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Hello George, Ms. Valerie L'Herrou has a valid point about empty gestures. Apparently, our party is incapable of rendering meaningful gestures within the confines of the existing system. Since we celebrated Dr. King's birthday on Monday, we have had three days before the coronation to reflect on methods on non-violent non-compliance. I personally follow Ms. L'Herrou's advice to "patronize only local businesses", which I do unless I know they support Bush, and to "write a letter" to my representatives about important issues. This appears to be the greatest of empty gestures, given that Virgil Goode and George Allen have each responded once to my correspondence: they discounted my opinions with carefully crafted staff form letters in both cases. But Senator Warner and I have become pen pals of a sort. I write to him and he, in return, thanks me gracefully and effusively, and then votes against my interests. I volunteer for Democratic candidates and contribute to their campaigns, only to watch the DNC embrace corporatism at greater and greater levels. So we are left with gestures. We light candles in the freezing cold; we hold a "Jazz Funeral for Democracy" in New Orleans; we turn our backs on Bush [not an altogether wise move when dealing with a racketeer], and we withhold our cash. Is this an empty gesture? Just what did Dr. King think of bus boycotts? If none of these "gestures" work, then what does work to make "meaningful contributions to our political process"? We are ready to be enlightened.
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