Tomorrow is the beginning of the end of the Bush Regime!
Submitted by davidswanson on Tue, 2005-11-01 12:50. Organizing Locally
By Debra Sweet, National Co-ordinator, the World Canīt Wait
Tomorrow is the beginning of the end of the Bush Regime! I wanted to pass along some ideas about the character of the rallies and demonstrations for our launch.
Weīve got to keep in mind what weīre trying to do with these events. We are beginning a movement that will drive Bush from office and reverse the whole direction in which heīs been taking society. Every day a new outrage drives home the need for nothing less than this. If anyone needs more proof, look at the Libby indictment, followed closely by the Alito nomination!
This will take a movement that is very broad, very serious and very determined. We need to speak to the "millions and millions", as it says in our Call, who are deeply disturbed and outraged by this.
In doing this, we have already been up against the powers-that-be, and here too we need to keep our Call in mind: "This will not be easy. If we speak the truth, they will try to silence us. If we act, they will try to stop us. But we speak for the majority, here and around the world, and as we get this going we are going to reach out to the people who have been so badly fooled by Bush and we are NOT going to stop."
The last few days have borne this out. In particular, the ways in which radio stations aimed at youth (but owned by giant media conglomerates) have refused to play our paid ads. There are threats from the authorities directed at high school students who have been organizing to walk out of school that day and go to the demonstrations in their cities.
But these days have also borne out that we do truly speak for the majority, as more and more people and organizations have been endorsing November 2 and vowing to come out for it. Every day new cities or campuses post their information for where and when people will meet in their town on the 2nd.
Our actions on November 2 have to be very broad on a scale that can really make a huge change in this country and in the world. We need to begin with a strong core and then draw in hundreds and -- in the major cities -- thousands along the way. We need all kinds of people there, from the youth to the "raging grannies," vets from all wars, wheelchair contingents, people from different religious congregations (and no religion at all), gay people, union members, and immigrants. We need everyone on the political spectrum who wonīt go along with Bush, from disaffected Republicans to disappointed Democrats and beyond.
Now, we fully understand the anger and deep outrage that a lot of people feel. If youīre not angry at this point, youīre not paying attention! So letīs turn that anger into a determination to make these demonstrations as powerful and magnetic as possible.
Make no mistake: thousands and thousands of people not going to work and coming out instead to demonstrate is a powerful show of determination. Thousands and thousands of young people not going to school, or even walking out of school, and coming out instead to rally and march is a powerful show of determination. People seriously putting forth their intent to drive out a regime -- same thing. Right there youīve gone way beyond politics as usual.
And when all those people march through the streets, chanting "JOIN US! JOIN US! THE WORLD CANīT WAIT! DRIVE OUT THE BUSH REGIME! JOIN US! JOIN US!" . . . and when hundreds and then thousands more people answer their call, coming out from the sidewalks and office buildings and stores, and joining the line of march . . . and when the energy and enthusiasm of the youth plays a special role in all that? Then that will be an extremely powerful and determined message, and will be understood as such by both potential friend and foe alike.
A day of demonstrations like that, all across the country, can begin to change the whole "political equation" in society. It can work wonders on what people think is possible, and whether they will act.
But, to speak bluntly, tactics that cut against bringing out the thousands on November 2 and speaking to the millions go in the wrong direction and should not be done. The Call for the November 2 demonstrations is very clear: it is not calling for violence and it is not calling to remove the Bush regime from office by any means other than mass political action.
Again, there is plenty of room for outrage and energy. But the point is to channel that into something that can really begin to change things for real.
* * * * *
For people who are for the first time organizing demonstrations, itīs important that the committees make sure that they have an emcee, or several emcees, who can help tie things together at different times. There will be a diversity of speakers and views -- and this is as it should be, and one of the great strengths of the movement that will be beginning on November 2. At the same time, the emcees will need to keep things focused on the aim -- driving out the Bush regime. Weīre coming from a lot of different places and after November 2 we should be even more diverse, in every way; and the glue that holds the whole thing together is the Call. The calls should be distributed throughout the day and should be the "common ground" that the emcees keep returning to.
Okay, everybody -- have a great November 2! Get us your reports on the events! The world is counting on us.
[
link to www.afterdowningstreet.org]
United States
Mexico
