(2.12) All four members of Rhode Island’s congressional delegation will host a town hall forum this Sunday at East Providence High School. The ProJo advises,
“If the U.S. Senate is called into weekend session, the forum will be rescheduled for a later date in the near future.”
I have it in my head that after the scene at Nathan Bishop, Senator Whitehouse immediately got the other three on the horn — Come on you guys . . . it can’t just be me! And he’s right. So prepare questions for Senator Reed, and Reps. Cicilline and Langevin, as well as Senator Whitehouse.
Recommended reading: David Frum in The Atlantic — “What effective protest could look like.” He expressed concern that the Berkeley protests just played right into Trump’s narrative, and emphasized the need to persuade moderate Republicans to join us.
The classic military formula for success: concentrate superior force at a single point. The Occupy Wall Street movement fizzled out in large part because of its ridiculously fissiparous list of demands and its failure to generate a leadership that could cull that list into anything actionable. Successful movements are built upon concrete single demands that can readily be translated into practical action: “Votes for women.” “End the draft.” “Overturn Roe v. Wade.” “Tougher punishments for drunk driving.”
The classic military formula for success: concentrate superior force at a single point. The Occupy Wall Street movement fizzled out in large part because of its ridiculously fissiparous list of demands and its failure to generate a leadership that could cull that list into anything actionable. Successful movements are built upon concrete single demands that can readily be translated into practical action: “Votes for women.” “End the draft.” “Overturn Roe v. Wade.” “Tougher punishments for drunk driving.”
This will be getting wide television coverage so I would suggest we leave the “pussy” word and vulgarities off the signs. Television stations have been blurring those signs out, and we may be alienating the moderate conservatives we need to bring on board. (Yes, I know we are just quoting the president, but we are in bizarro world now. We need to be smart. Stronger together, right?)
Frum adds, “You want to scare Trump? Be orderly, polite, and visibly patriotic.” I agree. It may be time for us to take back the flag. Let’s all be on television waving flags. (Atlantic Flag is right in East Providence. They are closed Sundays.) I think that would make the national news.
Town Hall Forum, 2pm, Sunday, February 12, 2000 Pawtucket Avenue, East Providence High School, (directions)