so strongly -- we need to do
something to keep our base actively doing something, and then we need to move
real fast to do more. Otherwise, the right wing propaganda machine will slowly lull everyone to sleep.
Ribbons and armbands are easy to do, and can be done without leadership, without a plan... hell, the black armband idea started spontaneously around the country, with absolutely no organization at all.
What concerns me is that a great many of us are waiting for persons who we think are working in secret to do whatever it is that they may be doing. Yet we have no real evidence that there really are persons working secretly towards any goal that we here would find acceptable. That doesn't mean its not going on. It may well be. But the passivity is squandering vast amounts of human energy at best, and at worst is putting us in a position to be frustrated yet again by our "leaders" (which will fuel mass cynical apathy, and ultimately lead to us getting squashed by the right.)
The situation is
grave. Action now, even small action, is
essential (though the bigger the better, I say).
What about organizing a national demonstration outside of our local elections offices? Or alternately, thinking bigger, a march on Ohio? We don't
need our "leaders" to do it. And for the stay-at-homers, an organized letter campaign.
On the legal front, well, I think we have to put our trust (and money) in Bev Harris.
How about this: demonstrations in front of county buildings nationwide (yes, might not always be where the election board is based, but we need an easily identified location to announce) on Nov 12, with an invitation to anyone who can make it to instead go to the Ohio Statehouse? It will be a straight old-fashioned no frills protest, just like we used to see develop almost spontaneously during the Vietnam War, no speakers or other frills that would require a permit. If we can get nov3.us on board, and Air America, and otherwise use the progressive media, we'll have something we can
do. It's just a baby step, but it beats doing nothing with all this collective energy.
Does this sound like anything anyone else would like to promote? Or am I off-base here?
Edited to shamelessly promote my new website,
http://www.americanresistance.info, and to add that the first of what I hope to be many leaflets, this one about black armbands, can be found at
http://americanresistance.info/leaflets/blackarmbands.pdf