There are perhaps thirty listening, six or seven more on the stage. They also have that indispensable implement for activists: a table full of literature. Bravo!
Meanwhile, more than a dozen reporters continue to circulate around the zone, as if engaging in a strange game of media cakewalk, desperately searching for the chair which they can transform into a story, and thus justify their presence here.
I DIDN'T KNOW THE POLICE HAD AN OFFICIAL RIGHT TO TELL US WHERE TO PROTEST, OR TELL US HOW TO PROTEST....
Could this be the story? Can you put "free speech" into a concentration camp? Sprich Macht Frei!
WE'RE SITTING HERE SURROUNDED BY A FENCE THAT LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE THE FENCE AT THE BORDER....
Host laughs in his tent and scribbles down the speaker's righteous protest against scripted protest. Just like the convention across the street, he reflects. Everything packaged into perfect periods of time, controlled by a clockwork switchbox. Heh heh. Kind of like how I dream of arranging my writing into URLs... except that to a certain degree, YOU get to put your hand on the switch.
"Hello? Is this where we sign in?""Yes, it is. Are you the American Heritage Association?"
"Yes, we are. Is this the sheet?"
"Uh-huh. Organization, your name, and the time you will be speaking."
The lovely lady (dressed coincidentally, in red, but definitely not "the" lady in red) sets down her bag, bends, scribbles.
"Ummm... we've been wondering what exactly is the American Heritage Association?"
"Well..." she straightens up, smiling, "you may have heard about people in the south being prosecuted, even persecuted, for wearing or displaying the Confederate flag, or other items of Confederate history?"
"Yes... yes, I have."
"Well, we believe that all Confederate images are part of American history, too, and deserve as much protection as the Stars and Stripes, for example. In fact, my friend and I will be hanging up two Confederate flags on the stage. There won't be any problem with that, will there?"
"Oh, no, you can put up whatever banner or sign you like...."
Now this, Danial thinks, is going to be interesting. A lady from the south who will hang up Confederate flags right after the Young Socialists finish their talk?
BOTH THE DEMOCRATIC AND REPUBLICAN PARTIES HAVE SOLD OUT TO THE CAPITALISTS WHO RUN THIS COUNTRY, AND NEITHER OFFERS ANY ALTERNATIVE TO THE STATUS QUO, BUSINESS AS USUAL, SYSTEMS OF PATRONAGE AND FAVORITISM THAT....
American Heritage, eh? Confederate heritage, actually. But... she is, after all, a lady. Not just a good old girl, no. This woman is a real lady of the South... no, she's not going to upset anyone. She could charm Lincoln into a peace treaty, almost.
What a curious place this protest zone is turning out to be!
Set a spell at the "Table" of Contents.