NUDE GIRLS! Warhol & Rothko at SFMOMA. citizenkane@castro. As I was walking around San Francisco last week, my eyes barely noted most of the thousands of neon signs, banners and other postings of information covering the city. One placard, seen over and over stapled to wooden poles, caught my attention. Declaring "the real elections are in the streets," it urged passersby to "Protest Bush's Inauguration."
I stood looking at the sign in bemusement. When I hear about protests, I'm inclined to think, Right on! and Fight the Power! and other such positive and protest-affirming thoughts. This particular sign, however, gave me pause. Not out of fondness for our incoming Commander in Chief, but because it is inappropriate to protest the inauguration of the next president of the United States.
The festivities this week, culminating in Saturday's inauguration of George W. Bush, celebrate more than his induction into office. The inaugural is supposed to celebrate the American presidency; we should not say "no" to that purpose.
Protesting shows a lack of grace, courtesy and respect for the office of the presidency - which should be separated from respect for the particular individual occupying the Oval Office.
Wendy Hyatt, along with several other University students, plans to attend the protests in Washington, DC. She cited a range of concerns, including: "disgruntled Democrats who believe the election was unjust and mishandled ... those [who] also believe George Bush is a very bad man whose politics are and should be frightening." She added that those who cannot attend the protest might wear a black armband on Saturday to show disapproval of the new president and solidarity with the protesters.
Although the surge of political activism is promising, activists lose some of the force of outrage by protesting promiscuously. Political activism is a fine thing, especially after election season, when politics recedes to the background of the public mind, which presumably now will be dominated by fresh episodes of "Survivor." But activism should be done judiciously, not as a knee-jerk reaction. There are a mish-mash of causes listed as reasons to protest: the death penalty, political prisoners, women's and gay rights, the environment, and beleaguered Palestinians, Iraqis, Cubans and Puerto Ricans. These varied issues reduce the impact of the protest on the average American to "there go those radicals again."
Protesting will not be effective with such a variety of causes. Coming out in force for specific issues such as the confirmation hearings draws more useful attention than does a mass of people who are shouting out a dozen different slogans. This is all First Amendment-protected political speech, but the difference is like that between an articulate statement and a hopelessly mumbled roar.
Keep in mind all the protesting we'll be doing for the next four years. With candidates like John Ashcroft and Gale Norton for Cabinet positions, and fresh absurdities certain to be offered every day, comedy writers and non-conservatives will be very busy. As Hyatt noted, "Bush's nominations [are] just as critical if not more critical than his own induction."
If you do go to DC this Saturday, consider doing something other than protesting. Have a picnic on the Mall and show your support for Puerto Rico by not booing Ricky Martin. See "Hope, Faith, Freedom: Music from the Civil Rights Movement" at the Kennedy Center. Take a rest. Monday is another day, with more people to convince, one by one, of the importance of your cause. Be sure that your political action truly will make a difference.
(Pallavi Guniganti's column appears Fridays in The Cavalier Daily.)
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