Something New: Capturing the National Scream (brainstorming thread)

[emlev]

Don't you feel like screaming?


(Click on picture.)

In the last few days, we've had Melissa Etheridge, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Michael Moore all speaking powerfully behalf of those of us appalled by the Bush Administration and those in its grip.

How, though, can we capture the screams of the rest of us? How can We
the People best show our outrage?

Let's be creative, move beyond the usual demonstrations and call Congress days. I'm looking for something louder than lots of people calling in to talk shows or putting the same bumpersticker on their cars. Preferably something that people can participate in whether or not they have internet access.

What are your ideas?

Request: In the spirit of brainstorming, I ask that people respond in ways that build on each others' ideas and not knock them down.

[mod mom]

1. Street theater.

We discussed this early on in the EI movement that street theater is a great way (although a stunt) to draw attention to a particular issue.

[emlev]

6. Any thoughts about street theater on a massive scale?

How to make it multiply exponentially?

[GuvWurld]

2. Music is good

We need a song, an anthem, for the revolutionary movement. I've been thinking about an updated version of the Ten Year After classic "I'd Love to Change the World." The rest of the chorus of that song says "But I don't know what to do." So what I would like to see is someone update the lyrics so that it goes "I'd love to change the world and I know just what to do." The the song could actually spell out what we can all do to work together for change. I don't really care what band takes this on, but I dream it would be Widespread Panic.

[emlev]

3. Do you have a link to a recording of that song...

and/or the lyrics?

[GuvWurld]

4. lyrics here

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/I'D-LOVE-TO-CHANGE-THE-WORLD-lyrics-Ten-Years-After/DA5C6C25F76634EC4825698B000DF8B5

Everywhere is freaks and hairies
Dykes and fairies, tell me where is sanity
Tax the rich, feed the poor
Till there are no rich no more

I'd love to change the world
But I don't know what to do
So I'll leave it up to you

Population keeps on breeding
Nation bleeding, still more feeding economy
Life is funny, skies are sunny
Bees make honey, who needs money, No none for me

I'd love to change the world
But I don't know what to do
So I'll leave it up to you

o yah

World pollution, there's no solution
Institution, electrocution
Just black and white, rich or poor
Senators stop the war

I'd love to change the world
But I don't know what to do
So I'll leave it up to you

[emlev]

5. Thanks. I'd love to know how it sounds. I don't know this song.

[GuvWurld]

7. Listen

The song starts slow with an acoustic guitar and builds to a classic guitar solo crescendo before quieting down again at the end. I haven't been able to find an .mp3 of the whole song but I did find what I believe is an excerpt at Amazon, although my computer's audio is not currently working and I can't here what section of the song is at this link.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/music/wma-pop-up/B000003JA5001003/ref=mu_sam_wma_001_003/002-7553877-8393607

[emlev]

10. It's one chorus. Thanks, that's a start.

[GuvWurld]

15. Full song, put to amazing video images

I've always loved this song. Put together with these images it is just so damn powerful. Let me know if you think it deserves its own thread.

http://www.videocaffe.com/video/2UW0sEvWMo0/I'd-love-to-change-the-world

[emlev]

17. Wow. Yeah, it deserves its own thread...

Don't know if you can put it in the videos section if it's not on You Tube.
If you do post it, would you link back to this thread?

[GuvWurld]

18. Done

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1300308

[diva77]

8. I remember "Hands Across America" -- how 'bout "Impeachment Across America"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hands_Across_America

snip

Hands Across America was a benefit event staged on May 25, 1986 in which millions of people held hands in a human chain for fifteen minutes along a path across the continental United States. Participants paid ten dollars to reserve their place in line; the proceeds were donated to local charities to fight hunger and help the homeless.


"On the afternoon of Sunday, May 25, 1986, more than five million people joined hands to form a line that stretched 4,152 miles – from New York City's Battery Park to a pier in Long Beach, California. This nationwide event, called Hands Across America, was intended to raise money to fight hunger and homelessness."

snip

[emlev]

9. Hmm, now I'm imagining

combining this with the folks at Camp Casey who are sending plates to Pelosi.

I'm imagining long lines of people stretching from various directions into DC and to the Capitol. Each person brings a plate. They pass the plates down the line toward the Capitol, and the folks at the Capitol ends of the line stack them up. Similar things could happen at satellite locations, like Congressional offices.

That'd be one way to do something like this.

[mod mom]

11. I like it. Great idea.

[emlev]

12. You know how Sicko just had showings on tall buildings?

I think we need more of that. Getting people out into the streets to get educated and energized. Anybody know how those showings went or how difficult it was to pull off?

[emlev]

14. Link

Story here.

[emlev]

13. 85 million signs

"If everyone in this country who felt President Bush should be impeached put up a sign, there'd be over 85 million signs."

And here are a few of them.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

33. ...Treason's the Reason. ..That's a sign that would get people talking. ..n/t

[ljm2002]

16. I'm thinking of the sound God made...

...in the movie Dogma. Remember it? If we all just had that bit of soundtrack... and could play it... at a predetermined time. Just for effect. That at least would capture how I feel.

[diva77]

19. A mock video game called "Steal This Election"

I thought of another idea - but would be more complicated --

A mock video game called "Steal This Election" --

The object is to steal the election -- and all of the tools for stealing are available - the object is to see which combination of corruption tactics is required to get the biggest loser into office:

caging lists
malfunctioning machines that break down
long lines at precincts
ROVs bought off by vendors
Vendors controlled by political parties
Honest Elections Officials who are intimidated by political parties
undisclosed software
Diebold GEMS Central Tabulator click of a mouse vote switching
Central Tabulators with Internet connectivity and override capability
Optical Scanners loaded with malicious software/hardware
Paperless DREs with malicious code
DREs with VVPAT that jams
Early Voting results mixed with absentee ballot and not separated or audited according to precinct
Nonrandom selection of precincts for auditing
Secretaries of State that double as political party leaders
Media that fail to cover the true story
Phony polls



and on and on

[Kip Humphrey]

20. A National SCREAM OUT! at noon on Friday, July 13th?

[Babsbrain]

21. The sad fact is that we can't brainstorm

I can't figure out why...75% of this country feels the outrage. But we have no sign to identify ourselves. Is it because we are afraid to make that one final commitment? Do we really want to declare to our neighbors, our doctors, our co-workers, the hundreds of people we face every day, that we are one of the outraged?

This is not a condemnation of the majority. It is a realization that once we do declare ourselves in public, there is no turning back. Lines in the sand will be drawn and society will be changed drastically.

I truly believe we WANT to be outraged quietly.

How about putting an orange ribbon on your car for starters....just do it.

[GuvWurld]

22. Suggestion

What you said is valid, as your perspective, but it is by no means concrete fact. Instead of assuming we have no sign to identify ourselves, I encourage you to try living like you already know every single other person you encounter is already on your side. You already believe that you will be right far more often than not. See what happens.

[Babsbrain]

23. It is just an observation

Usually with 'movements' you have an identifying symbol of your unity. Followers of Christ had the fish symbol, for example.

We really don't know if our dentist, checkout clerk, banker, realestate agent, daycare worker, co-worker, repairman, delivery man, etc. etc. are one of the 'awake'.

We need to make that final step and create a symbol of our strength and conviction. Plus we need a leader.

[GuvWurld]

24. Thank you

For not being defensive at my suggestion. I agree with everything you are saying. And I'm trying to add to it, by speaking to the way we carry ourselves and the way we embrace new people. My idea above about an anthem is totally consistent with your points about symbols. Ideally we would promote them together. Since emlev designated this a brainstorming thread, I'd really like to work with you on some ideas or concepts for a symbol or icon.

[Babsbrain]

25. I would like to thank emlev for attempting this

It would be interesting to see if anyone else had ideas of what simple symbol or icon could declare ourselves.

But I believe that only someone with very high visibility and credibility could create the momentum needed.

If President Gore or Michael Moore were to announce that all cars should have an orange ribbon on the handle of the driver side, we would see a sea of orange within a week.

[emlev]

26. You're welcome. I just drew something

in a paint program and tried to post it here but I guess there isn't a way to do that. Anyway, it was an orange "Christian fish" with little bubbles coming up to a cartoon speech bubble in which it said, "Impeach!"

It was mostly a joke.

I do think a symbol would be useful and it would certainly get a huge kick-start if someone with a big audience were to start it off, as you suggested. Sometimes people start things and then folks like Michael Moore catch on and run with them. If we come up with a symbol that has the potential of catching on, get it started on DU and then maybe get someone to do a flash animation and put it up on YouTube and get a lot of DUers to vote it up, it does have the potential of spreading quickly. Plus various ones of us here have access to getting it circulated on email lists of progressive organizations. If we made a banner available for people to put on their websites promoting it, still more people would see it.

So how about if we think about what we'd want it to represent? I think it would need a catchy tagline, preferably one that connects the image/logo/symbol with the message.

A leafless bush with the line, "The Emperor has no Leaves," for example. (Not a good example, but an example nonetheless.)

Thoughts?

And thanks to all of you who are playing along. There are some good ideas on this thread, and now that it's on the greatest page, hopefully more will come rolling in.

[Phrogman]

27. Nationwide general strikes have been known to work.

But thats too radical they say.
Might get someone fired or arrested.

[emlev]

28. Here's a group that's planning one--with a twist

Pledge to Impeach

[Brueckner]

29. We need a loose knit coalition of all Americans to destroy the two party system

When a business has a product production problem the first reference is to the specification in order to fix it. We need a loose knit coalition of all Americans in the voting booth to kill the political system we currently have.

The Constitution is our nations specification.

The two party system doesn't work. The people of this nation have been stampeded from R's to D's for many years which has only resulted in the same players establishing more and more control over us.
I have even read discussion on this site with dissension about what the DNC is doing. Doesn't this indicate assumed control over the Dem's? How can any dem worth their salt allow another to control them. Nesting in the seats of government is driving this nation into the dirt. Look at the trend over the last 50 years; we are now a fascist world empire. Both parties participated in this evolution. This didn't happen with bush or clinton operating in a vacuum, it had the support of all of congress to evolve to this this systematically and incrementally over the years. Read the new laws passed on the Vermont legislature web site. We are now nothing but a workforce, a human resource of the government and corporations (corporatism). Those in government are commanding controlling, regulating every element of your life. We have a dem controlled legislature and a rep governor yet there is agreement that we will be indentured servants, slaves, tenant farmers and serfs of corporatism.



This is presently a nation of tyranny no different than that which preceded the Revolutionary war.

The Declaration of Independence was the first act of rebellion against King George.
The rebels explained their action.
"But when in a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce the under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and provide new guards for their future security.”

Centrist despots comprised of an Republicans and Democrats have seized control of our political system with abuses and usurpations. We are no longer governed with rule of law but according to their capricious and arbitrary policy. Just as King George rejected our petitions for redress of grievances so to does this Republican and Democratic political system. Freedom, independence and liberty have been replaced with commands, controls, and regulations.

The first step in this modern revolution is to comply with your duty to throw off such government and destroy the Republican and Democratic political system.

New guards for our future security can be installed by way of self imposed term limits.
Never vote for an R or a D.
One term and they’re all out!

Polls indicated those people who consider themselves independents are the majority voting block. We have the power to change everything.

Let’s repopulate the seats of government with statesmen and stateswomen that will submit themselves to the rule of law.

[rosesaylavee]

31. And replace the two-party system with what?

A one party system? I am not I understand what you are proposing. There has been a two-party system since the first years of this country - different names of course.

[mod mom]

30. another idea is billboard trucks driven thru high attendance events

Your message will reach a lot of people but of course the downside is using fossil fuels to run it.

[Garrett]

32. Enough!

I heard someone talking about an idea they heard on Young Turks radio program. Instead of all the time and energy spent in trying to set up large protests, everyone could be their own protest. They suggested painting "Enough" on a t-shirt and just wearing it. Stand around a bit. Maybe someone will join you...maybe not. That's ok. You could wear it all day, or once a week, or part of every day, whatever works for you.

Part of the problem is that the media isn't covering protests any more. How many people know there were millions protesting the war just before we invaded Iraq? Very few...because it wasn't covered. If we have small protests all over town (a couple of us at a time) then we'd also be our own media. People wouldn't have to watch us on tv, we'd be in the grocery store, movie theater, lunch room with them.

If nothing else it would be like a secret handshake so we could recognize each other...and maybe recognize how many of us there really are. Maybe a button or badge saying ENOUGH would suffice in situations where you can't wear a t-shirt. The more I think about this the more I like it. I have health problems that make lots of travel and standing impossible...but I could put on my t-shirt and spend 20 minutes hanging around the grocery store!

It looks like the Young Turks are suggesting everyone wear their t-shirts Sunday at noon.

More here: http://www.theyoungturks.com/section/Enough

[emlev]

34. I hope people won't think your "enough!" was trying to end this thread

That's what I initially thought. Then I read it. Thanks for the suggestion. I actually used to have a button that said Enough! Maybe I still have it somewhere...

I personally love "enough!" as a declaration because not only does it mean we've had enough of this crap, but also (hopefully) helps people notice when we have enough and not consume more than our share. Of oil, other resources, etc.