Ten Reasons For Oklahomans To Protest Bush

(The protest against Bush will run from 8 a.m. to noon at the corner of Athletic Avenue and Hester Street, just southwest of the stadium in Stillwater. Click here for more information.)

Here are ten reasons why you should attend the protest against President George Bush in Stillwater on Saturday morning. Bush is giving the commencement address at Oklahoma State University.

(1) The imperial Bush lied this country into a botched war, sanctioned torture of people in American custody, and ordered illegal wiretapping of American citizens. All of these acts are impeachable offenses, and they threaten our democratic structures. By attending the protest, you will tell the world you reaffirm American democracy and will hold American politicians accountable.

(2) You need to attend the protest so your children and future children can live in a democracy of checks and balances, not a quasi-fascist theocracy led by people who do not believe in science. This is a presidential administration that does not believe in global warming and wants schools to teach neocreationism. This is an administration that wants to dictate your lifestyle and how you can express yourself. This is an administration that wants to get into your personal life and tell you how you should live and what you can believe.

(3) This president has turned the country into one of the most detested and reviled nations in the world because of his unilateral, violent foreign policies. Your presence at the protest will show the world not everyone believes in Bush’s immoral policies, which have led to the death of thousands upon thousands of innocent people. We can say to the world,” We are not all Bushbots in Oklahoma.” This will give hope to the civilized world.

(4) It is not often Oklahoma progressives and liberals get such a large stage for a protest. Certainly, the local, conservative mainstream media—The Daily Oklahoman, for example—will downplay the protest Saturday no matter how many people show up. But the national media will be there as well. By attending the protest, you will make a statement that Oklahoma does contain people who read and think and are a part of the “reality-based” community. We can get decent national coverage if we show up in enough numbers, and this can send a powerful message to the rest of the country. If we can speak out in Oklahoma of all places, then it will make more people in all red states less afraid to speak up. You attendance at the protest will make a huge difference.

(5) It will be easy and fun to attend the peaceful protest. It runs from 8 a.m. to noon southwest of the stadium on the corner of Athletic Avenue and Hester Street. Bush speaks at the commencement at 10 a.m. You can come early and leave early. The point is not to disrupt any graduation ceremonies, but to show there is a thriving movement, even in the so-called heartland, against Bush and his cronies. Protestors will remain respectful of OSU’s graduates, but, rest assured, many of those graduates are not pleased Bush is speaking at the commencement.

(6) You will be making history by attending the protest. You will be part of a growing grassroots movement in this country that wants to bring accountability and sanity back to the executive branch of our federal government. You will then hold and treasure this memory forever. This can be a story you tell your children and grandchildren in future years. Bring your cameras. You will want to record this moment.

(7) You can network with other progressives and liberals from throughout the state. Maybe you can find an organization that expresses your views. Maybe you can start an organization with others who want to reaffirm democracy in today’s turbulent times. Maybe you can find your role in the democracy’s drama on Saturday. Maybe you can just show up, and this will be the only act of protest you ever take. But you will definitely meet others who share your vision.

(8) You can create a sign that shows your biggest, individual concern with the Bush administration. Maybe it is the immoral Iraq war. Maybe it is Bush’s lack of regard for the environment. Maybe it is illegal wiretapping. Maybe it is the torture issue. Maybe it is the assault on reproductive rights and science. Maybe it is Republican corruption in Washington. Maybe it is growing, right-wing, religious fundamentalism, which is promoted by this administration for partisan politics. Maybe it is Bush’s fiscal irresponsibility. Maybe it is rising gasoline prices and living expenses. Maybe it is the tax cuts that favor millionaires over ordinary, middle-class Americans. Whatever the case, you can express your personal and individual views within a supportive community. Even if you do not create your own sign, and that is fine, you can express yourself clearly and specifically to those who agree with you.

(9) You can exercise the time-honored tradition of dissent and freedom of speech in this country. This country’s current government was founded on dissent and protest. The country’s founders had events like Saturday’s protest in mind when they formed the government. The idea was to stop monarchal tyranny and allow for real representation of people. Speak out. It is what Thomas Jefferson would have wanted.

(10) Although you live in the reddest of red states, you can attend the protest knowing that a vast majority of people in the country and throughout the world agree with you. Bush’s approval rating is down in this country to 32 or 33 percent in some polls, and his policies are despised throughout the world. When you show up Saturday, you will be speaking a majority, logical and intelligent view. Show the world America can once again become a beacon of democracy and opportunity. Show the world by showing up.