What John said.

I'm watching some idiot on C-Span
by John in DC - 1/27/2007 12:04:00 PM


Joe and I are heading down to the peace rally in an hour, to take photos, etc. And I'm watching it on C-Span right now, and I'm asking myself - though I'm not surprised - why is some woman from the "US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation" speaking? And why is she speaking, ad naseum, about the "Israeli occupation of Palestine" rather than speaking about the war in Iraq? She gave 10% of her speech to Iraq and spent the rest of the time railing against Israel?

First off, wrong topic.

Second off, way to alienate most Jews in America, a rather influential group of people we could use as allies.

Third off, way to alienate the rest of us who don't hate Israel, don't hate the Palestinians, and don't feel that the problem over there will be solved by simply blaming everyting on Israel - there's more than enough blame to go around. And in any case, this rally has nothing to do with Israel leaving Palestine, so STFU and stay on topic.

I'm sorry, but as many of you know, I tend to have issues with "peace rallies," not because I have issues with peace or rallies, but because I find myself cringing when I see the substance of them, who's attending, the issues they feel compelled to bring up (Mumia, Israel, trans fats, the suffering of amoeba, whatever). Would it kill someone organizing these events to tell the speakers to speak about Iraq or don't speak at all? Would it kill people to try to present their message in a way that appeals to the majority of Americans?

Oh, and it's not just the peace folks. Big gay rallies have similar issues with invited speakers and folks holding ridiculously offensive signs that, while funny (obscenely funny), are hardly appropriate for a public rally in which you're trying to affect public opinion. The 93 March on Washington, boy did I get an earful from family and friends (and even my doctor) about the coverage on C-Span. The entire country watched women flashing their boobs at cameras, like it was girls gone wild, rather than one of the most massive civil rights rallies in American history. Think, people, think. (Though, I fully admit and acknowledge that you can't control everyone, so some idiot is always going to pull something stupid that the cameras will pick up. Having said that, you do have control over your own speakers on the stage.)

Mr. Brilliant and I had considered going to DC today for the rally, but between the cold weather and a nagging sense that this was going to be yet another one of those rallies in which a good and valid cause got lost in an assortment of interest group grudges and pet causes, we decided against going. And I'm not sorry. This morning I tuned into C-Span just in time to hear some woman railing against "the Israeli occupation of Palestine" -- probably the same one to whom John is referring -- and promptly turned it off. I'm also pretty certain that there were a few "Free Mumia!" signs in the crowd, as there always are at these events.

And this, my progressive friends, is why, when I hear of a march organized by United for Peace and Justice, I know that despite their best intentions, what I call the "A.N.S.W.E.R. left" is going to be front and center. And this is why I want no part of them.

This rally was supposed to be a massive show of support by the American people to ending the war in Iraq. Period. Why must every mass public protest turn into a gumbo of grievances? No wonder leaders in Washington don't take us seriously, and no wonder it's so difficult to get Americans outside the progressive activist circles to attend these rallies.

If the purpose of today's rally is to end the war in Iraq, then let's stay on message. And if we can't stay on message, then let's not have rallies. But if giving huge amounts of face time to people with laundry lists of tired causes turns ME off, how do they expect to reach the people in the flyover states?