Are you one of the many hundreds of people out there in America planning to bring a sign like this to the Republican convention in New York? Do you have mud-caked dreadlocks? Do you plan on dressing like a clown? Do you plan on demonstrating topless?
If so, I'd like to have a few words with you.
First of all, I don´t care if you dress like a clown under normal circumstances.
I don't even care whether you, male or female, like to run around topless. In fact, it is perfectly legal for women to walk about the streets of New York City without a shirt on, as long as they are not promoting any sort of commercial endeavor.
The Republican convention, however, will not be a normal circumstance. It is going to be one of the highest-visibility political events of many years and one that the media will be reporting on very intensely, with an eye toward big, controversial stories.
Media bias against the Democrats is now so thick and so institutionalized that you can bet one of the big dramas being story-boarded in editorial offices right now is how to "handle" demonstrations at the convention.
Considering the incredible amount of scrutiny that events outside the convention are going to receive in the media and in the public eye, I have some recommendations for you regarding your plans for this September in New York:
1. If you are not from New York City, stay home. If you need to "protest" on that day, take your Free Mumia signs and your marijuana legalization symbols out to a public place in your town and put them on display.
2. If you are not from New York City, stay home. Sorry, but that deserves repeating a second time.
3. If you must come to New York, please understand the following:
Because of the geography of Manhattan, the number of tall buildings and the sheer number of people on the streets every day, your attempts at "visibility" will not be effective. You will only be visible to TV cameras, who will use footage of you to work against Democrats and John Kerry in the news.
There was a very large anti-war demonstration early in 2003, in which several hundred thousand people marched down one avenue in Manhattan. They were, beyond that one avenue, completely invisible to the rest of the city. People who did not live or work along the demonstration route did not see the demonstration.
No one else cared.
Also, any attempts to "shut down the convention" or "shut down Manhattan" will fail. Billions of dollars in business that are essential for the economic livelihood of the country are conducted in this city every day. This activity is so essential that the city and the government will spare no use of force in preventing you from disrupting it.
4. If you are from New York, stay away from the locations used for the convention. Instead, spend time in a way that matters, like with your family, doing volunteer work, going about your daily business, or -- if nothing else -- political blogging.
5. If you must make a public statement about what is going on in our country, make plans to go to Boston to support our guy. Why not demonstrate your support for something there?
If you want a wild street party, the Democratic convention is exactly the right place to do it. If you want to dress like a clown, parade around naked or espouse fringe ideas, go for it there.
Personally, I think that a street celebration and demonstration of support for our candidate at the convention sounds like a lot of fun ... Certain more fun (and more effective) than being disruptive in New York.
6. It's time to be honest with yourself about what your goals are in protesting the convention. Do you want political change? Or do you just want to draw attention to yourself by acting out for a day?
Do you care what the consequences of your actions are? If so and you are planning on "demonstrating" at the Republican convention in New York, you really must examine your plans and see if they are going to produce the kind of results that you want from this process.