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After eight years in office, it is only in the last month of his presidency that George W. Bush has discovered the defining image of his leadership – the hurled shoe. Activism works best when it generates a simple, easily identifiable image. We encountered that in Canada with activist Bill Clennett. Jean Chretian’s time as Prime Minister will always be associated with the image of him choking a man wearing a fashion-challenged toque.

Although Muntadar al-Zaidi has now ascended to the ranks of international hero in the eyes of many, his status comes with a price: the possibility of a long prison term. As he threw his shoes, he said: ”this is for the dead women and children.” Perhaps, for Zaidi, a prison term is a small price to pay to bring to international attention the fact that average Iraqis do not find anything liberating about the U.S. presence in their country. Should Zaidi finally be imprisoned for his actions, it will stand in stark contrast to the fact that a man who is responsible for the deaths of more than a million of Zaidi’s friends, family members, and fellow citizens, can smile smugly at him and walk away with impunity.

I feel compelled to celebrate Zaidi’s courage and to stand in solidarity with him as he faces the rage of an Iraqi judiciary which is embarrassed by his actions (which deliberately flout traditional Middle-Eastern hospitality codes) and is still fearful of its uneasy status (propped up by the U.S. military). But how can I give expression to this? Zaidi has given me the answer. I can use my shoes. So this Christmas I have decided to send president Bush a present. I’m mailing an old shoe to the White House with an accompanying note:

“Dear President Bush,
Please accept this shoe on behalf of the dead women and children of Iraq.
I wish you a Merry Christmas.
Yours truly, etc.”

I would urge you to do the same. The White House address is:

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Join the Send Bush A Shoe group on facebook.

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