Don't be an idiot

I got this e-flyer from a bulletin someone left on myspace. First off let me say that I am very against the war in Iraq; sending teenagers to die for the profits made on a pipeline used to harvest oil is so wrong and so evil that there are no words that can be used to describe just how bad an act it is.

That aside, I don't understand what these people are trying to accomplish by participating in this "Community Speak-Out" (lets just call it what it is, a more organized than usual protest). Maybe I'm just ignorant to the process of this type of event. Maybe if they get enough people in attendance it will somehow get to our representatives in Washington and then a real, valid initiative can begin to stop this ongoing tragedy. If that's what this protest is going to do then I apologize for the rant I am about to inflict upon you.

If I was a betting man, however, I would put my money on this protest serving no other purpose than giving the participants a false sense of accomplishment. By attending this "Speak-Out" they can say to themselves (and anyone else who dares question their actions) "Well, at least I'm doing something about this!"

But just what exactly are they doing? Here's what I think is going to happen on Saturday, January 27 at 2:00 p.m. at the library in downtown Salt Lake City (keep in mind this is only speculation, I have never attended this type of thing; I would prefer to do nothing than to do something that will only get me on some secret government watch list that taps my phone and tracks all my credit card purchases. If I actually thought this protest would help get anything done I might risk all that and attend, however):

A lot of people will show up at the library, already fuming with rage over the war. The moderator will stand up and thank everyone for coming because this is a great cause and blah, blah, blah, blah, empty rhetoric, blah, blah, promise that they are making a difference, blah, blah, blah, no more violence, blah, blah. Then the celebrity speaker Terry Tempest Williams (who, all sarcasm aside, really is a talented writer) will get up and everyone will whisper to each other "That's so great that she is here," "she's so noble for taking on this cause," or "I bet she has a really deep view on this, she's an amazing author," even though no one has any idea who the hell she is. She'll talk for way too long and most people will zone out even though they will try really, really hard to look like they are listening. Then a few Iraq veterans will speak, which will probably be the most moving and valid moments of the whole day. At some point some lady will talk about how her husband or son or brother is in Iraq and how it has affected her life. You can also count on the president of the University of Utah's Muslim Student Association to talk about how not all Muslims are terrorists and how his people are against this war (stuff we all already know but, nonetheless, needs to be said at every single protest or it couldn't really be called a protest). There will be more speakers but they are probably not worth discussing. The meeting will close at which point a lot of the attendees will proceed outside to smoke cigarettes and talk about how great they felt that they were a part of this. Sure, many speakers will preach ways to help end the war but its all been said before and has not shown any results whatsoever.

So, in summary, what will go down is a hell of a lot of talk and no action. Excellent, I was starved for something to write about.

I don't have a method that will work better than this event and I haven't done anything to change what's going on in the Middle East other than cast my vote each and every election day. But I also don't go to things like these and tell myself my attendance will do any bit of good. I'm pretty awesome but not even I am that arrogant.

The last thing I'm going to mention before your prayers are answered and I finally shut up is about Marshall Thompson, one of the people listed to speak at this event. Apparently from the flyer above he is an Iraq veteran who happened to walk across the state of Utah "in call to withdraw U.S. troops." Lets get one thing straight right here and now, he did not walk that far to bring the troops home. No one could be so dumb to think that its actually going to work. He did it to get noticed. Maybe he was genuinely trying to draw attention to his cause but I doubt it. He was probably pissed off, and justifiably so, that he had to go to that shit-hole country for a bogus cause and got little or no appreciation for his sacrifice. So he thought up some scheme to gain some notoriety. Unfortunately for he and his cause I don't think it worked too well. Had you heard of him before reading this blog? That's what I thought. I have already forgotten his name.

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone (but not really). The day that George Bush says "Wait, wait, wait...bring the troops home, people in Utah are gathering in a library and walking across the state in protest of this war," then I will personally get on my knees and kiss the feet of every single person who attends this event and literally offer my most heart felt apology to each and every one. Until that day, however, I will be the first to tell you that it is a waste of time and resources. Why don't you try writing your congressman instead? You're no more likely to get results doing that but at least you won't waste an entire Saturday afternoon.