Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, December 16, 2008
Politics More Shoes
Posted by Dan Savage on Tue, Dec 16, 2008 at 10:04 AM
From Slog tipper Karen...
You must please encourage people to follow the Iraqi journlist and mail their shoes to the White House for Christmas.
Anyone want to get this campaign off the ground? I have a couple of pairs of old shoes I could see shipping to the White House.
1
That sounds pretty good. The problem is, how can we guarantee that they won't be secretly disposed of as soon as they arrive? If other people don't hear about Bush getting 10,000 pairs of shoes in the mail, we'll be out the postage and a pair of shoes with nothing to show for it.
2
I as well have shoes i am willing to send and would pay for their portionl. Would the stranger organize a shoe care package for the outgoing president. Figure out the cost to send a large box. How Much per pair of shoes. Then have people bring their shoes and like 2-5 dollars to you guys. This could be a phenominal show of contempt for a man that has beent he figure head for the violation of our civil liberties for eight years. Surely we can throw 5 dollars in to make clear or opinion and emphasize the MARK bush has truly made on history.
3
If someone in DC wanted to coordinate, they could dump a large number of old shoes at the gate of the White House. I think that would be phenomenal.
Maybe they could stay out there for a day, and then be cleared away and donated to Goodwill or something.
Maybe they could stay out there for a day, and then be cleared away and donated to Goodwill or something.
4
Fuck this and all you effete Bush-haters. 8 fucking years and this is the best you can do? Fucking shoes?
If you actually want to make a difference, send your shoes to someone who gives a shit.
http://www.soles4souls.org/
If you actually want to make a difference, send your shoes to someone who gives a shit.
http://www.soles4souls.org/
5
They would collect them and then distribute to the poor thus saying how wonderful Bush is etc etc
Dumb "campaign"....
Dumb "campaign"....
6
PLEASE don't ship any decent boots to the White House... the homeless need them right here. Giving them to the poor would annoy the rightwing ("Get a job!" assholes) more than a couple of boxes they throw into their trash compactor.
7
P.S. notify the news. They need stuff to fill there 24 hour cycles and will make this bigger than it really is.
8
#4 has a point. Other people need shoes, especially this time of year. Fuck, the man's leaving office in a month anyways and you think he would actually get these shoes? You're just gonna piss off the poor cocksuckers who work in the mail room. Why not just donate a decent pair of shoes to a charity in W's name instead?
11
Yeah, homeless people need shoes, but I have some old skanky shoes that no self-respecting homeless person would wear. I'd totally mail them to the White House. I am in.
12
Mailing is one thing.
Physically throwing your old shoes over the fence in DC is a much more powerful statement and makes for great videos.
Actions.
They'll recycle the shoes, since they're "gifts".
Physically throwing your old shoes over the fence in DC is a much more powerful statement and makes for great videos.
Actions.
They'll recycle the shoes, since they're "gifts".
14
What if we donated shoes to a charity in Bush's name? That might strike a nice balance and still piss him off...or just mail him flipflops, which are useless anyway.
15
You are all being such liberal pussies. What about the homeless..... WAH. Go eat some fucking bean sprouts. The homeless need shelters and healthcare. Shoes are great and all, but for most homeless it does little to help the situations that affect them (like addiction and mental illness). If you don't want to send your shoes to DC to be thrown over the White House fence then don't. How about you throw them at other Republicans though. Why not take this as a chance to adopt a fabulous way to make a statement. Throw your shoes in those situations where your screaming would go unnoticed. If yous see a Mormom elder hit him with a shoe. When you see a hummer, take off your boot and huck it at the hummer. Grow some balls and even in the face of a beating make a statement for all those who have no voice, like the homeless you are advocating for right now.
17
I'd send them if there were a guy in DC that would stand in front of the white house with a box of shoes and encourage the tourists to throw a pair over the fence. Guy'd probably be arrested for sedition or some shit before the day is out.
We really need to send shoes and nasty letters to our congress people and senators and let them know what a piss poor job they are doing upholding their oath of office by not having dick and bush arrested yet. From where I'm standing, everybody except maybe kucinich deserves a shoe thrown at them.
We really need to send shoes and nasty letters to our congress people and senators and let them know what a piss poor job they are doing upholding their oath of office by not having dick and bush arrested yet. From where I'm standing, everybody except maybe kucinich deserves a shoe thrown at them.
18
You shouldn't rub it in Bush's face; he's leaving in a short amount of time, his legacy says all we need to say anyways, and if you think about it his administrations efforts have lead to the "pendulum" swinging so far right that it allowed it to swing equally that far left in the election of Barack Obama. I agree with the above poster, we should be giving our shoes to poeple who need them.
19
I'm sorry, but I fail to see the point. Besides which, shoe-throwing has a significance in the Arab world which it doesn't have for most of us.
20
I'm with Julie at 3. I like the idea of piling the shoes outside the White House, like the flowers outside Buckingham Palace when Diana died... just that we'd be paying our DISrespects (and hatred, contempt, disgust, shame, what have you...).
21
1) Take a new or decent pair of shoes you own (or buy a cheap pair somewhere) and trade them to the nearest homeless person for their grubby useless shoes.
2) organize a date before the inauguration (January 20) to meet at the White House (make sure G. W. is there). At the given time everyone throws their ratty shoes over the fence onto the White House lawn.
If enough people do it, they couldn't arrest everybody (they can arrest me for suggesting it if they want) and also a lot of homeless people will have new shoes for the winter.
2) organize a date before the inauguration (January 20) to meet at the White House (make sure G. W. is there). At the given time everyone throws their ratty shoes over the fence onto the White House lawn.
If enough people do it, they couldn't arrest everybody (they can arrest me for suggesting it if they want) and also a lot of homeless people will have new shoes for the winter.
22
8 years of hating Bush and we have to co-opt another culture's disdainful gesture? It means NOTHING to us. In their culture it has significance, to us it's a novelty.
Why can't America create its own ANYTHING anymore?
Why can't America create its own ANYTHING anymore?
24
America is a melding pot of ideas. That is why we dont create shit. We just make it better. And if you think bush is gone look at the Sarah Palin or Mike Hukabee. Our future olitical opponents who represent the amount of shoes that still need to be thrown.
25
I think @3 is the best of both worlds. A person in DC organizes a shoe drive for charity. The shoes are put on display in front of the White House for a day, plenty of pictures are taken, and then they are donated.
It's civil, it get's the point across (to Bush and the rest of the world), and it helps out a charity.
It's civil, it get's the point across (to Bush and the rest of the world), and it helps out a charity.
26
President Bush would never actually see any of these shoes and might not even hear about them. All presidential correspondence goes to a large group of volunteers who log in the messages, make a precis of the contents and forward it to an actual White House communications officer. Who decides what is important enough to relay to the president. The President, First Lady, and even Barney the dog have a group of people who handle their mail. It doesn't actually go to the White House but to a nearby office building.
I have a friend who used to handle mail for the Clinton's cat, Socks. She kindly had a birthday greeting sent from Socks to the cat of a friend of mine. That is how I leaned about the process
I have a friend who used to handle mail for the Clinton's cat, Socks. She kindly had a birthday greeting sent from Socks to the cat of a friend of mine. That is how I leaned about the process
28
@22 -- like it or not, it means something very real to us now. This gesture's cultural resonance has gone from 0 to 100 overnight, and I think it's here to stay. Those two shoes flying at George W's head represented a long-awaited tangible collision of the Bush/Cheney/Blackwater world with the rest of us. I don't think this is a novelty.
29
CONSIDER FOR A SEC THAT NO ONE IN THIS COUNRTY WAS SO BRAVE OR WILLING TO EXPRESS WHAT IS NOW A WORLD SENTIMENT.
30
Dan,
What I find extraordinary is how a merely ridiculous and fortunately benign act (throwing a shoe at the US President during a press conference) in our culture becomes a quasi-hero movement or industry. It was meant as an insult in their culture. Now, it's become a phenomemon. And, the velocity of its becoming one is due to the Internet. Should Mr. Bush have been harmed, I'd like to think that it wouldn't have been funny even to Mr. Bush's detractors. Mailing used shoes isn't going to get the US out of Iraq anytime sooner nor will it assist Mr. al-Zaidi in his legal problems. BTW, in the ensuing melee, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino was injured when a microphone hit her in the eye. She was just doing her job.
What I find extraordinary is how a merely ridiculous and fortunately benign act (throwing a shoe at the US President during a press conference) in our culture becomes a quasi-hero movement or industry. It was meant as an insult in their culture. Now, it's become a phenomemon. And, the velocity of its becoming one is due to the Internet. Should Mr. Bush have been harmed, I'd like to think that it wouldn't have been funny even to Mr. Bush's detractors. Mailing used shoes isn't going to get the US out of Iraq anytime sooner nor will it assist Mr. al-Zaidi in his legal problems. BTW, in the ensuing melee, White House Press Secretary Dana Perino was injured when a microphone hit her in the eye. She was just doing her job.
31
Thousands of American soldiers are dead and you want me to give a shit about a woman who choose to work for Bush and got a black eye?
32
@26 - I love the idea that Socks had a Corresponding Secretary. I don't know why, but that cracks me up.
33
Sam... I love you...hell, I married you... but if you don't start proof reading your posts for grammer and general "make senseidness" before you unleash your bile fueled opinons upon an unsuspecting SLOG I will be forced to call you a douchesparkle... You are on notice Mister.
34
Julie, it cracks me up as well, I like to think they had some poor collage intern with a rubber cat paw stamp who had to "sign for Socks"...
35
I am trying to organize something over on my blog (not that anyone reads it).
http://elswingers-world.blogspot.com
Pass it on.
http://elswingers-world.blogspot.com
Pass it on.
37
Julie and Tina, my friend Betty told that there was a volunteer staff of four, overseen by a member of HRC's secretarial staff. Anyone who wrote to Socks received a postcard with his picture on it and a personal message in return.
39
Inkweary, Thank you... Does your friend know if there are any first pet paid positions available? My husband Sam (the aformentioned grammer douchesparkle) appears to have some free time on his hands that could be channeled into something more profitable and ammusing to my person, I think cat secratary is right up there with office conversation I would kill to make, "And what does your Husband do, Tina?" "Oh, he's a professional pet secratry." End scene.
40
Thank you my loving and well intentioned wife. Until the Obama's decide on a dog I will be unable to determine if I am qualified. But just in case I will practice stamping stuff with a paw print and shoving my nose in your crotch.
41
@31,
I'm not asking you give a shit about Perino. I am asking you in Obama's future Presidency should he involve America in an unjust war that you or anyone else DON'T throw a shoe at him. It could in the ensuing melee injure him and his press secretary. I happen to give shit about both the fallen soldiers and Perino's welfare.
I'm not asking you give a shit about Perino. I am asking you in Obama's future Presidency should he involve America in an unjust war that you or anyone else DON'T throw a shoe at him. It could in the ensuing melee injure him and his press secretary. I happen to give shit about both the fallen soldiers and Perino's welfare.
43
Well i will remember to protest, cause that worked. And I will cite the geneva convention, cause that worked. I will as well vote in every election in the hopes of ending corporate greed and influence in my electorate. Finally if all else fails I shall weild a metal boot on a chain which i will walk around indiscriminately beating press secretaries and war hawks. I shall name my boot Muntadhar al-Zeidi. And I shall personally not worry about the well being of the people I hit instead will circle back to get in an extra hit.
44
Ladies and Gentleman, my husband the douchesparkle... sigh... And no dear you are so NOT getting a large metal boot to swing at people, you will have to continue on just yelling at FOX news and posting rants online.. just like everyone else. And yes thats right, I NEVER let you do anything fun.
45
I'm going to be in DC for Blowoff later this month. Maybe I should make a special stop by the White House, and leave a pair of old shoes hanging from the fence?
48
There's a Facebook group for Shoes For Bush as well.
Don't just send them, toss them over the fence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in DC.
And make vids and take pics of it!
Don't just send them, toss them over the fence at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave in DC.
And make vids and take pics of it!
50
I hope, from the bottom of my heart, that the security detail at every Bush function for the rest of his natural life requires that all audience members remove their shoes before entering. The more of a logistical nightmare the better, so we never have to see the smirking chimp in public again.
52
i would do it if i thought that bush would donate the shoes to charity. but we all know: he'll just burn them atop a giant pile of money. and babies.
53
There are some good ideas here:
Good: Trading homeless people for their old shoes. win/win, they get a new pair of winter shoes, and we get a skanky pair of old.
Fair: Leaving shoes at the White house, but the White House belongs to Obama now.
Better: Okay, why not leave them to Bush's new address in Texas when he's out of office? Sort of like a house-warming f**k you present.
Good: Trading homeless people for their old shoes. win/win, they get a new pair of winter shoes, and we get a skanky pair of old.
Fair: Leaving shoes at the White house, but the White House belongs to Obama now.
Better: Okay, why not leave them to Bush's new address in Texas when he's out of office? Sort of like a house-warming f**k you present.
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