Civic duty

Thanks to Cynthia for alerting the Enchilada about a peace march this Saturday, April 29 in NYC. Be there or be square.
I don't know what took these people so long, but here we are again, marching against the worst Administration in the history of the US. The good it does.
Now, not to toot my own horn, but I have already participated in some of them anti-war marches. Such as the one in February when it was horribly cold and the NYC police was pushing their big ass horses against the demonstrators and another one in the Spring that was quite delightful and then another one when the Republican Convention came to town (it was hot and I had a stupid conversation with a Trotskyist that put me in a very bad mood). Every single time, I have emerged from these events asking my friends to kick me hard if I ever think of showing up again. And yet...
There is something about the bleeding heart, selfrighteous quality of these shindings that really rubs me the wrong way, despite the fact that many of the people in them are just like you and me; that is, they refuse to wear birkenstocks with socks, and chant Give Peace a Chance (which to me is an excuse for all out war). Still, I remember encountering several loonies, like a woman who was saying that Bush is not the problem, that we should end Capitalism instead (good luck with that, sister) and the aforementioned Trotskyist who tried to convince me to buy his Trotskyist newspaper for a buck. He finally shut up when I told him that my fifteen year old Dad had gone to see Trotsky's body lying in state after he was murdered in Mexico City with an ice pick. I guess that was the closest to his idol this schmuck ever got.
There is no excuse in this day and age for Communists, Trotskyists, Stalinists, Leninists, or Maoists. Marxists get an itty bitty break because in theory the guy said a couple of things I agree with (particularly the opium of the masses thing. I think he was being polite).
The problem with these marches is that they are all over the place, every peace loving hippie comes out of the woodwork with demands: Free Mumia, Solidarity with El Salvador, Legalize Cocaine, Save the Forests, all without a doubt very worthy causes, but it's no wonder the other side jeers with contempt. Frankly, idealism is moronic.
Case in point: this march is called "A March for Peace, Justice and Democracy". Well, how vague can one be? That is three things too many. Have this people heard of the single-minded message? Couldn't we be a little more specific? How about "March to end the Bush regime". "March to impeach Bush and fire Rummy". "March to end the Iraq War".
In any case, given that I keep bitching bitterly about Bush and don't really seem to do anything about it, the march is a perfect opportunity to appear as if I am actually doing something, which is why, despite my past protestations, I will be there. It's my civic duty.