable, but I endured it for my beliefs. We picked up several people, making stops in Sarasota, Tampa, Gainesville etc. and joined a convoy of buses all heading for Washington D.C. to protest the war on Iraq. The people on these buses consisted of old hippies, young students, first timers worried about the war, people from all walks of life, and in one case a educated bumb, nice enough though. I endured 24 hours in that cramped bus to get to D.C. having few breaks, if at all. By the end of journey all of us were a bit agressive, but after rising it was like we had finally come home. The weather was freezing, about twenty degrees, we were prepared but most of us had gotten used to the warm balmy climate of Florida, and so were unused to something as simple as snow on the ground, but we took out our signs, our fingers trembling through the gloves with cold, but were much heartened by the hordes of people making their way for central mall, over four hundred strong filled the streets, many others in San Francisco. People had brought their dogs, cats, and their little babies bundled up in warm clothing, women men, children, Muslims, Budhists, Christians, Veterans of war, Communists, Marxists, Civil Rights Leaders, people from all walks of life and manners of thinking, and it was a peaceful protest, perhaps why it got so little attention from the media. I waved my sign, a hand me down from a nice old lady who had protested during Vietnam, still relevant though. Pamphlets of all sorts, most protesting Bushy's warmongering others talking about other issues, Puppet shows, effigies, I made my way to a group of musicians in which the varied tunes of bagpipes, bottled water drums, and tin cans all banged to a tune to which people danced, and I joined in, My cold feet nearly numb by now started to warm up as I used them strenously, my brother with me.

Crazy Communists, Muslim women in shawls, in one instance a group of Franciscan monks, giving their protests to the war, like I said it was remarkable the degree of diversity, and the sheer number of people displeased with Bushy's war effort. Many parents of children who have already been sent to Iraq also went. We walked over five miles, all the time chanting the tunes" hell no we won't go, "what do we want" "Peace" when do we want it", now". "who let the bombs drop", Bush, Bush, Bush, Bush. sung to the tune of who let the dogs out", eventually reaching the Naval Yards, or something like that, one sign read something to this effect, "Frodo lost his quest, Bush has the ring."

People showed their support in the city, by hanging out their own signs, not protesters but people who actually lived in the city, there was surprisingly few counter protesters, surprising I say because often times one gets the impression that most of country is Republicans, but there apparently is a significant liberal support as well.

After finally reaching our destination, my brother and my own hands numb with cold, we staggered back to our bus stop. While eating some genuine philapals sold by a nice Palestinian chap at a stand, our group stood there huddling in the cold, eating our by now cold philapals. Palestinian was a American citizen, but could not go back as if he was arrested by the Israeli government he was told by our government that he would not be helped, funny sense of priorities in this country. .

Anyway our hands were numb by now, so the group from Florida decided to make a group decision and make its way to the nearby McDonalds, there to bask in the heated air while waiting for our bus. Anyway we rushed back to the bus, putting our signs in the storage compartments. While going back we organized a poetry reading, and stories whatever, on the lines of the gothic poetry reading, we exchanged e-mail addresses, phone numbers so we could all stay in touch, then it was another long twenty four hours back, in that cramped bus, it was blessed relief when I finally made my way back to my dorm and collapsed on my bed, my lips parched from the cold, and legs cramped from the bus trip. Still it was a experience, from which many new friends were made, and becoming part of a journey I had had little practical experience with as yet, theoretical sure but little practical, anyway I plan to attend now as many rallies as I can and also see if I can push myself out of my slump towards political action.

If you've managed to dredge your way through my account, good show, no personal problems with you if you have different views, you have that right as do I, but anyway Peace and well being to you brothers and sisters, it was nice being a part of the human race for once. *Thumbs up to you all*

[Tamerlane]

Whilst I'll readily admit that we would have a difference in opinions, its still nice to hear about how a peaceful protest can bring lots of people together like you stated and good luck with the political statements you plan to take.

Shame about the clogged toilet though

[frogus]

Hurrah! *expects entire British SYM community to be present on Feb 15th. Apart from Nippy*

[fable]

The sad thing is, I can't really see it affecting the Bush administration. They are too firmly in control, with a completely whipped media. The major flaw of the US political system--winner take all--has ensured that nobody with rational designs on power will speak up against Bush, since that would be death in an election. (At least, in a proportionally representative assembly, minority views still get seats. Not here.)

If Bush will try to push MidEastern rulers into backing him on this, completely against the wishes of their people, he's not likely to be stopped in his intended course of war by a few global demonstrations. I can see him carefully trimming his sails to meet an overwhelmingly negative public, but thus far he's proven impervious to compromise on any issue in his administration.

[C Elegans]

I am so happy to hear that many Americans choose not to follow the same line as your president despite the media bias and everything.

Of course my hope is that the global demonstrations should have some effect, although I doubt it will move the course of the Bush administration.

@Frogus: What happens in Britain Feb 15th? Demonstrations against attacking Iraq?

(And I think you should count out Grunt, too)

[Dottie]

Nice one @InfiniteNature.

Its unfortunate however that violence seems to be required to get media coverage at demonstrations.

[fable]

Originally posted by Dottie
Its unfortunate however that violence seems to be required to get media coverage at demonstrations.

That's because the media is corporate business, these days, and all that matters is whatever will draw readers/viewers. I can still recall watching Martin Luther King's marches on television coverage back in the 1960s. The mere fact that anybody was holding a peaceful, large march was news. It simply hadn't been done before, much less by blacks in the US. Nowadays, everybody demonstrates, so the media only turns out for one of its two biggest selling points: violence (the other being sex).

[Dottie]

@Fable: I agree, Though it is strange imo what kind of news sells good. I cant see a reason for it...

[Minerva]

Originally posted by C Elegans
I@Frogus: What happens in Britain Feb 15th? Demonstrations against attacking Iraq?

Am I the only one who thinks that'll be too late?

[frogus]

No. I also think that'll be too late. But what do I know?

[Tybaltus]

Heh. I went websurfing, and I found a handy dandy site talking about just this. It has many links opposing war and if you feel that strongly about it, then it gives some things that you could do to voice it via-non-violent ways.

You know, that Mahatma Gandhi had some pretty nifty ideas when he was around.

Heres the link