I am aptly embarrassed now

[G_j]

from all the response I got from my "giving up" thread.
Many thanks to all who responded.

All the insightful posts have given me much thought.
One of the main themes recurring has been the 'fatigue and overload' factor, also the sense of helplessness many feel in the face of all the outrages and heartbreaking news.

Does anyone else start to feel like it may be time for some good old fashioned MLK type civil disobedience and resistance?
Are there other ways to shake the fatigue and mobilize ourselves?
I watched a Howard Zinn documentary recently which really prompted me to wonder if we need to be taking more risks in the tradition of the civil rights movement. Are we too comfortable even in the midst of all this BFEE insanity?

[nittygritty]

1. in a word:

yeslikeyesterdayitsaboutwaypastgoddamtime.

[AmBlue]

4. what nitty said...

That was ROFL-funny and wayyyyy sad all the same time...

[Shoeempress]

2. Well put. Civil disobedience may be the answer.

I met lots of folks in the JFK campaign who swore they were not going to give up. None of them have bothered to respond to me when I see if anyone wants to get together and plan. It is most disheartening.

[WLKjr]

3. don't be

sometimes my head explodes with all the stuff I read here that I ahve to take afew days off.

[H2O Man]

5. Civil disobedience may be needed.

We should first take the steps outlined by both Gandhi and King; I recognize that several of them are already completed.

If we had a dozen individuals who were dedicated to nonviolent protest, which would not have to include C.D. yet, we might wake the sleeping giant.

[Protagoras]

6. Yes

nt

[Zorbuddha]

7. If this shit hit the fan in the 60s

it would be wild in the streets.

What the hell is wrong with us now?

The scary thing is the vast young adult constituency that sees nobody rising up to meet the monster. They are becoming 'don't rock the boat' zombiefied.

One more generation of dumbing (and laming) down and it is over.

[DrDebug]

8. Civil disobedience also works but it needs to be something

which most people can understand and work with. So "Boycott the RW" / "Boycott Walmart" is a typical topic which is more or less useless, since it will not matter that much.

Other issues like the upcoming Iran war, social security, The Memo etc. are things which most people can relate to and those are themes which are excellently suited for a 'civil rights movement'

[democrank]

9. I was thrilled to see

all the support you got on your "give up" post. And...it hit the Greatest Page!

In this post, Zorbuddha has it right. All these lies, all this secrecy AND the inept corporate media would never have made it through in the 60`s. People were truly tuned in back then and more than willing to take to the streets to make their positions known. No handful at an occasional street corner, but out on the streets by the tens of thousands. Don`t get me wrong...I`ve been part of many a handful on a street corner, but if I had my way, there would be a mass movement toward civil disobedience.

Nobody will ever make me believe that the thousands and thousands of protesters against the Vietnam War had no influence over the end of that horror. Back then people were willing to stand up and be counted in massive numbers and not shy away from idiots calling them names for practicing their right to peaceable assembly.

[Bluerthanblue]

10. no need to ever feel embarrassed for honestly

speaking your truth- even when that truth is uncomfortable to say OR hear- it folks who 'hold it in' or 'deny' what they really are thinking or feeling that i shy away from-

Honesty is ALWAYS the best way- diplomicy and honesty are rare these days, but so very necessiary-

Sometimes speaking your mind, gives others a chance to really think, and do some 'reflecting' that helps bring the pimple to eruption- or identifies the elephant in the room-

We all get discouragd, and we all need each other ESPECIALLY at those times- i'm grateful for this medium and the 'connection' it provides for us all.

i'm one of those people who is impatient with life, who wants to 'rush out and make everything better NOW!' and when that doesn't work i get super discouraged- Being passive- doesn't mean not 'acting' it simply means not being 'aggressive'- - even doing nothing is an action (giving liscence to what is occuring) i want to DO something- but feel so overwhelmed by the issues that scream for action-

We need some real leadership (not just a single 'leader') and some specific direction and ......faith...... - that against all odds 'good' WILL prevail-

hugs-

[seemslikeadream]

11. Sorry I missed that thread G_j

in this proud land we grew up strong
we were wanted all along
I was taught to fight, taught to win
I never thought I could fail

no fight left or so it seems
I am a man whose dreams have all deserted
I've changed my face, I've changed my name
but no one wants you when you lose

don't give up
'cos you have friends
don't give up
you're not beaten yet
don't give up
I know you can make it good

though I saw it all around
never thought I could be affected
thought that we'd be the last to go
it is so strange the way things turn

drove the night toward my home
the place that I was born, on the lakeside
as daylight broke, I saw the earth
the trees had burned down to the ground
don't give up
you still have us
don't give up
we don't need much of anything
don't give up
'cause somewhere there's a place
where we belong





These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you’ll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you’ll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms

Through these fields of destruction
Baptisms of fire
I’ve watched all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms

There’s so many different worlds
So many differents suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones

Now the sun’s gone to hell
And the moon’s riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it’s written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We’re fools to make war
On our brothers in arms

[Viva_La_Revolution]

12. Me too, G-j!

I got a great response to my query about the lack of responses to the CSPAN and BookTV schedules.

'fatigue and overload' was definitely my impetus for asking, I've been feeling like that myself lately.

Just knowing all of you are out there, thinking and worrying and strategizing about these issues helps me motivate myself.

[Misunderestimator]

13. Oh, good... I'll chime in here then.

I do a LOT of reading, and some of the most intriguing threads take so much time to read that I've run out of time to respond. I'll keep it in mind to make an effort to at least kick something up.

[Hamlette]

14. the motivators are not there....yet

the civil rights movement was fueled by terrible conditions for blacks. There is nothing really like that now.

And the civil rights movement picked up steam with Vietnam and sort of merged adding womens rights along the way.

We need a draft.