This post looks at various rallies that take place in America and the various reasons why I find them to be inefective events that don't help implement any kind of change.
Take for instance the Democratic Convention in Denver and the group that is there right now who calls themselves Recreate ’68. Though they say their intended purposes are not to create the riots that happened at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago during 1968, why would they pick a name that makes most people think about the riots? To be fair they say they want to create the same kind of civic engagement that they claim was responsible for many social and civic institutional changes that are present today such having a presidential candidate who is African American. They believe that the two party system does not represent the American people but rather corporate interests. The sad part is I agree with most of the issues that they want to implement in America such as universal healthcare and a compassionate immigration policy but I deplore all of these poorly organized and ineffective rallies no matter the cause and group endorsing it.
There will be a video later in this piece that Fox News produced what I can only call required viewing for anyone who simultaneously gets off on an anchor’s sheer stupidity and anyone who understands basic FCC laws. It just goes to convey my underlining point that these rallies are ineffective because the way the media will portray the people in attendance. I would like to first talk about my own experiences I had when I attended an anti-war rally in Washington D.C years ago.
If I remember correctly this particular rally took place in the fall of 2005 by a group calling themselves United For Peace and Change. I largely agreed with what their aim was which was to end the war in Iraq but the worst part about any protest is that any idiot who has any kind of belief no matter how bat shit fucking insane it is will come out and dilute your message.
There were all kinds of different freak shows that showed up at the rally in the fall that I would sometimes forget that I was at a rally to stop the war. Listen I’m all for people having their own opinion and expressing yourself but when you have these whack jobs coming out spouting bullshit about Little Boy Lovers of America for the Nuclear Weapon Obtainment of Israel you are going to have some problems. People who are most against the anti war cause are going to single out the freak shows and fringe elements to effectively display that most of the people coming to your rally are so out of touch with the most common beliefs of mainstream America that no one will take your rally seriously.
The worst part about this fringe element is the same thing that makes the devout religious people so hard to take seriously at their various rallies. They are true believers and because of this they are going to be the loudest, most abrasive, embarrassingly pathetic people you will see at the rallies which will unfortunately turn them into the public face of your rally.
Of course when TKO and myself went to the anti-war rally we went only to see The Bouncing Souls, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and Washington Wizard Eton Thomas who were all scheduled to perform at the rally. Name an aspect of the war in Iraq and we are most definitely against it but we would never show up at one of these rallies if it weren’t for the above mentioned who would be performing. Why I find these rallies to be so ineffective when it comes to dictating a change of policy is because this is an institutional problem and can only be changed from the inside. Maybe if some of these people running the rally could get elected into office they could effect an institutional change but it won’t happen in a two party system. These rallies might work in countries like France but only because they have more than a two party system. Of course I could be wrong and maybe the rally did make a difference but I don’t recall between the present day and the fall of 2005 when the Rally to End the War took place the United States pulling its troops out of Iraq.
The actual rally was horrible. Someone got up on stage and told us to boycott the restaurant Subway because they endorsed some sort of pro war rally. I am sure that former fat fuck Jared had told Subway if they didn’t tow the Conservative Republican party line he would take his miles of stretched out skin that hangs off his body and walk his former fat ass over to Quiznos. Then a who’s who of the progressive movement got up on stage and said the exact same thing as the person who preceded them. A shitty band or some sort of African Tribal Group that tested the patience of my time and my ears would usually perform in between speakers. We walked over to the ESPN Sportszone because from our years of experience beer makes most things more tolerable no matter how bad life gets. We came back to the rally and had to sit through about another forty-five minutes of monotonous speeches because there is nothing more that a true believer loves then to hear everything they all ready believe in being told to them over and over again.
Ted Leo finally went on for a set that was way too short considering all the bullshit that preceded it which was followed by more of the same. It got so bad that we decided not to stick around and see the Bouncing Souls who I must admit are probably the best band that I have ever seen live in my whole life performance wise. Luckily they will be coming to Washington D.C. this October.
That is what makes this clip so funny from a recent Fox News broadcast. This takes place in Denver where the Democratic National Convention is taking place. It involves the above-mentioned group Recreate 68; a name that is all ready associating them with policies and beliefs that are not likely to be in the mainstream of the American people. Even though their website states they advocate non-violent protest it does not help matters out any when your chosen name is most likely going to be associated with the riots at the Chicago convention.
Of course you can tell from watching the video that this rally was very well organized even though it looks like it is total anarchy (sarcasm alert)! The way Fox News reports the whole situation makes it even more bizarre. They were shocked that most of the people walking in the protest were not going to vote for Obama even though they equated them to being liberal democrats. If Fox News was so smart they would have connected the dots and realized that why would these people bother to show up at a protest if they bought into the democratic parties polices?
The toolbag who goes into the crowd, who it should be noted only did so to stir up trouble, says one of the strangest and ultimately dumbest things I have ever heard which should get his journalism credentials stripped away from him. He asks the protesters if they believe in free speech and then comes to the conclusion that they don’t. I’m sure people who are taking place in a political protest probably believe in the notion of free speech.
Update: The toolbag from the Fox News video is on the Bill O Reilly Show right now describing the protest as being ineffective and inconsequential and chastised the participants for being demented individuals who do not care about the safety of children. The protesters are labeled a fringe element and he said that he felt he was in danger from the unruly crowd. He also says they do not really believe in free speech since they would not let him interview them which does not make any sense at all. Again, the reason these rallies don’t work no matter how noble the cause is the lack of organization and a cohesive message.
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