Let's Organize a Special 'Shadow Session'

I am hearing from a legislative insider that the special session of both house and senate will be called to order at 4 p.m. on Tuesday May 27. It will last a minimum of five days.

So, that gives us a little time to get organized. Here is what we need.

1. Set a date. We could do this over a period of days that they are in session or we could have just a one day event. I think having an organizer (me and whoever else can be there for an extended period) on hand for each day of the special session would be useful. It might enable people who couldn't be there one day to be there on another day.

2. People to commit to showing up. This is HUGELY IMPORTANT!! I cannot over stress how important it is. What good is a protest/rally if there are only a handful of people there?

3. A list of activities meant to shame the house and senate for wasting our time and money. Their jobs should have been done the first time around. I think those that do show up need to be willing to march into the house with me a disrupt shit so badly that we shut it down....then we demand $50,000 and health insurance benefits for our trouble. I also will begin working on a Senator Phil Poole puppet tomorrow. He'll be wearing a diaper and sucking a pacifier. We also need to create our own 'Senate Calendar' to show them what one should look like. Then we need to promptly pass the bills on our calendar to show them how it is done. They seem to need a lesson or ten in that area.

4. Signs. Lots of signs. I don't really care what they say. I am not trying to present any message other than we've had quite enough of this. There are many ways to say that. Whatever beef any citizen has with any member of the legislature should be proudly and boldly displayed on a sign.

5. Speakers from various groups who had good legislation die in the senate this year. I want someone from ACCR, Alabama Arise, Free the Hops, No2RealID, TOPS, Alabamians for Compassionate Care and the Alabama Autism Council there to speak. Even though I am wholeheartedly against the smoking ban I even invite the folks that support that to come and have their say. Who else should be there?

6. Members of the House. There are many members of the House who worked hard this year. Listening to the audio from the last night of the session it is glaringly apparent that many of them seem to be as angry as we citizens are about the way things went down and have gone down for years. I will invite all members of the House to join us and speak if they are so inclined.

7. Media coverage. I can handle that part but others participating please feel free to put out your own news releases and to encourage all of your media contacts to cover us.

8. Pitchforks - I'm serious about that. Everyone that comes needs to bring a pitchfork, or a shovel, hoe, rake, a big stick etc...we won't be using them on anyone...but we want to get the message across that if things don't change there will be war....very shortly.

9. Contributions - In the form of money (if we march in and shut things down then chances are really high that some of us will be arrested so we'll need bail money), beverages (water, juice, sodas), speakers and a microphone, a tent, tables, chairs a video camera to record the event. A whole bunch of stuff I haven't thought of.

10. I should probably get a permit....but I disagree with a permit because I think it violates my 1st Amendment right to assemble. Besides, I don't have the money for it. So, we need a vast number of people so that we outnumber any police officers trying to break up our little party. If you don't want to chance a tangle with the boys in blue then make a monetary contribution so I can get a permit.

What else do we need? Who can commit to being there? What day(s)?


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