Dem
47
GOP
53
We still have some No Kings reports we want to run. For today, it's a single narrative, but an interesting one, from something of a No Kings sequel, courtesy of reader D.E. in Ann Arbor, MI:
A local group organized an extra No Kings Day yesterday, because there was a home football game (Michigan vs. Purdue), which brings many tens of thousands of out-of-towners into my hometown of Ann Arbor. I had a ticket for the game, but I decided to join the demonstration beforehand.
The plan was to hold up signs at two locations where busy roads into town cross. I headed that way on my bicycle, with my homemade sign in my panniers. On my way to the designated spot, I encountered a small but mighty group of picketers at a different intersection and decided to join them instead.
Though I didn't know any of them, we were soon fast friends, all bonded by facing our fellow citizens at a busy crossroads, holding signs expressing our dismay with our country's slide into fascism.
There were eight of us braving bracing Michigan autumn air. We were all older folks, white, three men and five women. I have read (including on Electoral-Vote.com) that nonwhite folks are reluctant to join these types of protests for (justified) fear of becoming victims of police action. Fair enough. We white folks elected this sh**show, and it's on us to end it. Some of our biggest waves and smiles did come from cars full of nonwhite people, though.
We were near Ann Arbor's beloved Stadium Hardware, along Stadium Boulevard, which (surprise!) leads to the stadium, and West Liberty street. It doesn't get too much more symbolic than that, I just now realized.
Unlike protesting downtown in dark-blue Ann Arbor, we were exposing our handmade signs to motorists (and a few cyclists, pedestrians, and motorcyclists) from all over our quadrant of this purple state.
Busy traffic came by us from all directions. Many hundreds of cars passed us. About a quarter of the occupants honked, gave a thumbs up, opened their window to cheer, or gave some other kind of encouragement. We waved and grinned at them, encouraged.
Maybe one or two percent yelled, swore, gave us the finger or otherwise gave negative feedback. We jovially waved to them, too. A few of our critics rolled down their windows and engaged us; for example, the gentleman who noticed our No Kings motif and said, "Did you forget about Queen Whitmer (our governor)? Did you all get your shots?"
I often ask myself "What good does standing on the street carrying a sign do?" The President has his ICE goons and, more and more, the armed forces at his disposal. But each time I muster up the grit to go and actually hold the sign, I once again realize why it's important. It's not the sign carriers ourselves who are impacted, it's the passing drivers.
Lots of people aren't obsessed with politics and current events, they have busy lives. Or maybe they feel, as I often do, completely overwhelmed by the latest unimaginable news out of Washington, and feel there isn't anything they can do, so they just tune out (again, as I often do).
But when they see us, they see irrefutable evidence that there are folks who aren't OK with what's happening to our country and are willing to put themselves out there to say so. When they hear the many encouraging honks, they may realize that we have a lot of support.
Action, no matter how small, is the antidote to despair. The most encouraging thing that happened yesterday was that two folks, one a pedestrian and one a motorist (who pulled over in heavy traffic in a very dangerous way!) asked for contact info so that they could participate next time. This is how movements grow, one person at a time.
As I left the corner to ride over to the stadium, the sun broke through and bathed the streetside trees, with their spectacular autumn attire, in golden light.
Thanks for reading! No one will ever mistake me for an artist, but this was my sign:
Thanks, D.E.! More tomorrow. (Z)