The Meaning of Pie -- Invitation to Write #62

http://archives.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/11/23/pie.protest/

For Writers:

For some, the pie has become the great equalizer. Used mainly as a political weapon, the pie attack makes a messy, if not somewhat juvenile, statement. The victim of the attack is humiliated in front of a crowd, and is forced to spend a few bucks at the dry cleaners.

But why use the pie? If you don't like what Ann Coulter or Pat Buchanan has to say, isn't there a more civil way to protest their views? Perhaps not. Pies, after all, are the weapons of the voiceless. But to that we might add: the gutless.

What would really be fun is to give the pie throwers their just desserts. Give them a taste of their own pie, so to speak. If you're ready to give it, then you should be prepared to take one to the face yourself. In fact, when Ralph Nader was attacked, he tried to do just that, throwing pieces of the pie right back at his assailants.

Who would you hit in the face with a pie if you had the opportunity, and why? How do you imagine it would make you feel, and do you imagine you'd feel any guilt for following through on the attack?

"It's no fun to protest on an empty stomach." -- Michael Bloomberg

"We might as well have been throwing cream pies." -- Kurt Vonnegut

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