(Note from Rowland: I like Harry’s robust approach to things, even though I would not express myself the way he does – nor would a majority of you, I guess).

~~~

Feb. 25, 2007

Just One Day: Go For the Gonads

By Harry T. Cook

The U.S. House of Representatives passes a resolution of opinion which the President and his minions airily dismiss as Congress’ right to self-expression. The U.S. Senate hamstrung by parliamentary monkey business can’t even debate its own non-binding resolution. And, it being an election year (Not really. But aren’t they all anymore?) nobody wants to be caught out allegedly not “supporting our troops.”

Thus unabated the war goes on – madness upon madness with no end in sight – as if there had not been a fruit-basket upset election just three months ago which made it clear to everybody, with the possible exception of G.W. Bush, that America wants out of Iraq. Not sometime later. Now. Not after yet another farcical “Mission Accomplished” stunt, but now. Now.

Here is an idea that could actually get the attention, if not of W., perhaps of the solons who can’t quite understand what the American people have demanded:

Just for one day let us each and every American who opposes the war:

1) withdraw as much cash possible from banks, ATMs and other accounts, thus getting the attention of the nation’s financial pooh-bahs;

2) purchase no gasoline anywhere;

3) skip work and call in disillusioned;

4) organize human chains to form pedestrian gridlock at major intersections in 25 of America’s largest cities in such numbers that police agencies will be overwhelmed;

5) call every federal government telephone number in the phone directory multiple times totally jamming the lines;

6) in between calls to the government numbers, call in to every talk-radio show to register complaints against the war;

7) put in sell orders on a few shares of stock, thus forcing the market down;

send e-mails to members of Congress and to the White House demanding an immediate withdrawal of troops from Iraq;

9) smear bottles of ketchup on white sheets, print OUT OF IRAQ NOW on them and display on front porches;

10) turn on and leave on hazard lights in all vehicles while driving;

11) put OUT OF IRAQ NOW signs in rear windows of automobiles and drive just under the posted speed limit in the leftmost lane no matter what;

12) at 3 p.m. Eastern Time, 2 p.m. Central Time, 1 p.m. Mountain Time and noon Pacific Time go to window or doors and shout out to whom it may concern: WE’RE MAD AS HELL, AND WE’RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE!

What I’m working up to here is something like a general strike. Some of us take a credit for helping to shut down the Vietnam war by going into the streets. That tactic doesn’t seem to be working these days, because those in power don’t care what we think. Therefore we have to go for the gonads of the system with actions that impact the pocketbook, the streets and freeways, the line of communication and that arrest the eye and ear.

People are dying daily in Iraq because the Bush Administration mounted a pre-emptive, ill-planned and disastrously executed invasion of that country now almost four years ago. The whole situation has only gotten worse and will continue to deteriorate precipitously under current circumstances. At this writing, 3,125 American military men and women deployed in Iraq have been killed. That number will have increased by the time most of you have read this essay.

To save even one life, wouldn’t you and millions of other Americans be willing take losses on a few shares of stock each to make the Bush Administration think again or, at the least, to goad the U.S. Senate into action? Wouldn’t you and millions of other Americans go without fill-ups for one day, and make effective statements against the war in one or another of the ways described above?

Evidently the November vote did not, in the end, matter very much – except to put the Not-Bush party in charge, whose leaders are now focused on staying in power rather than using the power and suasion they have to say and do what needs to be said and done.

Those who read this essay are free to copy it and distribute it far and wide. I’m sending it to MoveOn in hopes that it will take me up on one or more of the suggestions outlined above.

Just for one day let’s make a difference. Go for the gonads.

Postscript: A majority of Anglican primates demanded last week that the U.S. Episcopal Church cease the blessing of same-sex unions within the year or risk being demoted in stature. It was our long-time-in-coming wisdom to offer such blessings that helped lift us out of the muck of irrelevance and into the real world. To paraphrase Groucho: Who wants (or needs) to be a member of a club like that? Anyway, we have more important work to do than sit at tea with the hierarchy. See above.

© Copyright 2007, Harry T. Cook. All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced without proper credit.

http://www.harrytcook.com/essay.html

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