Oh, the Luxury of Discussing Manners in a Time of War…
November 12, 2007
Oh boy, democracy can be difficult sometimes. And that’s about how I’d summarize yesterday’s meeting between Congressman Peter Welch and the ad hoc group of anti-war activists in Barre. It wasn’t pretty, for sure. But it was necessary and essential for the public to have those opportunities and for our elected officials to participate in them. So, to everyone who took the time to come out and speak up – including Peter Welch – I say: thank you.
Frankly, I was moved by the passion of the day. I thought of other great passionate moments during our nation’s history when emotions were on high as a result of a military or civil liberty mess we were caught up in the time. You know, sometimes when things are stuck as they so obviously are with the Iraq occupation, the people of this democracy need to provide a little push and pull to get things moving. And so it was.
And I thought of Ethan Allen yesterday, too. I envisioned how proud he would have been by the total and complete unstructured “realness” going on in that room. It was power and the powerless. It was passion and frustration. It was a whimper and a primal scream. It was – by and large – a room crammed with people who basically want the same thing but feel absolutely and completely stuck.
Was it perfect? Hell no. But this little leaderless group busted our asses to try and make it work on three days notice. Try it some time. Pick your issue. Gather your friends. Rent the room. Secure the microphones. Contact the media. Set the agenda. Arrange the speakers. Try to think about and plan all the things that might go wrong – or right. Make contingency plans. In other words, make it happen. Take an issue you believe in, stand on a soapbox of your choosing and ask everyone who will listen if they want to join you. Don’t spend a nickel. Just use your voice, your phone and friends. And then, if you’ve got anything left, hold the meeting. Go for it.
I’m proud to have been one of the more than thirty people who pulled this meeting off. As I’ve written here before, I have been nothing but inspired and energized by these very fine people who are willing to ignore Bush’s war-time advice to basically shut-up and shop and, instead, stand up and speak.
Oddly, much of the post-meeting pontificating has centered on the “manners” displayed at the event, with much of it coming from the same good people who ate the pill of hope last year that led them to the rather starry-eyed proclamations that a Democratic-majority in Congress would solve all our problems. Yeah, you know the folks, the same ones who are now telling us to just wait until Hillary/Obama/Edwards get into office and then – then! – it’ll all be solved. I really wish I could believe in that. Life would really be much easier. And I wouldn’t have to worry about actually taking a public stand beyond writing a check and pulling a lever.
But as I was reading one pontificating blogger comment after another today about the “manners” and the “civility” and the “process” of yesterday’s meeting from people who didn’t bother to attend it but cherish the right to sit on their asses and bitch – oops, was that not polite? – I zipped over to an Iraqi blogger site and read the report of a family who had their house riddled with American-made bullets recently. And I envisioned this poor family, crushed and agonizing over their now crippled child, witnessing the debate happening in Vermont today over whether or not 100 anti-war activists were fair or polite enough to their elected official who has repeatedly voted to fund the war he says he hates. Oh, if they only had the luxury to ponder such nonsense.
The truth of the matter is that the group that organized the meeting yesterday served up softballs to Peter Welch that he should have hit out of the park. While the do-nothing crowd continues to feign sleepy “outrage” over the “yes or no” questions we wanted to ask Welch, no one has actually printed those questions. What, for example, is so “hostile” about asking Welch these questions: Will you vote against any and all bills that include funding for the Iraq war? Will you do everything in your power to prevent war with Iran? Will you support reparations for Iraq? Will you support Iraq sovereignty over their oil and water? Will you support efforts to bring home all contract and mercenary troops now?
Peter Welch and the entire Congress have to vote “yes or no” all day long on questions like these that come up in specific legislation. And yesterday we asked Welch to mimic the congressional model of having time to speak and then providing “yes or no” answers – or vice versa. But it was Welch who had the tantrum about the process, a tantrum that turned a civil meeting into the chaos that ensued.
Personally, I think everyone should take a deep breath and ponder the fact that we are a nation at war. There are bombs dropping and bullets flying at this very moment that are taking and changing people’s lives and continuing to devastate what is supposed to be a sovereign nation. That is what matters. And that is what needs to be stopped.
We took a stab at putting this war back on the agenda and, frankly, given all the discussion and media coverage, I think we succeeded. If you don’t like how it transpired, show us how you’d like it done. We’re all ears. Our meetings are open to the public. But, please, don’t just sit on your hands, do nothing, and, worse, turn an urgent need to stop an illegal and immoral occupation into a discussion of meeting etiquette.
Because there’s nothing civil about a civil war.
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I think it was great that this meeting occurred, and hats off to all who put it together and attended. I think that what the ‘civility’ debate is really about is moreso what particular people wanted to get out of it. The overall tone of it didn’t allow for any serious in-depth discussion, which is what I personally would have liked, but that’s just me. It also allowed the expression of anger, another aim, which it did accomplish.
One of your antispam words is ’stossel’.. what a coincidence.
Yes, killing is bad, but must you be so…shrill?
Good appearance on the Mark Johnson show today, Michael.
I would add the lack of real journalism from the corporate media as another factor in American frustration. Etiquette, “respect”, and perhaps a reporter’s fear of losing his/her job have become institutionally embedded in our information sources. Even NPR throws nothing but softballs anymore. If we had more Mike Wallace styled interviews — hard hitting questions with hard hitting follow ups — then maybe constituents wouldn’t have to call on a congressman to get some questions answered.
I didn’t go — had to work as I mentioned — but I was happy to send along a small contribution via paypal. I hope some others decide to contribute to the cause as well.
Let’s not forget what Slavoj Žižek says:
“The big demonstrations in London and Washington against the US attack on Iraq a few years ago offer an exemplary case of this strange symbiotic relationship between power and resistance. Their paradoxical outcome was that both sides were satisfied. The protesters saved their beautiful souls: they made it clear that they don’t agree with the government’s policy on Iraq. Those in power calmly accepted it, even profited from it: not only did the protests in no way prevent the already-made decision to attack Iraq; they also served to legitimise it. Thus George Bush’s reaction to mass demonstrations protesting his visit to London, in effect: ‘You see, this is what we are fighting for, so that what people are doing here – protesting against their government policy – will be possible also in Iraq!’”
PS, I forgot to list the link to the Zizek passage:
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n22/zize01_.html
Thoughts?
http://timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071113/NEWS01/711130370/1002/NEWS01
Thanks for the jolt back to reality, Mr. Brother Todd. I needed that. Re-reading Zizek is like having a good wholesome meal after binging on junk food.
If folks would like to see my brother in all his MTV glory, check this out:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=am2v1iQLt1g
I told you, Michael, to invite POLITENESSMAN.
Forget protest! That’s why we have deer (etc.) hunting. Take your frustrations out on the animals, not on our hard-working pols.
Just got done speed-reading all the nonsense on GMD site. Brother,
some activism, as Hemingway would’ve put it. Harry Morgan would rent a big boat, take ‘em out on the lake next year, and over you go, brother. Just like that. No shouting, please–this is a novel.
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