When we talk about citizen action at FireDogLake, we mean meetings with officeholders, FAXes and phonecalls to our 'critters, finding them when they make a public appearance ("Hello, Dianne? It's me, Teddy!"), and signing petitions organized by our allies in the fight to make our government honest, responsive, and accountable.

And there is no doubt we have been extraordinarily effective.  We have changed the narrative and changed votes in the Senate and the House.  There would not be a FISA debate if our citizen actions had not happened. 

But there was once a different kind of citizen action called Direct Action.  With one foot in community organizing ("we've got to DO SOMETHING!") and the other in street theatre ("this'll make them sit up and take notice!") Direct Action was incredible empowering for those who participated.  It wasn't as organized and permitted as a March-with-a-capital-M.  It wasn't as easy as sending a FAX or writing an email.  But it was unwelcome in the extreme -- and in some cases, it made folks pay attention.  Direct Action (usually) didn't cause much harm if done in a way not to cause backlash, and thus sympathy, for the intended target.

The idea was to make someone look silly, or wrong, or evil.

I think it's important to recognize there are still examples of Direct Action in America.  It's harder to do nowadays, that's for sure.  I can't imagine someone climbing up on a sitting US Senator's house and unfurling a giant condom.  And, just for the record, I am not advocating that you do.  

In the proto-surveillance state, with police powers vastly expanded, these efforts are much more difficult to pull off, but Americans always seem to find a way to speak their minds -- and attract the attention of the media when doing so. Here's a demonstration that shut down a Washington, DC, branch of Citibank over their funding of Big Coal.

Here's another great example, from last year, of Connecticut activists protesting -- and being arrested -- at the State Capitol because they refuse to leave the building in their attempt to meet with Governor Jodi Rell about universal health care.  Even though our Constitution guarantees Americans the right to seek redress of grievances -- and there's a multi-billion-dollar lobbying industry based on that clause! -- it seems the police powers can always be brought to bear when the afflicted are made uncomfortable. Or when too many citizens show up to meet with their elected representatives.

Finally, I have to share this incredibly disturbing example of how a Boston group brought the horrors of war home to a local Armed Forces Recruiting Center.  The images are not for the squeamish, but I think that is exactly what folks attempted to accomplish, more than three years ago.

Especially noteworthy are the expressions on the faces of Americans who are very upset at the images of occupation brought right in front of them, just next door to the Blockbuster Video in Roslindale, Massachusetts.  We like our wars at a distance, please, whether inflicted on our own servicemembers and their families or the families of those we have "liberated."

So what does democracy look like in your community this weekend?

{YouTube "TAG Helms" courtesy of bobinevu}

{YouTube "Action at Citibank" courtesy of RANVideo}

{YouTube "Direct Action at State Capitol for Universal Health Care" courtesy of Homefront}

{YouTube "Military Recruiter Bloodbath" courtesy of pixilatedpirate}