According to Jeff Feldman of
Frameshop: "In the age of 24-hour cable media, it is far more effective to think of a protest in terms of one person's picture reproduced a million times in the media, than to think of a protest in terms of a picture of one million people shown only once in the media".
Using the so called 'Pink Slip' demonstration as a model, I came up with a 'Help Wanted' Ad protest. It's available on my blog'Help Wanted'Protest Ideas.
It would be wonderful if we could use this idea and organize an anti-war protest during Bush's commencement addresses. See: this diary.
I did some research on
Iraq coalition casualties and came up with a 'Help Wanted' Ad based on
actual accounts of people who lost their lives doing various jobs in Iraq. Using newspaper obituaries, company profiles, and other publications (ie.
Dale Stoffel's death is apparently still under FBI investigation due to his whistle-blowing activities), I summarized the individual's job description as well as events leading to their death in Iraq.
I was hoping to organize a protest after graduation ceremonies (High School or College), when parents/students are leaving school grounds ala "Pink Slip" Protest. Standing in various parking lots, carrying 'Help Wanted' signs with the words 'Dying in Iraq is not a Job Opportunity,' subtly reminding parents and recent graduates of the abysmal economic conditions (job prospects) here at home; relating that to actual accounts of people who accepted lucrative jobs in a dangerous war zone, and eventually died there.
For those interested in using this image as part of a 'peace protest', attached to my blog is a pdf of the Ad. While I recognized that parents may not want to have their children's graduation marred by protests -- I believe that graduation time would create the most memorable impact, since both parents and students are focussed on future career options (or lack thereof) etc.
If you know of an organization that would be interested in staging such a protest, please pass on this information.
Any suggestions for improvement / changes would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
[Update] I was also thinking of making a similar ad with one actual Walmart job opening, surrounded by three Halliburton jobs. Under the Walmart Ad, I was planning to end with, QUOTE:
Year after year, Wal-Mart's low pay and meager employee benefits force hundreds of thousands of employees to resort to Medicaid, food stamps, and public housing. Call it the "Wal-Mart Tax." And it costs you $1.5 billion in federal tax dollars every year.
Check here for additional protest ideas.