get your civil rights on...

In a recent news article a Mesa, Arizona city council member refused to stand for (or say) the pledge of allegiance at a city council meeting as a form of protest of the war in Iraq. Now whether or not you think this guy is out of place, or glad he is executing his rights as a citizen, it all brings me to an interesting point that I have been thinking about recently. Now technically I think this guy has done a fairly brilliant job of protesting. He is exerting very little effort, hell he is sitting down silently, and he is getting massive amounts of national media attention for his cause.

I think a lot of the protesting people of the world should take notice. I'm not here demeaning the protesting people of America or the world for that matter, I applaud you, but you see millions (rough estimate) of people go to Washington DC or where ever and picket, march, and scream their asses off for a just cause and no one ever really hears them. Sure there has been the Million Man March and other large demonstrations that have created some media attention but generally protests need to be extremely large or destructive to get any attention.

So I present a problem without a solution right? What I'm suggesting here is strictly theory and at the risk of being labeled a terrorist. What I'm recommending is that more effective protesting mechanisms need to be used. I mean what amount of coverage does picketing inside a fenced area, 8 miles from any government building really produce? You want to get peoples attention, I've got an idea for you. Take your 5,000 protesters that will probably never be heard, and break them up and march them down different sections of Washington's 495 beltway, the 295, the 395, the 267, the 66, and 50. (DC Map) It only takes 4 or five people to block 8 lanes of traffic so really you could run them in shifts, in different areas of the city and there is no way the police could remove everyone in a timely fashion with the traffic the way it is. Now obviously you would be wielding banners and signs for your cause and encouraging the stopped motorists to get out and join your cause, leaving their cars as an added obstruction. Then once your protest is a national media sensation you could start a fund that allows all the people of the world that believe in your cause and don't live in DC area to send you money to get all those peoples' car out of the impound.

I'm not saying your not going to be arrested but when 5.9 million people in the DC metro area are stuck in traffic for 18 hours or better (Sorry b & t) because the city has been turned into a parking lot, the world will notice you cause. Now this is just one of many techniques that could be use to get the word out, and most are probably labeled as terrorist acts but you have the right to protest and the right to an attorney and you will probably need the latter. My point is that the traditional methods of protest seems to very ineffective and unfortunately the method of high paid lobbyists seems to be very effective. As the not so privilege peoples of America we need to take the options we have an use them.

Now I know many people will not agree with me and the working people of the DC area will be the victims of such a protest, but some issues are bigger than people being late for work. Knowing my luck the KKK will use my strategy to promote their agenda, that is just the way shit works out for me.

***Disclaimer***
The protest method described here is a theory and is not safe, approved, or in anyway legal, but god damn I bet it would be effective. If you decided to do this its at your own risk and in no way, shape, or form my fault. I placed this here as an academic theory, and a work of fiction. I'm not responsible for any of your actions and I don't condone illegal activity but I fully support your civil rights and your right to protest. Also if you decide to make this fictional work a reality I suggest you get in touch with these guys.