If you protest, please wear whatever the heck you want

[malachibk]

I get a bit annoyed, I must admit, at being asked to wear a business suit to make my presence more palatable to whoever is watching. (Are you thinking that a Brooks Brothers suit will make independents more likely to vote Kerry?)

If YOU want to wear a suit, feel free. I, however, will wear comfortable sneakers, shorts (it's going to be a hot one) and probably an anti-bush T-shirt.

Dress codes are SO Republican (take it from someone who suffered through 4 years of prep school).

[Warpy]

1. It depends on how you want it to play outside the protest

I'm here to tell you that the protestors who look like scruffy college kids and sloppy suburbanites will be seen as drunk and disorderly and getting exactly what they deserve when the cops overreact. If you want to do something besides take up space, dress like one of the ruling class. When people see the cops beating solid citizens, it plays very differently in the rest of the country.

It's up to you. What side do you want the country to be on, yours or the RNC and cops?

[malachibk]

3. I refuse to have my status as "solid citizen" dictated by the clothes

on my back. That's elistist and ignorant and I will not cater to the ignorant elite when I decide what to wear tomorrow. People who think college kids "deserve it" deserve bush IMHO.

And I trust that my participation counts more than mere "taking up space" if I don't wear a suit.

[JanMichael]

5. "getting exactly what they deserve when the cops overreact"

wtf?

So they "deserve" a beating, even if they've done nothing, just because of their clothing? Are you Ralph Lauren?

[jonnyblitz]

7. unbelieveable!

:puke:

[Warpy]

9. Simple. Wear their uniform and focus anger where it belongs,

on the cops and the RNC.

Wear your uniform, and the rest of the country will think you deserved whatever happened to you.

Like it or not, the country focuses on image. Use it against them.

[sffreeways]

14. Where do you get this

the country focuses on image stuff ? What image ? Sounds like you have an inside perspective on 'the collective mind' of course you don't.

Consider some of the images the country cares about

Brittany Spears tongue lashing with Madonna

Basketball, Football players covered in tattoos

Nascar slobs.

It's cool that guys show up at football games with no shirt on painted green or whatever when it's 20 degrees out.

I can think of a million examples of unconventional images that are perfectly ok.

I think you see people like yourself as acceptable. Expand those horizons.

Relax, your ideal ain't gonna happen. Image isn't what you think it is. Your view is very narrow.

I've probably known 50 Marines with tattoos, hell, I probably know a hundred people with tattoos that are as average as they come. Young, old, male, female.

Who the hell are these folks in business suits that have decided for the rest of us who is valid and who isn't?

[Warpy]

21. No, I went through all this 30 years ago.

I live in hospital scrubs and jeans. Were I in a position to get to NYC, I would play dressup, just to stick it to the morons who focus on image.

I am no longer young enough to cling to the uniform of youth. I'd rather use peoples' prejudice against them.

Don't ASSume you know anything about people who post theory on a message board. ASSuming things like that is part of what sank the left in the 70s.

[kohodog]

17. This isn't the march of the Stepford Wives

I'll leave that to the republicans, thank you.Diversity is crucial, and besides the press doesn't bother covering iot anyway. if there are half a million or even 250k, they will say "tens of thousands." It's not in their interest to show the growing discontent over the Bush agenda.

It doesn't matter what you wear. It really doesn't matter.

[K-W]

18. It matters if all the pictures in newspapers

are of radically dressed people.

It really does matter. People will think to themselves "Oh, its those people who will protest anything. They just hate everything."

[kohodog]

19. Were you there in Feb 2003?

Total mixed bag of dress, but it was cold so everyone had a coat. But the news picked up the overhead pictures. There were few close up pictures, in fact little coverage. I think too much is being made of this.

[K-W]

20. Indeed I was.

And there wasnt much coverage, which should hopefully change. Regardless, everyone was wearing coats and scarves and gloves and hats. As I said, I dont think people need to dress up, just be concious that this isnt a time for a fashion statement against the mainstream culture. Its a time to show unity with all americans to send them a message.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

2. I agree

unless you are a willing participant in a group practicing street theater or are a member of "Billionaires for Bush", dress should be up to you.

[Eric J in MN]

22. Of course we all dress ourselves, the question is what will help

John Kerry, protestors in t-shirts or protestors in business suits?

[Lorien]

4. I didn't read that thread, but I don't think it's

a matter of being "palatable", but rather a question of being taken seriously or not. Let's face it, the worse or more freakish a protester looks, the more the corporate media will focus on that protester (or group of protesters). A lot of people wear stuff to protests that they wouldn't be caught dead in otherwise, kind of like the theme park mentality (where people put stuff to use from their closets that haven't seen the light of day in 20 some years FOR A REASON)! Looking good, whether in a suit or not, is probably to everyones advantage. Besides, you never know who you might meet at a protest! ;-)

[Warpy]

8. Exactly, most of the country reacts to IMAGE.

They'll see scruffy looking people beaten and figure they deserved it. If they see solid citizen types beaten they will be angry at the police and the RNC.

It's not elitist, kids. It's how things ARE. You don't have to like them. However, if you're smart, you'll use this to your advantage.

[slinkerwink]

12. exactly.

[jonnyblitz]

6. oh I plan to.

I don't worry about what assholes think.

[Eric J in MN]

10. The point is helping John Kerry to win.

If you want to help Kerry, dress in business clothes for a positive image for swing voters.

[LWolf]

11. Applause

:thumbsup:

Of course, being on the left coast, I won't be demonstrating in NY. But if I were, I wouldn't wear a costume, I'd go as myself.

I've never worn a business suit; I find them stuffy and constricting. I'm not more impressed by, respectful of, or intimidated by someone in a business suit. If it makes them happy, that's great. If they thought their wrapper would somehow make a statement, positive or negative, I'm sorry. The statement I'll read is "shallow and pretentious." Somehow I've been very successful in my profession, and been able to present myself "professionally," without one.

If I have a statement to make at a demonstration, it won't be "listen to me; what I'm saying is more important than the janitor because I'm wearing a business suit."

[expatriot]

13. Wear what ever you want but just think "battleground state" when you dress

[expatriot]

16. i'm all for nudity but these nudy protests aren't winning us Missouri

not that everything has to have the battleground states in mind, it'd just be nice if they did though.

[K-W]

15. Being counter-culture means that the mainstream culture

has an ingrown resentment to you and doesnt want to listen to you.

I think the suit thread did go overboard, but the idea of not letting your dress take away from the message of the protest is a good one.

It just means dont wear your anarchy shirt, choose your best fitting jeans. Be yourself, but remember that the focus of this event is on sending a message to Bush and America, not attracting attention to your clothes.

[Spiffarino]

23. Suits are unnecessary

However, if you gussy up a little by wearing a polo shirt, nice pair of shorts, Birkies - like a tourist - you present yourself as an average person. Average people don't like seeing other average people get beaten up. Cops know this, and they're more likely to leave you alone. If they don't, they get no sympathy from the mainstream.

It's not about the clothes, folks. It's about taking the fight to them on their turf. The RW nuts have figured out how to appear "normal" to the mainstream by pointing fingers at the "freaks" on our side. Shove it up their collective asses by looking like a tourist, businessperson, or any other "normal" American and they will be exposed as the slimy bastards they are.