Tourists in downtown Washington may have been confused by the miniature, colorful gathering on the mall Saturday when a group of activists gathered for the “Million Doll March” with a message of government support for PBS. Although the count may have been disappointed – at most a few hundred people gathered at this multi-million march – the activists in their homemade costumes gave their all.
Big Bird, Grover and Wild Things took photos with fans in a sea of ​​Obama/Biden signs and “Puppets Unite!” posters. Anyone who goes to the Smithsonian museums may be greeted by an activist dressed as Kermit, singing “Rainbow Connection” while employees cheer for the rights of their furry friends.
Co-organizers Chris Mecham and Michael Bellavia held their puppet march after the first presidential debate, during which Gov. Mitt Romney infamously insisted that he “loves Big Bird” while also promising to cut funding for PBS. Offended by the governor’s comments, the two men met on social media to vent their frustration and make their virtual idea a reality.
The mission of their march is to raise awareness of the importance of federal funding to our public broadcasting system and promote broad support for its continuation, according to millionmuppetmarch.com.
While marchers celebrated the Muppets, Romney supporters showed up in droves this weekend to cheer on the governor in the battleground states of Ohio, New Hampshire, Iowa and Colorado. If a Republican is elected Tuesday, marchers may learn that the federal government is not always a benevolent puppet master.
