So, my husband and I own a home in the LA adjacent mountain town of Idyllwild, California, population just under 4000 permanent residents. At noon today, I joined a nice, large crowd of high school students, teachers, parents, children and grandparents to March For Our Lives. There was a large banner and an American flag, lots of extra posters for anyone who wanted to join in. Speakers talked about how gun violence impacts their lives and students sobbed as they spoke about the fear of gun violence in their lives. I held a big sign facing the main thoroughfare that said MARCH FOR OUR LIVES, so cars driving into town would understand why there was a crowd forming, but I had to leave before the marching began to take care of my sick husband waiting at home and I walked to the local market to get him some food and that's where the action took place that sums up the disfunction of our country.
The marchers headed in the same direction I took, chanting ENOUGH IS ENOUGH and VOTE THEM OUT and, as I was checking out, the marchers appeared in front of the market windows and male workers suddenly lined up inside to watch. One big guy announced with disdain, “They're poor fools protesting Trump signing that tax bill.” I loudly announced they were protesting gun violence that kills kids in schools and another worker said, “They want to give our guns to illegals!” To which I replied, “You don't need assault rifles to protect yourselves!” The response? “Bye.” And I walked out, threading my way through the ongoing line of marchers.
So, the uninformed had no idea that a march would be staged today anywhere, let alone their tiny mountain town, and their response was to dismiss it or denegrate it, hoping whatever they were selling would be bought by any onlookers. Glad I was there to at least speak some truth to their lies. Glad the marchers got their attention, too. Damn. The uninformed masses are ruining this country wholesale.