Would anyone like to organize a Flag Washing protest ?

Harland,

  With the exception of the "well dressed" part, this sounds like a terrific idea. (I think work clothes, or the kind of minimal attire you'd wear to a car wash, would be more comfortable and practical.)

  This also presents an opportunity to collaborate with various ethnic communities who might wish to hold their own flag-washings in conjunction with the LP. (I assume you had an American flag in mind to be washed). For example, the Free Tibet people might join us to wash a Chinese communist flag and recite a list of grievances relating to human rights abuses and lack of democracy in Tibet. Iranian dissidents might do the same thing for the flag of Iran (I've seen them holding a well-attended candle-lit protest here in SF). Last year the local Vietnamese community was up in arms over the Board of Supervisors' decision to cancel a resolution honoring the South Vietnamese flag. The boneheaded supes had inadvertently passed the measure without realizing it was the flag of the anti-communist government that fell during the Vietnam War. But most local Vietnamese are anti-communist, and might enjoy the opportunity to wash the flag of the current government of Vietnam while reciting its many shortcomings.

  I think some advance work to dirty the flags up with mud and such would also be in order, so that the activists can be seen to be making the flags noticeably cleaner. We could even declare an "International Flag-Washing Day" and encourage other groups to engage in similar actions elsewhere around the world.

Yours in liberty,
            <<< Starchild >>>
        Outreach Director, Libertarian Party of San Francisco

All these ideas are very creative.

We are not sure how this relates to the counter-protest we are
organizing. We will be marching with those who oppose global Islamo-
fascist terror and Socialist class warfare.

If anyone is interested, on Wednesday night, during the 6 to 8 pm
block Aleks will be having her second radio appearance with Brian
Sussmann on KSFO 560 AM.

This will be a large event, no matter who's side you are on. The
Russian Jewish Community has put a lot of energy and money to
organize this counter-rally. We will be joined by other groups
betrayed by Islamist terrorism. We firmly believe we are on the side
of Liberty and hope you join us, but we are not going to change the
focus of our efforts.

Aleksandra & Robert Fliegler

Harland,

  With the exception of the "well dressed" part, this sounds

like a

terrific idea. (I think work clothes, or the kind of minimal attire
you'd wear to a car wash, would be more comfortable and practical.)

  This also presents an opportunity to collaborate with various

ethnic

communities who might wish to hold their own flag-washings in
conjunction with the LP. (I assume you had an American flag in mind

to

be washed). For example, the Free Tibet people might join us to

wash a

Chinese communist flag and recite a list of grievances relating to
human rights abuses and lack of democracy in Tibet. Iranian

dissidents

might do the same thing for the flag of Iran (I've seen them

holding a

well-attended candle-lit protest here in SF). Last year the local
Vietnamese community was up in arms over the Board of Supervisors'
decision to cancel a resolution honoring the South Vietnamese flag.

The

boneheaded supes had inadvertently passed the measure without

realizing

it was the flag of the anti-communist government that fell during

the

Vietnam War. But most local Vietnamese are anti-communist, and

might

enjoy the opportunity to wash the flag of the current government of
Vietnam while reciting its many shortcomings.

  I think some advance work to dirty the flags up with mud and

such

would also be in order, so that the activists can be seen to be

making

the flags noticeably cleaner. We could even declare

an "International

Flag-Washing Day" and encourage other groups to engage in similar
actions elsewhere around the world.

Yours in liberty,
            <<< Starchild >>>
        Outreach Director, Libertarian Party of San

Francisco

>> As you all know, the International A.N.S.W.E.R. is having a

rally to

>> commemorate the first anniversary of the war in Iraq. They are
>> running a
>> National wave of rallies titled END COLONIAL OCCUPATION FROM

IRAQ TO

>> PALESTINE.
>
> Would anyone like to organize a "flag washing" under a

Libertarian

> party
> banner on March 20? Last year, a flag washing protest in Lima

Peru

> made
> network news here! The idea is to wash the flag instead of

burning it:

>
> *Well dressed people raise the sponsor's banner, in this case the

LP.

>
> *An announcer begins the narration of what they are doing and why.
>
> *The participants take off their coats and roll up their sleeves.
>
> *The narrator begins to enumerate grievances against the

government,

> the dirt, bloodstains, oil stains, and gunpowder, soiling the

flag,

> (eg the Patriot Act; the monstrous deficit; pre-emptive war; no-

bid

> contracts; duct tape, plastic sheets, and small-pox vaccine,

instead of

> real protection; Information Awareness Office; School of the

Americas;

> US troops protecting Japan; Draconian drug laws; bad schools; etc

etc)

>
> *As the narration continues, the participants bring a large

container

> of water (an old-fashion washtub and washboard would be

wonderful!),

> unfurl a flag, and start scrubbing, scrubbing, scrubbing. They

take

> turns scrubbing while the list is read over and over again, until
> every camera has gotten a good shot.
>
> *Then the announcer starts to explain how the sponsor's

administration,

> (a Libertarian government) will be so much better. (eg lower

taxes;

> peace; privacy; secure borders; fewer AIDs cases; no

fingerprinting

> to see Carnaval in Rio; etc etc)
>
> *The participants wring out the flag, attach it with clothespins
> to a rope, and stretch out their clothesline. Then they put

their

> coats back on, hand out contact literature, and carry the

clothesline

Aleksandra & Rob,

  I overlooked the part of Harland's message suggesting this as an activity specifically for March 20, so my ideas were not intended to be relevant to the protests on that date. While I'm not suggesting anyone drop their existing plans, a large public demonstration like the one planned for the 20th is likely to draw more attention to a flag-washing event than such an action might receive otherwise, so I would be amenable to participating in such an action on Friday. During the protests against U.S. military involvement in Iraq last year, protesters promoting various other causes as part of the larger demonstration were very much in evidence.

Yours in liberty,
          <<< Starchild >>>