Choose Your Speed...

Gotta Love 'Em!                  Photo: © Stan Banos

I can only begin to guess how many protests, marches, and demonstrations the two above have between them. You just know they're hardcore (and cute), and have been for decades on in. 

The two below... not so much. But while some will be quick to find fault, hey, this is where many people's participatory level lies. And at the very least, they are sympathetic- unless you apply the completely cynical view that they have that sign displayed simply so they won't be disturbed from their leisure (and no doubt, there's many a Black Lives Matter sign displayed on homes and businesses as a matter of cheap insurance rather than solidarity). But before I, or we, are so quick to judge...

Attending all the protests, doesn't do all that much once the event's over- does it? It's what we do between them that counts: voting, organizing, getting the word out, challenging the status quo.  I remember one rally where a brother informed the assembled flat out that most of them didn't have skin in the game, most of them didn't get beaten by cops where they lived, most of them hadn't gone to jail for simply standing up for their everyday rights- most of them were just there to feel good about themselves on one very beautiful day! 

Now, that particular speech... didn't go down particularly well. Ya might even say a whole lotta people did not appreciate it one single bit. And I know, cause I was purposely looking about to register their looks and grunts of discomfort and disapproval. And hey, I'm not pulling a holier than thou here folks; I'm a relatively light skinned Latin X, I got some measure of anonymity- in a crowd at least, not so much in a department store ('specially when I sported a 'fro, instead of a bald head). But I've never been busted for my beliefs (or looks), so my street cred's shit. But we all must live our beliefs in between the marches to some extent- which means we all must dare beyond our comfort zones some times, if those beliefs are sincere...

Protest Lite...           Photo: © Stan Banos