In Case You Weren’t There

3 Signs that the March was imminent-

1. When I read the “funnies” in the morning newspaper, three comics were about gun violence.
2. I spied a little old lady in a puffy warm coat and expensive handbag, with her thumb out to hitch a ride on Wisconsin Avenue.
3. A middle aged plus lady stood at the subway station entrance handing out brown paper bags with snacks and water bottles in them, for free.

Once there, in a crowd of all ages, mostly but not all white, strollers, kids on their parent’s shoulders, dogs, wheelchairs… wielding signs ranging from professionally printed to the cardboard of a cereal box flattened out this morning.

Signs I read at the March-

• Veterans for common sense- children over gun companies
• (In front of the White House) Finland is free without guns. And they have more gold medals.
• Politics can be different- Thoughts and Prayers (crossed out, and underneath-) Policy and Change
• A Christian for gun control- Isiah 2:4

(The famous swords into plowshares verse.)

• Be the table-flipping Jesus you wish to see in the world

(I had to look that one up.  It’s Matthew 21:12 “Jesus entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.

• It’s so bad, even introverts are here
• (around a dog’s neck:) Biscuits not bullets
• Grab ‘em by the mid-terms
• Actually, guns do kill people

And over and over,

• Enough

And for the teachers-

• Pack lunch, not heat
• Guns are not school supplies
• If we expect our teachers to have guns, we should expect our Presidents to read books
• A teacher’s worst nightmare should be no lesson plans

And the dark, dark humor:

• There are better ways to reduce class size.

 

 

(Photo is of Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington D.C. March 24, 2018 Variety.)