Fuggedaboudit!

For pure political theatre, this must be one of the most joyously democratic protest ideas that I've ever heard of: Al Franken is heading an effort along the lines of that famous moment in the movie Network when the character Howard Beale, "the mad prophet of the airwaves," asks the country to open their windows and shout, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take this anymore."

On September 2nd, 2004, at approximately 10 pm, George W. Bush will appear on television screens nationwide. For some of our fellow citizens, this will be a moment of joy. But for most of us, it will be the low point of an incredibly exasperating week.

Until now, there have been only two options: miss the speech (either by screaming at the television or turning it off), or bottle up the frustration within us, causing irreparable psychological harm. The first option is unbecoming of citizens in a democracy. The second option is just terrible. But now, for the first time, we have a better way. At the moment we see the president on our television screens, we will rise. We will throw open our windows. And, as George W. Bush moves to the podium in New York City, we will send him a message about his bid for reelection: we will yell, “fuggedaboudit!”

What a hoot!