Red's Wrap
Happiness. It's relative.
Saturday Morning at the Sign Protest
Yesterday, at the sign protest we do every Saturday, three new guys showed up and muscled their way to the coveted corner of the very busy intersection. One of them held an ancient anti-abortion sign, the same very graphic and factually incorrect visual that I remember from abortion clinic defense in the 90’s. They had only one sign between them, the two other guys apparently charged with looking big and bad. And they did kind of.
Our corner captain told us to ignore them and not engage. But it bothered me that people driving by would think we were supporting their cause. I inched down the block to create some distance. Two thoughts went through my head. The first was if you don’t approve of abortion, don’t have one. And the second was from my dad who had this response to 99% of people’s choices, including abortion: It’s no skin off my nose.
Why would these guys invest their Saturday morning purposely choosing a public place with a raft of older people demonstrating for immigrants and affordable health care so they can flash their raggedy anti-abortion sign?
My protest friend and I talked about this for a while, but then she wrapped up the conversation by shrugging and saying this: They have as much right to be here as we do.
So we went back to holding our signs over our heads and waving at passing traffic. My sign said, ‘Justice for Immigrants and Refugees’ and hers said, ‘Without Due Process, It’s Kidnapping’. We got many thumbs up, a lot of horn honking, waves, and smiles. Plus, a sweet comrade came by twice with a box full of fresh donuts. It was cold but not terrible and when we were done, I was glad I’d come, like I always am. Even just to remember that standing up for our rights often means actually standing up.
I love these little lessons, these reminders of what is the actual point of protests and demonstrations. Free speech. Exercising our rights. Yes, of course: They have as much right to be here as we do.
Just wanted to pass that along on this quiet Sunday evening.
One Comment on “Saturday Morning at the Sign Protest”
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Snow Door | wisconsinacademy.org
Listen to Jan read her essay “Billy” presented on WUWM’s Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “At the Breakfast Bar” on WUWM Lake Effect
Jan’s essay “The Parish Hall,” on WUWM Lake Effect
“Fury Cannot Touch Me,” Modern Love, NYT, 9/29/11
You showed admirable self-control. The fact that it was men—with absolutely NO risk to their own health or bodies from pregnancy—holding those raggedy-ass signs makes me wish all manner of evil upon them.