A few small acts have led to a great non-violence tool getting increasingly larger exposure:
Last month I wrote a diary entry on DailyKos while in the Storm Center for Dean volunteers in Des Moines late at night. Two guys I met that evening told me about how earlier in the day Dean supporters fought off a Young Republican assault (they disrupted a Dean rally, ripped up Dean signs, and shoved Joan Jett on stage) by singing the Star Spangled Banner loudly and I thought it was an amazing story that needed to be shared widely:
http://susan.dailykos.com/story/2004/1/18/61328/1232
Today, PaulDem wrote a Kos diary on how he remembered reading this story, and led the gays and lesbians in line for marriage licenses in San Francisco in singing the Star Spangled Banner today. Once again, the Right Wing protesters/interrupters sorta joined in the singing (how can you not?) then left.
Here's PaulDem's diary entry:
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2004/2/20/19147/9315
The AP then picked up PaulDem's story and reported it
http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGAMF1UZWQD.html
with this paragraph: "About 25 anti-gay-marriage protesters later blocked the door of the county clerk's office, lying down in front of the line and singing religious songs. Gays and lesbians responded by belting out "The Star-Spangled Banner" until sheriff's deputies escorted the protesters out. No arrests were made."
I'm really excited that a small act (my posting a story to DailyKos late at night in Des Moines) led to greater exposure to a great tool for non-violent protest (or response to Right Wing protest/interrupters). I don't usually have Buddhist or Gandhi-like experiences; this is probably the closest I've gotten.