FAYETTEVILLE An Un-Common Un-Rally

FAYETTEVILLE — Roger Haak wants to call this a political event.

But he doesn’t want to call this a political event.

That ambivalence is sort of the point.

As political commentator and television host Jon Stewart prepares to host the “Rally to Restore Sanity” alongside Stephen Colbert’s “March to Keep Fear Alive” on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., related rallies are springing up across the country. Among them is one taking place tonight at Wilson Park in Fayetteville. Haak, a University of Arkansas music business major, is organizing the local event.

While the rally will discuss the national political climate, it’s not strictly a partisan event.

“It’s not based on a specific party,” Haak says.

Instead, Haak says, the rally - both the national and local version - is designed for what Stewart calls the 70- to 80-percenters, those Americans the host claims are neither extremely liberal nor extremely conservative.

Although he is a college student and expects that many like-aged people will attend the local rally, Haak says the mantra of moderation spreads across all demographics. He says he expects a “surprising number” of non-college-aged locals will gather - maybe 350 total, or perhaps more.

Those who do attend will listen to speakers from several local organizations. Among them are Stephen Coger, a political activist, and Jon Cox of the NWA Center for Equality. Also speaking is Will Phillips, the West Fork boy who made national headlines when he refused to say the Pledge of Allegiance as an act of solidarity with those seeking the right to marry a partner of the same sex. Haak also plans to address the crowd.

Live music will be offered throughout the night. Haak also expects that dozens ofrally participants will bring homemade signs at the encouragement of Stewart and Colbert. Stewart has offered a few examples of the type of activism he preaches that would make worthy signs: “I Disagree With You, But I’m Pretty Sure You’re Not Hitler” and “Take It Down a Notch, America.”

The D.C. rallies by Stewart and Colbert are partially in response to a recent rally by political analyst Glenn Beck and the Tea Party movement. The national “Sanity” rally, which takes place at noon Saturday, will be like Woodstock without the drugs and nudity and the Million Man March, but “only a lot smaller, and a bit less of a sausage fest,” according to the event’s website.

Haak hopes the local rally will be just as firmly rooted in fun.

“I hope people will walk away with a lighter spirit and a lighter heart,” he says. “Hopefully, people will walk away inspired to vote.”

Seeing as how this is a rally to restore sanity, and that it is catering to sometimes politically apathetic moderates, Haak decided to have the event in Fayetteville on Friday night instead of directly coinciding with the national rally.

Why?

A Saturday night rally would have competed with the University of Arkansas’ homecoming events and the Razorback football game against Vanderbilt.

And trying to motivate the already politically unmotivated to skip a Hogs’ football game?

You really would need to restore your sanity if you tried that.