Dropping off at the local protest
One our way to my last breakfast in paradise yesterday, we passed a roadside protest
Of course we honked and pumped our fists as we passed, and then I had a heaping helping of biscuits and gravy because I don’t, in fact, want to live forever.
On the way back, my partner in crime said, “Wanna stop?” and even though we didn’t have signs or anything, I said, “Yes.” Strength in numbers and though I’m not much of a chanter (I mostly just mouth the words when someone yells, “Tell me what demo-cracy looks like.”) I can lend my presence to the cause.
Fortunately, they had signs aplenty, including one I kept waiting my turn for: “Flip me off if you love pedophiles.” The guy carrying it didn’t set it down long enough for me to steal it, so I opted for this one:
As a daughter of the semi-South, this one has particular resonance for me. I held it high, waved at all the traffic going by, and when someone flipped me off (including a sad-hag mobile with Connecticut plates), I yelled, “I love you” at the top of my lungs, because returning the bird isn’t that satisfying.
There were the drivers of huge diesel trucks who made sure to coat us with their exhaust (“I LOVE YOU!”) and the occasional angry white woman who shook her middle finger (“I LOVE YOU!”) and the fun came when people did both and then got stuck in traffic in front of us "(“HOW EMBARRASSING FOR YOU!”). Someone told my. husband to “fucking beat it,” and I think I was called a runt, but maybe it was something else. The traffic was pretty loud and the word is inaccurate. I am 5’9” and there is nothing dainty about me.
There were also drivers of huge diesel trucks who honked in solidarity, and Subaru drivers who flipped us off. You simply cannot tell someone’s politics from their vehicle.
We stood and waved at people for a couple of hours and when everyone started packing up, we wandered back to attempt some plumbing at our place. After much cursing and some impressive contortion work under a sink, we were not able to accomplish that but the day was far from wasted.
LFG, everyone. It’s going to get stupider but we will get through it, together. I LOVE YOU! Happy MLK Day.
Hi ho, Susan. My granddaughters are here visiting from Florida. They tell me their schools (one in middle school and one in high school) are hosting ICE teach-ins. They say they feel safer here in Connecticut than in Florida.
Hold those signs well and keep up the good work. I make voodoo dolls, having lived in NOLA for over ten years. I have a purple one I made hanging from my backpack. It draws attention at the Healthtrax womxns’ locker room, hi ho!
I am going to Florida in a few events and intend to attend one of these teach-ins; I have quite a few teacher friends in Florida who have already filled me in on some alleged educational activities by ICE in Orlando. A professor friend tells me O-town is next because it’s a blue dot in Florida that increasingly makes trouble for the red ones. And I just had made a T-shirt with “I apologize!” In bold white letters, hoping to gently antagonize the brown people haters everywhere. Kinda’ silly, I know, but silly seems the right word to describe our administration. But silly only describes the people not their legislative actions that are turning our country into a silly mess.
We old, white liberals are kicking some ass, sister!
⚔️.
On this day watch King’s (NO not that king) “I have a dream” speech and then reflect on the thousands assembled on that steamy day to hear words of hope. Professor Richardson’s piece today mention heroes, let us all try to do something resembling a heroic act. We need such acts now more than ever! LFG!