I'm prone to Walter Mitty fantasies. Today I had a good one: ten thousand people around the White House with pots, pans, drums... and eviction papers. The police came and started arresting people, but an hour later, reinforcements arrived in the form of 10,000 more drummers saying, "We're here to be heard, and we're going to be here 24 hours a day until you hear us! Our message: Get the F*&# out of our house!" More people arrived each hour, eventually engulfing their house in a thundrous shroud of rhythm, telling its current tenants to scram. The National Guard was called in, but being citizens themselves, many were overcome by the joyous occasion and joined in the festivities.
It was non-violent (except for the cops in the first few hours who were clubbing a few people, spraying tear gas and the like), creative, naughty, joyful, empowering -- quite a spectacle. Too bad it was just a fantasy.
Then I thought to myself, "Why not? Why shouldn't something like this happen?" Sure, it would take a lot of organization. Sure, it would take a lot of people willing to get gassed and arrested. Sure, people would think it crazy, but people thought the idea of national parks was crazy once upon a time. They thought the idea of a standardized weekend was crazy. They thought giving women and minorities the vote was crazy. I'm sure many thought the Boston Tea Party and the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights were crazy ideas. Every progressive idea since the capture of fire has been seen as crazy. Crazy ideas have been the single most powerful force of human progress.
At this point in history, we don't have the luxury of waiting it out passively. The stakes are too high. We need to get off our asses and make things happen in the real world. Blogging is great, but it alone won't save the republic or the world. Protesting in a pen isn't going to do it. Masses of brave people undertaking fun, creative actions just might. Leveraging the brilliance of the jury system and filling the jails (temporarily) with people willing to go to trial for their civic dedication just might.
Please feel free to add your own creative ideas/fantasies for real-world action below. If you're serious and want to help organize something, contact me here. I don't want any part of any action that's not fun, though, or of violence. Let's have a dance dance revolution!