# Our very own massacree. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 7, 2003, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104 "2003-01-07T04:47:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/41 "2003-01-10T01:12:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jackelope \* > \*\*I think this is an amazingly wonderful idea, and I would LOVE to be a part of it; this is the kind of thing that needs to be done loud and often. Unfortuntely, I’m prohibited by my employer from engaging in any political activity beyond registering and voting. ☹ > > Maybe I’ll quit my job so I can participate… \*\* Heh? You’re military? You can picket and demonstrate, so long as it’s _out_ of uniform and you don’t associate yourself with any branch, or the DoD. If you aren’t military, that seems pretty unconstitutional. Tripler So, what _do_ you do? ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/42 "2003-01-10T01:15:45Z")
Newspaper. Objectivity and all that. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/43 "2003-01-10T02:57:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jackelope \* > \*\*Newspaper. Objectivity and all that. \*\* Aaah, screw them. What do they do, have a ‘Behavior Nazi’ after you? You _are_ entitled to your own opinions after all . . . Tripler Whether you write about them or not is your own business. ---
**Author:** ![Craneop2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6bbea6/32.png) [@Craneop2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Craneop2)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/44 "2003-01-10T05:25:42Z")
Nah!! If we all got together there would be a hundred fist fights before we even got to the parade site!! ---
**Author:** ![Super\_Gnat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Super\_Gnat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Super_Gnat)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/45 "2003-01-10T06:22:00Z")
Whoa, I could _so_ do this! _runs to buy markers and poster board_ Mine (which I didn’t make up, but saw in another thread a long time ago) will say “George Bush is a great president. No, really.” And it’ll be the greatest political poster ever. If it does pull off, I could offer a dorm room floor to one female (preferably college-age) Doper. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/46 "2003-01-10T06:34:07Z")
Well, it’s NATURAL that it would SOUND like a good idea. I mean, think about it. Why are we here? We read The Straight Dope, for one thing. Hell, we READ. We think. We think about weird shit. We communicate. We’re interested in what each other says about whatever. We’re a lively-minded bunch. We hold each other’s attention, and draw each other back. In short… we are not necessarily representative of a cross section of the American public. We’re a selected and selective bunch, for all that we are self-selected, without actually meaning to. And I see us all gathered together in a mob on Pennsylvania Avenue. And I see the Leader Of The Free World, standing in the Oval Office, looking out the window at us. He leans over, and presses a button. “Send in Jones,” he says. The speaker replies “Mr. Smith is today’s briefing officer, sir.” “All right, Smith. Whoever.” The door opens, and in walks a tall man in a suit and mirrorshades. His hair is so impeccable, it might be a carefully carved helmet, rather than the man’s natural hair. A wire runs from his collar to an earplug. A bulge is plainly visible beneath his tailored jacket. “Smith?” asks the President, “what can you tell me about this bunch?” “They’re activists, Mr. President. Organized themselves over the internet, through a message board affiliated with a Chicago news syndicate.” “Corporate?” asks the President. “No, sir. Just a bunch of private citizens.” “Are they lobbyists or something?” “No, Mr. President.” “Are they rich? Are they in charge of anything? Affiliated with any major political machinery? Members of any recognized groups or special interests?” “Not that we can determine, Mr. President.” “They’re just a bunch of Americans with signs who are bright enough to know how to use the Internet?” “It would seem so, Mr. President.” “Then it’s safe to pretty much ignore them?” “I think so, Mr. President.” “Well, that’s good. Now, about this Saddam Hussein thing…” ---
**Author:** ![Alma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@Alma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alma)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/47 "2003-01-10T07:41:23Z")
To me this would end up seeming more like performance art than demonstration, either of which I’m for. **jackelope** , perhaps you could use that explanation. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 9:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/48 "2003-01-10T09:23:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lard2000 \* > \*\*To me this would end up seeming more like performance art than demonstration, either of which I’m for. **jackelope** , perhaps you could use that explanation. \*\* Not a bad thought; it had occurred to me also that this is mainly performance art, since the purpose is not to show by force of numbers that some specific action ought be taken by the gov’t, but to get out and show that a bunch of people can really dig each other even though–or because–they differ so wildly in their beliefs. I’m halfway convincing myself. I’ve got a friend who lives up there; I guarantee he’d be into it. And he would probably film it for us too. If I decide not to go, would someone kindly carry two signs, one with their own slogan and one for me reading, “Sorry I can’t make it; will someone carry my sign for me?” ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/49 "2003-01-10T13:08:56Z")
Or, perhaps your sign could say, “I only came for the beer.” Or: “I am not with these people, it’s just an incredible coincidence.” Or, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” Tris ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/50 "2003-01-10T16:07:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lucretia \* > \*\*In the meantime, I’ll be trying to come up with a catchy slogan for a pro-life, pro-military Libertarian atheist. \*\* “Birth 'em here, kill 'em abroad, God won’t sort 'em out”? I’m in for the beer and suchlike afterwards, but I’m busy enough around here in the protests where we actuallly agree on the issue at hand. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/51 "2003-01-10T18:13:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Olentzero \* > \*\*“Birth 'em here, kill 'em abroad, God won’t sort 'em out”? > \*\* Well, I’m thinking more along the lines of “Let 'em live, so they can defend freedom against theocracy”, but hey, thanks for the suggestion! ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/52 "2003-01-10T18:37:44Z")
How about a fun cartoon? “Hey, Joe, I hear you just turned 18! Go register for the National Draft!” “Yeah, I just turned 18, so I can now die thousands of miles away from my country. And in another three years, I’ll be allowed to drink alcohol.” Okay, so it doesn’t really apply to **Lucretia** ’s cause (much, anyway), but it’s one of the things I’ve been considering, along with “Bullying is assault too” and “The Christian Right is Neither”. Have I mentioned I’ve not yet found a political platform with which I completely agree?😉 ---
**Author:** ![phantomdiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b5e925/32.png) [@phantomdiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantomdiver)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/53 "2003-01-10T19:20:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by fizzestothetop, except that it was really iampunha, but who cares \* > If I were trying to make this as loud and obvious a march as I could, I would honestly try to hit both the US Supreme Court Building, some parts of Georgetown University (and surrounding metro stations), and The Mall. I agree with you on the Supremes, but Georgetown and Metro??? What’s the point? And anyway there _are_ no Metro stations near GU. > [@](#): > > Start at the Metro, because it’s easy to get to. Have some of the metro-savvy dopers lead various groups through different color metro lines (the orange and red run perpendicular to each other in some areas, IIRC) and meet up at, like, Metro Center. I’m up for being a Metro-savvy Doper. > [@](#): > > I’ll email my mother (remember, folks, this is **punha** posting. B’s asleep:)) and ask her what route the pro-life march takes every year, as it’s relatively easy to navigate and goes past, among other things, the US Supreme Court. Oh, shoot, you would ask that, wouldn’t you? It’s Something & Constitution. I think. There’s a funny-looking little stone house. And it’s right across from the Big Pencil. Okay, I’ve looked it up, and I’m pretty sure that Feminists for Life and the Pro-Life Alliance of Gays and Lesbians meets at the northwest corner of 15th & Constitution NW. Then all the pro-lifers march down Constitution, up Capital Hill, and up to the front steps of the Supreme Court, where policemen are wearing their full regalia to protect the Supremes from monks and homeschooling moms and dangerous folks like that. And that’s very close to the Capital South Metro, whence one can either go home or find a nice ::sneezeChinese:: restaurant. I don’t think anybody could get a license to close Constitution for several hours so that Dopers could march. It’d have to be a sidewalk thing. I think I’ll carry a sign that says “Read Books, Not Signs.” ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/54 "2003-01-11T06:14:11Z")
Ooh fun! Count me in. It would be better to do it closer to summertime, or in the sumemr, if that’s possible. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 8:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/55 "2003-01-11T08:38:55Z")
**Green bean** Obviously you have not spent many summers walking around in DC. Much less actually trying to locate a Congresscritter at that time of the year. They migrate. I am **not** doing a “close the street” demonstration permit, man. Those suckers cost money! I mean big bucks, and lots of questions. If this sucker gets much larger, I am gonna check out the possibility of the “Incredible Coincidence” defense, and not getting licenses. Do ya think? No, actually, Monday morning I will be calling around to find out where to get, and which must be got type of answers about permits. I figure thirty people, so far, as a guestimate. I will skim the thread Sunday night, and post a definite, maybe, possibly list, and we can start dogging down the date from there. I am very strongly leaning to an early May time frame, given the desire not too share the traffic of Cherry Blossoms. Without blossoms, April is not nice enough weather wise. One of the questions that I was asked off line was how likely was it that we would draw a counter demonstration. I really had to think about that one. I finally decided **we** were a counter demonstration. We are demonstrating against all the people who _aren’t_ demonstrating. Everyone else who happens to be out that day is on our side! So, outspoken rhetoricians of the world, step forward! You have nothing to loose but your . . . uh, . . . your, . . . your obscurity! That’s it! Hmmmmmm. In some of our cases, even that’s not at risk. Tris ---
**Author:** ![iampunha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/74df32/32.png) [@iampunha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iampunha)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/56 "2003-01-11T16:58:37Z")
As Johnny **Ringo** (;)) said not too long ago, I’d lost my obscurity by the time I hit my thousandth post. That is, for anyone who didn’t recognize me running through threads naked. ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/57 "2003-01-11T18:14:34Z")
I’m there. Now all I need is a cause… ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/58 "2003-01-13T04:59:01Z")
My read on this so far is: Definitely willing: Triskadecamus AHunter3 punha Lucretia Joe\_Cool RTFirefly erislover CasperQ NoClueBoy (needs a clue about the Capitol, and the Capital) welby Super Gnat phantomdiver Green Bean (but wants to sweat a lot) Emilio Lizardo Interested: Eonwe Zoe Derleth ultrafilter FordPrefect Mamapotomus Mr. & Mrs xenophon41 Ethilrist seal\_clubber Mangetout Tripler Interested with caveats: Happyheathen (flame thrower and Barry Switzer, and family) Stofsky (only interested in Barry Switzer) Munch (singing) Gartog (the ocean) Cosmopolitan (cripple) Coileán (wants more beer, doesn’t mind the ocean.) Scuba\_Ben (Is it kosher? And what about the flowers?) Cisco (reality issues) Michael Ellis (no textile crafts) Jackelope (press weenie) Wang-Ka (busy having delu . . . er . . . fantasies) Olentzero (beer only) Hot Damn. I officially declare this a movement! If you want your name moved around on the list, then say so. If you want help, ask. Now everyone choose: April, in time to see the Cherry Blossoms, and a whole lot of toursist, and traffic. April, but after that crap is over. May, but early in the month, before it gets hot. May, but later in the month, because I like hot. June, I am a masochist, and really want to sweat. July: (I’m not coming, get yourself a new grand marshal) Also choose: Weekend Weekend, or I can’t come. Weekday Weekday, or I can’t come. (Demonstrating on weekends involves talking to an empty office building.) Don’t forget, You are responsible for arranging to speak with your own representative. (Furriners can go talk to their embassy, I suppose.) After the talk time, we walk away from the Congress, and I suppose, down to the general direction of the Supreme Court, The White House, and some places that have good beer and food. Route planner is evidently Going to be **phantomdiver** since she is such an old hand at this sort of thing. If I walk more than a mile, I want a chair waiting for me at the other end. (“Old fat guys of the world, sit down!”) Tris ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/59 "2003-01-13T06:35:35Z")
Who you callin’ a press weenie? Oh, me? Oh, OK then. Seriously, I’ve decided this is performance art and not political activity, and therefore does not violate my contract of employment (please do not correct me). I’m even ready to take a couple of vacation days for it, so call me committed. I’ve got a buddy up that way I need to visit as well, so I’ll make it a real vacation. He’s not a Doper, or much of a Web person at all, but I guarantee he’d be interested. And he’ll bring a wicked sign, probably written in Greek. Re. the timing: I hate tourists, but have no problem with hot and humid - I live in Memphis. Weekday, preferably early in the week, is my choice, since I don’t want to do this without maybe getting to see some real live Congressvolken, or maybe a Supreme or two. I’ll be sure to alert Harold Ford Jr., my representative. And Bill Frist and Lamar Alexander while I’m at it. I swear, this is the coolest idea I’ve ever heard. And that comes from a man who attended [Arenacross](http://www.arenacross.com) this morning. ---
**Author:** ![Lucretia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@Lucretia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucretia)\ **Post date:** [January 13, 2003, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104/60 "2003-01-13T11:52:35Z")
I vote for early to mid May. I agree that a weekday would be best for this sort of activity, but my schedule that far out is a big unknown, so I have no idea if I can come or not. If I am off, though, I am definitely there. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/our-very-own-massacree/147104.md?page=4)