What a Mess

I drove into work this morning and ran right into the Presidential juggernaut. St. Paul's Blvd, (and what's the ACLU going to do about that? by the way?) the main drag into town and running past the site of President Bush's speech this morning, was closed. Blocked by four dump trucks filled with sand. The protesters adolescents with signs children with crayon drawings were out in force, wielding signs of highly nuanced and thoughtful political commentary, such as "War=Terrorism" and "bush=liar." Apparently the author of the latter lacked a caps lock on her right hand. It was raining, so everything looked pretty wilted.

Still, I was struck by the dissonance of seeing these people, proclaiming their doom and gloom politics of dead civilians, doomed soldiers, destruction, AIDS, global warming, et al, standing out in the rain smiling and waving at passing motorists. And laughing amongst themselves. I was ready to roll down the window and ask them "What's so funny?" but the light changed and I had to get to work. The only conclusion I could reach was that it wasn't really about conveying the message. If it was, they would have made the effort to make their signs look at least graphically presentable, rather than cartoonishly lettered on brown cardboard. It was about them being seen on the street corner holding a sign. Any sign, as long as they and their buddies approved of the message.

Freaking narcissistic rabble.