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BL611 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:37 PM
Original message
Symbolic Protests
I was on the train this morning and saw a postcard advocating a "event" of some sort where people in NY stand strategically around the city to make a peace sign.I'm sorry, but things like this drive me insane, what impact is such a demonstration going to have on anything? Does anyone really think a giant peace sign is going to impact anyones views on the Iraq war (or any other)? Would time not be better spent volunteering in your community or something of that nature?
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tool_of_the_people Donating Member (330 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:45 PM
Response to Original message
1. Doing anything in the name of peace...
... is at least drawing attention to the cause. How about a peace vigil? Peace march? All are symbolic, but they make a statement.
I think that if they have a big turnout, it would make an interesting image.
JMO
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BL611 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:48 PM
Response to Reply #1
2. What positive consequence
could something like this have for peace?
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tool_of_the_people Donating Member (330 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:53 PM
Response to Reply #2
5. It depends on how many people show up.
A few thousand? I think that shows that there are a few thousand people that are wanting to show that they're against the war. Do you know where this is taking place? UN?
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BL611 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:55 PM
Response to Reply #5
8. I don't
I quite honestly was not that interested in the event itself, as I do not really believe in such things. Do you not think it is already evident that there are a few thousand people(obviously a lot more) against the war?
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porphyrian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:50 PM
Response to Original message
3. To beat writers' block, it helps to write nonsense or anything, as long as you write.
Anything that mobilizes our sedentary and apathetic citizenry to do something about these fucking criminal usurpers of our government is a step in the right direction. Rather than complain, why not offer them some constructive suggestions for their next operation?
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BL611 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:53 PM
Response to Reply #3
6. I did
Volunteer in your community, tutor a kid.If you want to engage in a political act read up on foreign policy and lobby your Representative. The point was not to complain, but to ask people who do this type of thing what they think the point is.
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tool_of_the_people Donating Member (330 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:55 PM
Response to Reply #6
7. Who's to say that...
... you can't do both? Volunteer in the community AND make a symbolic act?
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BL611 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:57 PM
Response to Reply #7
10. You obviously cannot
do both at the same time. Civic service, while not a dramatic act, has obvious benefits for people, my question is what is the benefit of an act like this?
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porphyrian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:56 PM
Response to Reply #6
9. OK. Well, I answered you. - n/t
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BL611 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:58 PM
Response to Reply #9
11. Do you really think you are
mobilizing the apathetic by stuff like this?
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porphyrian Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 02:03 PM
Response to Reply #11
12. Uh, by definition, yes.
Everyone who participates in this could participate in something else. I didn't say it would mobilize the entire public, but its mobilizing enough people to make a big peace sign. They just need some direction, and being a curmudgeon about their efforts isn't mobilizing anyone at all.
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coalition_unwilling Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 01:53 PM
Response to Original message
4. As one who has participated in two weekly peace vigils for
over 5 years, I think such events have a symbolic importance in demonstrating to unaware passers-by that there is an alternate narrative out there.
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peace13 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Mon Mar-05-07 02:35 PM
Response to Original message
13. Everything is symbolic.
If you don't think it is a good use of time don't do it. Why knock others who are trying to get the word out. What makes your idea better than others. I agree feeding a hungry person is better than writing a poem about it in the short term, but just maybe the poem will cause 1000's of others to help with the feeding. Who knows? Peace, Kim
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