Win in 2004 by Progressives taking BACK the American Flag
By Ken Wilber, Rockville Maryland OpEdNews.com June 30, 2003
Dear Fellow Progressives,
We the Progressives, have got to take the American flag back and redefine it as a symbol of civil liberties and true freedom, rather than the current right wing definition of the flag as a symbol of unquestioning obedience, and justification for invading other countries with unprovoked attacks.
Please bear with me for a moment, for I have a very specific proposal on How to do this.
The ceaseless waving of the American Flag is the main symbolic strength and action that the Right Wing is using to hide it's extremism behind, and to drum up support from frightened, ignorant Americans, who fear terrorism and who are only too willing to believe what the Government tells them, in a misguided notion that the Government will protect them.
However, We can, and must, hurt the Right Wing by taking their strongest symbol back from them.
Please remember this :
- The American Flag was created by Rebels It was a symbol of Rebellion against Tyranny and Colonialism, and was created by people, who for all their faults, were forward looking people who believed in Democracy and who created, at that time, what was then the most progressive political union in the world. We cannot continue to allow a government to claim as it's symbol a Flag that was originally created to represent the very freedoms, Constitution, and Bill of Rights that this same government is trying it's utmost to destroy.
If we are to defeat Bush in 2004, we must show that WE, as Jackson Browne once said, are the Patriots, and here is my specific proposal, that I ask you to consider with an open mind ;
- The main organizers of the peace movement, Move on, United for Peace, Win without War, etc. need to urge our fellow Protesters to bring large American Flags with them when we protest the Republican National Convention in New York City next year.
We all know for a fact that the NYC police department will be out in full force and will certainly use brutal tactics against us.
However, we also all know how the brutality of the Chicago Police Force at the Democratic Convention in 1968, sealed the then pro-war Democrats doom, and paved the way for a Republican Presidency.
Well my friends, next year is the time for History to Repeat Itself, but with a role reversal.
How do you think it will look, when the NYC Police Department is beating up protesters who are flying the American Flag as their symbol of Liberty ?
Do you remember the old phrase we shouted : 'The Whole World is Watching !
Even with our corporate controlled media, the foreign media will be there, to record what happens at the Republican Convention.
And The Democrats will certainly be there, with our Video Cameras, recording the police beating up people waving American Flags.
Which will make excellent TV campaign commercials against Bush in 2004.
If we reclaim the American Flag as a symbol of what it originally was, and was meant to be, that of a symbol of Freedom against tyranny, and we display that symbol, with our Peace signs and Protest signs of course as well, then when the NYC Police Department attacks us, as they inevitably will, the Republican National Convention of 2004, will be a remake of the Democratic Convention of 1968.
But this will only succeed if a large percentage of the Protesters, say 25 to 33 % bring large American Flags with them.
And that will only happen if your organizations get behind this effort. Our mantra for the Republican Convention of 2004, should be the same that it was for 1968 ; "The Whole World is watching."
We need to turn the media focus of the convention in our favor, by taking back that most powerful of all American symbols, the American Flag , to it's rightful owner, the American Progressives.
Then when the inevitable Police brutality is shown throughout the world, beating up on American citizens flying American flags, the Republicans will reap the consequences, in the same way that the Democrats did in 1968.
While this may seem like an unorthodox tactic, I believe that an open minded objective consideration of it, will show that this tactic will greatly help the Peace movement, and will help defeat Bush in 2004.
Let's start taking Back America, by taking back the symbol of America, from the ignorant anti-freedom extremists who are debasing it.
Please consider this proposal, and get your organizations behind it.
Peace & Victory in 2004,
Ken Wilber Kenwilber@aol.com Rockville MD.
