Richard, who I do not believe I have ever actually met, is the subject of my ongoing platonic lovefest. He recently started a new blog and one post in particular made me want to send him flowers and teddy bears.
On Punkpink is a Bandit’s Tip, he writes about inconsiderate leftist activists:
I would like to suggest that the sponsors, their allies all come out one day this week. It will be called ”Let’s call it clean up our mess day.” On that day they will go around to all the poles, boxes, buildings and other places that they have dumped their non read litter and clean it up. If they don’t I want to tell them get out of these neighborhoods. We have enough problems here just being, just living. Do not come around here if all you are going to do is plaster the place with leaflets, march through our streets yelling and screaming.
In the past, I have written about ill-mannered folks who come into a place to protest something (usually a war) and don’t show any respect for those living here. They come in, yell, and leave. Sometimes they will complain about a perceived lack of parking, which I think is a sign that they did not do their homework. Other times, they litter the area with signs, leaflets, coffee cups, etc. It’s infuriating to hear the chant of “whose streets? our streets!” coming from people who can make no such claims. I mean, they have not even looked up directions to see how to find the jail in relation to where the protest spot is, which, you know, is kind of mandatory when going to protest. I believe in the right to protest, and I believe it is a civil duty right up there with voting, but I think people should be more mindful about how they protest.
Richard writes about leaflets that remain taped and/or wheatpasted around the city. When I saw these signs go up, I sighed, knowing that they would not be removed in a timely fashion. Newsflash: litter, inconveniencing the working class, and being a general nuisance is not going to stop the war in Iraq, and it’s not going to ally you with “the people.”
Robert Cotto
What are your thoughts about parades in the city? Some of them tend to get even messier than the protests!
kerri
I find that to be annoying but in a different way. Whereas activists often come riding in on a moral high horse, parade-goers make no claims. They are there to have fun. In either case, a home is turned into either someone’s personal podium or amusement park. Obviously, being the capital city in CT, it’s expected that protests and parades and running races will happen here– I think there are more mindful ways to have these events without severely inconveniencing residents. Check out Richard’s post about how these things impact bus service.
Richard
100% with Kerri’s response.
Personally I do not care for parades. Perhaps its because I have no little Johnny to wave at or a Joni to clap for, I hate marching bands, beauty queens and row after row of civic organizations. Yes, parades do mess up all of us who live here and take the bus. The messing up our everyday is what bothers me.
Some parades do grow from the neighborhood, planned by our neighbors and by those who live here such as the Puerto Rican and African American parades. These are celebrations of us, citizens of Hartford. I think Hartford charges for these events and the money goes towards clean up and the police. Most of the time notice is given, with signs on the buses, but as with everything there are many improvements that could be put in place. These improvements have been suggested to Ct. Transit by many of us who depend on the bus. There is so much more to do to make sure our people in the city can get to where they need to go and not be inconvenienced.
One of the main points that I was trying to make is those of us who talk about and work for a new day should be mindful when we plan any type of event of how we come across to the very people we need in order to create, build, support and sustain a new day. I don’t think we go about it by disregarding anyone, by littering their neighborhoods,keeping people from going about their everyday, or as recently burning their cars or businesses, smashing their windows and making life misreable. The common people are not to blame for the trouble we see.