So, this seems like a very blunt instrument approach, but we are in the DC for a big ol’ march on Saturday. I recall there might be Mehicans around here. Ahem. @brhfl (but anyone else speak up too).
I usually keep my politics off the forums–if you think I don’t, you clearly don’t know how 1) verbal and 2) political I am–but this is about the goddamned planet, y’all. So, fuggit, here’s what we’re here for:
@joelmw YAY! I’m unable to go, but I’m happy to know you’re there. Donnie will be in some rally somewhere, cuz he needs all the lovin’ he can get. I’d love a report – and pictures? – when you get home.
I’m definitely in DC right now. I’ve noticed a lot of portable toilets having gone up over the past few days, guess they’re expecting a good turnout for the march!
I’ll be there in spirit. There is a ‘sister march’ about 30 miles from me, and one unofficial march downtown. Local marches draw a lot of anti-environmental activists, and fights erupt. Police stand by and ignore violence. I hope that the DC march is peaceful.
So sad to hear she was a completely innocent and unaware victim of Pepsi’s ad-agency’s moral blindness, and was forced to do the commercial shoot without being allowed to read the script first.
Cheering you on from the other Washington.
If you happen to see 45, could you clean up that mess too? The thinking citizens of the world would be ever so grateful.
@Mehsturbator Hey, plenty of us in the DMV hate it too. Worst is when you’re choosing your state(-like thing) from a dropdown and they’ve filed it under ‘Washington, DC’ instead of ‘District of Columbia’.
@Mehsturbator@brhfl - Extremely frustrating, especially when the media makes confusing assumptions. Even reporters in Washington State are guilty of the violation.
So, I posted this and then completed ignored my email and the forums until returning to work today.
The march was fun, but very very warm. Also, because of some weird logistical things they had going, we didn’t actually hang with the Justice group (which is where our hearts are and where we wanted to be physically), but we did meet some folks.
Some highlights:
They say we had 200,000; which I’d believe, but I haven’t yet verified.
We unexpectedly (to us; I’m sure the organizers knew) went right in front of Trump International. It’s funny, 'cause, yaknow, lots of rich people and security thugs. Several of us flipped them off and made sure they saw our signs.
As we rounded the corner approaching the White House, some asshole with a megaphone was yelling–in a way I found unintentionally ironic (aka hypocritical)–about how horrible and selfish we were for marching in defense of the planet but not adequately defending fetuses. And, don’t get me wrong, I’ve got nothing against fetuses, but I’m pretty sure that fucker didn’t give a shit about climate change, or war, or healthcare, or childhood development or, yaknow, just fucking name it. And I thought it was pretty goddamned rude that he assumed that we’re all abortionists (or whatever the fuck they’re calling us these days), when we had a huge faith contingent and I know for a fact that many of us would happily identify as actually pro life (and many, simultaneously, also pro choice). He was using his megaphone against us, so I went and started shouting in his ear about why the fuck he wasn’t out there with us defending the fucking planet so that those fetuses will have some place hospitable to live once they pop. I didn’t really get too much into it, but gave him maybe 20 seconds of grief. This was all my lovely (and truly, she is) wife needed. She got all up in his ear with even more vigor and for a few minutes, saying things like, “Hands off my pussy,” and basically statements in defense of her pussy, using the word, “pussy” as much as she could, because, well, it’s a word their president is comfortable saying, but they’re typically more reticent. She went on for a while. Fool that I am, I failed to get pictures, but the image is in my mind and makes me happy.
The White House itself was somewhat anticlimactic. We let the younger folks have their fun while we sat and rested (I think, for the wifey, who is several years younger than I, her exercise with the pro-fetusist took a little out of her–while being simultaneously invigorating). It was too damned crowded anyway.
The District itself is kind of an amazing place. Parking is the worst. We used transit for the most part but then would find ourselves a mile away from the train station, tired, late at night, so we Ubered a few times too.
Yeah, all of these huge, beautiful monuments to our history and democracy did stir a bit of the patriotism, which just stoked my rage at what’s been done to this country.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial was easily the most moving part of the trip. See, it starts small, and just keeps growing and growing until it’s a few feet above the head of even of enormous (6’7") goof like me. And what that is is people’s lives. Sons and daughters and brothers and sisters laid at an unholy altar. The wife and I were both in tears as we walked and reflected.
We have too many goddamned celebrations of war and warring dead white men. Which is what makes the Vietnam Veterans Memorial great. It’s not a celebration. It honors those who sacrificed their lives, but it makes you stop and think, “Why the fuck do we feel the need to kill each other?” Sigh.
MLK and FDR are great too.
We toured a tiny house where EA Poe lived. That was another highlight. The volunteer staff there know way too much. Plus the Google reviews are full of exclamations by fragile white folks about what a horrible neighborhood it’s in (which it really isn’t); that’s part of why my wife was so eager to go.
The District seems full of a casually diverse group of disproportionately over-educated, ambitious folks. That’s cool too.
Too many goddamned tourists.
Maybe I’ll get around to posting pictures. It was an awesome trip. Maybe I’ll say more later, but I’ve about used up ten people’s quota for political comments here, and I’m afraid it would be mostly political.
@joelmw With any luck, someone will post images of you two educating the antichoicer. It sounds like a good time was had by all, and maybe you can go again.
@joelmw Glad you had a good time! Not sure why you didn’t take your own head count, do you not have 200,000 fingers? If you walked past Trump International The Old Post Office Building, presumably you walked past EPA as well. It’s a little understated compared to the gilded mess next door, but I hope people noticed.
The Vietnam Veterans memorial is indeed very sobering in many ways. On a much smaller scale, I similarly appreciate the Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II which is kind of a long-winded name that rather awkwardly mushes together Japanese-American veterans who died and those who were held in internment camps.
Anyway, we appreciate you contributing to our problem of too many goddamned tourists, and hope you’ll do it again some time.
I usually keep my politics off the forums–if you think I don’t, you clearly don’t know how 1) verbal and 2) political I am–but this is about the goddamned planet, y’all. So, fuggit, here’s what we’re here for:
https://peoplesclimate.org
@joelmw YAY! I’m unable to go, but I’m happy to know you’re there. Donnie will be in some rally somewhere, cuz he needs all the lovin’ he can get. I’d love a report – and pictures? – when you get home.
Glad you’re there.
Can you create a topic on your adventures, and do a little live-blogging here or diary entries here?
Did you drive or fly?
I’m definitely in DC right now. I’ve noticed a lot of portable toilets having gone up over the past few days, guess they’re expecting a good turnout for the march!
I’ll be there in spirit. There is a ‘sister march’ about 30 miles from me, and one unofficial march downtown. Local marches draw a lot of anti-environmental activists, and fights erupt. Police stand by and ignore violence. I hope that the DC march is peaceful.
@OldCatLady - Just carry a few cans of Pepsi.
@KDemo That needs a few more of these:
@KDemo …took me a minute. Gee, thanks.
@OldCatLady
Well, it worked for Kendall!?
@KDemo
Worked well for her wallet.
So sad to hear she was a completely innocent and unaware victim of Pepsi’s ad-agency’s moral blindness, and was forced to do the commercial shoot without being allowed to read the script first.
Cheering you on from the other Washington.
If you happen to see 45, could you clean up that mess too? The thinking citizens of the world would be ever so grateful.
@KDemo I’m not the only Washingtonian who hates D.C. being referred to as “Washington” right?
@Mehsturbator Hey, plenty of us in the DMV hate it too. Worst is when you’re choosing your state(-like thing) from a dropdown and they’ve filed it under ‘Washington, DC’ instead of ‘District of Columbia’.
@Mehsturbator @brhfl - Extremely frustrating, especially when the media makes confusing assumptions. Even reporters in Washington State are guilty of the violation.
@brhfl - IKR? And those wasted seconds scrolling to the bottom of the list really add up!
@Mehsturbator When I lived out there and when I refer to living there now I just call it “Washington state”
So, I posted this and then completed ignored my email and the forums until returning to work today.
The march was fun, but very very warm. Also, because of some weird logistical things they had going, we didn’t actually hang with the Justice group (which is where our hearts are and where we wanted to be physically), but we did meet some folks.
Some highlights:
Maybe I’ll get around to posting pictures. It was an awesome trip. Maybe I’ll say more later, but I’ve about used up ten people’s quota for political comments here, and I’m afraid it would be mostly political.
@joelmw
I take it you enjoyed yourself.
@joelmw With any luck, someone will post images of you two educating the antichoicer. It sounds like a good time was had by all, and maybe you can go again.
@joelmw Glad you had a good time! Not sure why you didn’t take your own head count, do you not have 200,000 fingers?
If you walked past
Trump InternationalThe Old Post Office Building, presumably you walked past EPA as well. It’s a little understated compared to the gilded mess next door, but I hope people noticed.The Vietnam Veterans memorial is indeed very sobering in many ways. On a much smaller scale, I similarly appreciate the Japanese American Memorial to Patriotism During World War II which is kind of a long-winded name that rather awkwardly mushes together Japanese-American veterans who died and those who were held in internment camps.
Anyway, we appreciate you contributing to our problem of too many goddamned tourists, and hope you’ll do it again some time.
@brhfl
Agree.
@joelmw I think many of us would love some pix or more mini-essays.
And thank you for going.