198 More Sundays: If We Take To The Streets We Can Beat K-Street

Jeannette Rankin is a hero of Ericka's and mine, and a major inspiration ("mascot" seems wrong) for GMCP (look to your right!).  The first female Member of Congress, a leader in the suffrage movement, she became a devotee of MLK in the Civil Rights/Vietname War era.  In January of 1968 she led 5000 women in the Rankin Brigade to confront Congress and famously said, "If we had 10,000 mothers willing to go to prison, we could end this war."

I wonder what it would be like if we formed a new Health Brigade to fight for single-payer.  Perhaps the Brigade could kick things off with a day of action after some low-level electronic lobbying leading up to Obama's HCR summit. 

I was thinking March 15--the anniversary of LBJ's "we shall overcome" speech to Congress--which is a Monday, so Congressional offices in DC and every district will be open for business (in my experience the Members aren't usually around on Mondays, but staff are).  Maybe call it Operation Dignity, or Operation Hope, or Operation Health, or Operation Single-Payer, or Operation Something Else People More Clever Than NTodd Can Come Up With.

Whatever the name, I have in mind three Methods the Health Brigade could employ.  First, 15. Group lobbying:

Lobbying in the sense of personal visits to a parliamentary representative by his constituent in an effort to influence his voting in the parliament or assembly is normally simply a verbal expression of opinion.  When does as a group action, however, lobbying becomes a form of corporate nonviolent action, because in addition to persuasion of the legislator, the gathering of a fairly large group of people in order to lobby itself becomes a demonstration.  This may take the form of small group lobbying when a series of individuals or groups in moderate numbers on one occasion, or over a period of time, or on several occassions visit their representatives in an effort to influence them...Or lobbying may be organized to focus on getting very large numbers on a particular day.  This is mass lobbying.

Let's say there were roughly 5000 people nationwide who went to their Reps' and Senators' offices in-district.  Maybe 10 people dedicated to single-payer--we had 16 people in teeny Vermont show up at Peter Welch's office in August--at each office to request a meeting with staff to discuss HCR.  That would be at least 5350 citizens (I know some Senators, like our dear friend Max Baucus, have more than one in the larger states) showing their commitment to real reform.

At those meetings, people could share their personal stories, indicate why they think single-payer is the only right path, and explain how they will fight in the primaries and this November only for candidates who support HR676.  Regardless whether the Member is a Democrat or Republican, we issue our demands and promises for future action.

We could double the impact if we also had 10 people visit each Congressional office on the Hill.  Same template, different location.  Now we've 10,000 citizens making their physical presence felt, lobbying their elected employees, nationwide, all at the same time.  Of course it would be great if we could get 20 people to join in at each location, but 10 as a minimum seems reasonable and does get us symbolic, yet significant, numbers in aggregate.

After a nice chat, what if we upped the ante right then and there?  Say we demand to speak to the Reps and Senators themselves?  Force the gatekeepers off balance a little bit.  No, no, we don't want to check out the website or set up a meeting later with some other staffer, thanks, please either bring them here now or get them on the phone.  Modern technology is so wonderful that Congress surely has the capacity to connect with constituents even if Members are on a roadside in East Nowhere, VT.

If we don't get a chance to talk with our targets, a subset of the citizens lobby can engage in the next level of the action.  162. Sit-in, a form of nonviolent physical intervention:

In a sit-in the interventionists occupy certain facilities by sitting on available chairs, stools and occasionally on the floor for a limited or unlimited period, either in a single act of in a series of acts, with the objective of disrupting the normal pattern of activities.

One major problem with Congress is the fact that lobbyists are constantly making their presence felt.  As I've noted before, when Ericka were in Welch's DC office, there was a Lockheed business card in the guest log just before we signed in.

It's not just money that moves politicians--though that is most important at campaign time--but contact with people and ideas.  If the only folks in their faces are lobbyists and not their constituents, then the former wins.

The default pattern needs to be interrupted, and gumming up the normal daily function of a Congressional office can be a part of that.  What's more, it can provide some good visuals and narratives if 5000 people all across America risked arrest to highlight their dedication to an important cause. 

Even if no media are there, and I'd submit we should invite some to the events, with cellphones and blogs the other delegates not volunteering to be arrested can provide coverage that could further interrupt the default thought patterns of our fellow citizens.  Hey, these people aren't just a few fringers--more doctors like Flowers and Paris would help--but folks just like me and they want single-payer.

Having documented the sit-in and arrest, the rest of the delegations can engage in some other Nonviolent Protest and Persuasion:

Several methods may be used in attempts to put pressures on individual members of the opponent group, whether officials or ordinary soldiers, for example.  These acts may be directed against specific persons or groups of persons, or may be intended to apply pressure on individuals who are part of a large body, such as an occupation army.

Delegates--and people uncomfortable with the lobbying component--would relocate outside the offices to show solidarity and create other opportunities for visuals and interactions with 34. Vigils:

A vigil is an appeal normally addressed not to one or a few person, but to many people.  Like picketing, a vigil consists of people remaining at a particular place as a means of expressing a point of view.  It differs from picketing, however, in that it is frequently maintained over a longer period of time, sometimes around the clock, and is associated with a more solemn attitude, often of a pleading or religious character.  It often involves late hours and loss of sleep.

Part of our protest and persuasion should focus not on our opponents in government, but potential allies in the population at large.  As I said the other day, we need to get our fellow citizens to understand how important this civil rights issue is, how it impacts them, and how they might get involved.  The more people you convince to join the movement through vigils, phonebanking and canvassing, the more pressure that can be brought to bear on the President, Congress and corporations through phonecalls, letters, lobbying, boycotts and strikes.

Now the big question: how do we get this Brigade marching?

ntodd

(Post at Pax Americana, Dohiyi Mir, Green Mountain Code Pink, and Daily Kos.)

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