Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right… August 30, 2004 ~ 10:43 am
Posted by Julie in : Daily Grind , trackbackJust heard that song on the radio and it seemed so accurate I had to use it for a title.
Well, the heat didn’t keep the protesters from filling the streets yesterday. I didn’t do the march since we were opening the Youngest’s birthday presents at her mother’s place (and for those of you that know me, that means yes, I finally met the Ex. But that’s another story.) My friend Jordana and her husband went, though, and they said the streets were filled. The route was from 14th Street up to 34th Street, a dogleg over a couple of blocks, and then back down to 14th. The New York Times today said that as the first protesters made their way back to 14th Street, the last groups of them had not even left the starting point yet. And yet the media is denying that there were 500,000 in the streets yesterday. Hell, even a police officer present at the march said there were 500,000 people. Just report that 500,000 people who have problems with the Bush agenda took to the streets and participated in a peaceful march already! But no, we don’t want to admit that there’s such opposition to El Presidente. This downplaying of facts is becoming habit for those reporting rallies in New York. It’s really maddening to know what’s going on and then not seeing it accurately portrayed for the rest of the country. I’m sure everyone who protested is being viewed as rabid anarchist, including John Kerry’s sister, who marched for reproductive rights this weekend. You go, girl.
Rick and I did make it to the rally in Central Park yesterday evening. Despite not having a permit, a few thousand people made their way to the Great Lawn for an impromptu gathering. Very peaceful, very quiet aside from the klezmer band that was playing. Tons of cops around, but they were just keeping an eye on things and not hassling anyone. Over all, a very mellow experience, although I was glad to see that the Lawyer’s Guild had marked observers out. It was nice to know that if anything did happen, someone was watching out for our rights.
My camera spazzed on me, saying my memory card is locked, but if I figure out how to unlock the stupid thing, I’ll take pictures of the streets. It was nearly deserted in Manhattan this weekend, and kind of reminded me of right after 9/11. Helicopters in the sky all weekend, cops and firefighters everywhere, and a creepy kind of quiet. Even the traffic on the streets was strangely subdued. We’ll see if this holds out.
And speaking of 9/11, I get the feeling that no holds will be barred tonight as the Republicans take the stage in Madison Square Garden. Rudy Guiliani is supposed to speak, and while I have great admiration for the way Rudy led this city in the hours, days, and weeks following 9/11, I don’t approve of him using that tragedy to win votes. Yeah, Bush went to war because of those attacks, and the whole platform is about how Dubya has “kept us safe” through his war on terrorism, but you know what I remember thinking the afternoon of September 11? And the next day? I was thinking “Thank God Rudy’s taking care of us, because Dubya is anywhere but here. What the hell is he doing?”
I understand that the President must be kept safe, but in the hours that followed the attacks, when all there was to do was sit in front of the TV with my neighbors, inhaling the pervasive stench of burnt buildings, planes, office supplies, and lives, watching the count of the missing rise, all I could think was “Where’s the leader of my country?” I felt abandoned. And tonight the Republicans are going to capitalize on that day. And I’ll spend tonight watching those speeches and remembering what it was like on my end.
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