I wish I could tell you that the protest here in Johnson City looked like this:
Or this:
But alas not all citizens of this fair town are advanced politically as me. We did draw about 15 protesters and we split up into three groups so we could cover almost all the points in the intersection where we protested. My buddy Sandra showed up as did her husband John. They're super people and Sandra is the driving force behind Concerned Tennessee Citizens, which is a local activist group I and my girlfriend agitate with.
Also in attendance was the smartest couple in the world, Joesph and Vanessa F. from Bristol. Joseph is a Greek national by birth but thankfully he lives over here now with his unbelievably smart biologist wife. She is a professor at my alma mater and Joseph, who has a doctorate in political science no less, is also going to be teaching there this fall as well. I'm telling you now that if these two ever have kids then those kids will one day rule the earth, that's how smart Joseph and Vanessa are. Oh yeah, did I mention that they are both great looking too? No? Oh, well they're both great looking too. I'm glad they've decided to befriend me and my gf.
All in all the reaction to our protest was positive. Some thumbs down and a few assholes scream at us but by and large the reaction was positive. More and more people are coming around to our side, that is the side of sanity, the side of reason, the side of peace. I hope we changed a few minds out there this afternoon or at least gave hope to some person who thought they were alone in their anti war feelings in this blue part of TN. Maybe one day soon others will be so sick of the lies and the killing and the insanity of this war that they will take to the streets too.
7 comments:
Good for you to protest! All protests count.. even if they are small in number.
Suzie-You are so correct.
You know what-- we draw thousands to protest here in Chicago, but I think your small band is more important. I remember seeing 1968 peace candidate Eugene McCarthy speak at my college in 1984. He pointed out that when protests started reaching mainstream America was when the opposition to the Vietnam war began to be taken seriously. Bless you for doing it.
BTW, my parents live in Tennessee, near Knoxville. They retired there from Chicago, where we're from, six years ago, and my father has had culture shock over the religious fundamentalism and arch-conservatism. Protests like yours give him hope.
Johnny-Thanks. Tell your dad that not all people in east TN are W loving idiots. Some of us think for ourselves.
He's commented on the number of liberals he's met-- that they're cautious at first because of their surroundings, and open up to him when they find out he's a kindred spirit.
Good for you! I was with you when you brandished that sign!
D Cup-I thought that was you standing there silently judging me.
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