plate, i agree that kicking out the counter-protesters is no solution at all and would make us hypocrites, might as well pack up and go home. but at the same time, I want to be heard. The administration has ignored us, as has my own party (I get basically the same stupid form letter from every Democrat I write). So, the last (legal) option is to protest, but now even this is being undermined. There's a lot of confusion, yelling-matches that don't begin to pass for dialogue, and, to my thinking, a deliberate effort on the part of the counter-protesters to drown us out.

I agree we shouldn't just run a PR campaign and court honks. But there's a reason we're gathering in a downtown shopping center and not the middle of a cornfield. We want our dissent to be registered, and just maybe, provoke thought.

As for separate protests, I guess thats not happening, oh well. I thought of a "prayer" of Voltaire's: "Lord, make my enemies ridiculous". of course, we don't need much help in this regard. but, I'm thinking we could follow mseeger's line and stage a fun, creative parody of the counter-protesters, and sheeplike pro-war people in general. anyone have any ideas?