As a strong supporter of what Cindy Sheehan is about in Crawford (`Mr. Bush, please explain the “noble cause” my son died for’) I decided to attend a support-Cindy rally sponsored by “Troops Out Now” this afternoon in Manhattan’s Union Square.
There were about 100 people there, plus a good number of people with “press” badges and cameras. As I listened to the speakers and watched the circulating activists, my heart began to sink. It sank even further when I saw that there was a little tent there labeled “Camp Cindy”–not even “Camp Casey.” These weren’t people looking to Cindy Sheehan and the loss of her son Casey. They were there only for themselves.
There was a speaker demanding a free Palestine. And someone from the Green Party. There were people giving out Workers Vanguard newspapers. Others chanted for impeachment, against troops in Haiti… there was even one guy there collecting signatures on a petition to lower the maximum number of students in NYC classroom!
Now, I must say I do support almost all of the causes being promoted. But I wasn’t there for them. I was there for Cindy Sheehan.
And I wanted the concentration to be on her.
I know: Sheehan herself doesn’t mind being used as a focal point by activists of all sorts–but I do mind.
And for a very practical reason.
The media in America not only have the attention span of a gnat, but have the intelligence of one, too. If we do not keep our focus simple, the media won’t understand it. Or will manipulate it to make it match the media’s preconceived notions of what we are about. Only a simple statement (“What is the noble cause?”) will keep the media focus where it belongs.
One of the failures of the left over the past twenty years has been an inability to concentrate on one thing at a time. Sure, there are many pressing needs in the world, but we are dealing with a situation where things have to be simplified to succeed. What Cindy Sheehan has done is simplify the issues of this war. The rest of us should take that and run with it.
We should not try to insert other issues. Yes, there are people on death row who shouldn’t be there. Yes, we are in danger of losing many of our traditional freedoms. And these are issues we need to address.
But, when something striking happens, something like a woman showing up at the President’s house with a simple yet powerful question, we should take advantage and concentrate on that.
Not only is the media unable to deal with more than spoon-fed information, but many people in America who have questions about this war will be turned off from the growing “Cindy” movement by news stories about her that also trumpet other causes completely–causes these Americans might not agree with.
They will agree with us about Cindy, because the question is so clear.
Let’s fight one battle at a time. We have a possibility for victory, here. Let’s not lose it by charging in seventeen directions at once, making us easy pickings for our foes.
After half-an-hour of listening this afternoon, I turned away, saddened. None of the people at the rally seemed to realize that they were defeating themselves as they talked and cajoled. Instead of a new mass movement against the war, they made it look like this was nothing but a sorry gathering of the same old out-of-step leftists who’ve been trying to get something going ever since the end of the Vietnam War.
[Crossposted on dKos and MyLeftWing].
I’m so so Aaron that you experienced this today. Unfortunately I have been afraid this would happen too. we all have issues and god knows thaere are alot of pressing ones but to tag it/them onto Cindy’s Camp is so out of line. I certainly would have said something. Did anyone speak of Casey or Cindy?
One person did, but he concentrated on Cindy’s use of the words “imperialism” and “impeachment,” using them as a lead-in to a rant about those.
Now, I would like to see an end to American imperialism–and would love it if Bush were impeached.
Right now, though, we have to keep it simple!
And have to keep it to a language that all Americans can understand. They can understand “What is this noble cause?” Let’s keep to that for now.
From that alone can come a national revulsion for this war.
And an end to it.
Absolutely Aaron!!!!
what a shame!!!! someone needed to have cleared the board with all of this nonsense and kept the message simple and straight. What a shame….:o(
Why do people on the left think they can do this? It’s because they’re isolated, marginalized and, like mosquitoes in the deep woods, starved for a meal (of attention).
A lot of this has to do with dishonesty. Not a malicious form of dishonesty, but the kind that comes from the (good and true) message that those on the left tell themselves, which is, “Every little thing you do makes a difference.” They have now come to fancy that every thing they do makes a positive difference. Yes, and every little thing you do can also do harm. That’s the other part of the equation that activists often don’t want to hear about.
When it comes down to it, is the unreality of leftist activists who think that hijacking Cindy Sheehan for their own causes is productive, really all that different from the unreality of Bush and his inner circle who thought that hijacking 9/11 was productive?
I couldn’t make the demonstration today…so I can’t say what happened.
But if they say a picture tells a thousand words…then what do a shitload of picture that show the complete opposite of this diary say?
When you go check out all the wonderful pictures at NYC.Indymedia make sure you notice the tent that says Camp Casey on it.
And…jeez…ain’t you ever been to Union Square park before? There’s always protestors there…protesting against a wide range of things…should they all have been asked to leave so that the entire protest could stay “on point.”
What killed the protest movement in the early 70s wasn’t the dissolution of everyone into single issue groups…it was people who complained that other issues weren’t as important as theirs.
I didn’t see the sign you are talking about, but the speaker said “Camp Cindy” as did signs people were holding. In fact, when I was there (from five to five forty-five) there was no sign on the tent itself at all, just the signs people by it were holding that said “Camp Cindy.”
And I don’t think you get it–or got it.
Were you there in the 1970s? I was. It wasn’t single-issue groups of this sort that killed the left, but the egoism behind the groups that wouldn’t work with each other. They couldn’t get behind one cause, couldn’t put aside their own single issues to concentrate on one. The people who were in Union Square were exactly the sort who killed the left before. It’s not the “single issue” of Cindy Sheehan that will do it now, but idiots who have to bring another agenda into this.
And I have probably spent more time in Union Square than you have. After all, I have been living in NYC (off and on) for 35 years.
And, finally, what do the pictures you saw say that is the “opposite” of what I say? That a “free Palestine” person didn’t speak? That there weren’t 100 people there? Please….