At the NMAI, I found out that you can’t bring protest signs into Smithsonian buildings when a female protester was stopped by security at the door and told she had to leave her signs outside. Was she shocked? Yes. Was it funny? Yes. When we left the museum there were at least 20 signs outside. A security guard had to go out and move them (photos below). Duh! It’s a government building. You can’t just set up a mini protest outside the door.
At the urging of the friend I was with, we wondered up to the Capitol where a few hundred people had gathered to protest the health care bill (and democracy in my opinion). I can sum up what I saw very simply: Mob Mentality. One of the craziest things was a guy selling 2nd US Revolution flags. I asked him what the flag meant if he had a website. He told me it was for the 2nd Revolution and he gave me his card. I really wonder if he’s just making money off the fringe element in the Right or if he’s serious. Here are my other observations:
- I saw 4 black people participating out of hundreds. 95% of the rest of the crowd was white people who were of the Boomer generation or older (a few hispanics and asians sprinkled in). It made me wonder whether they would have the same feelings if they had cancer or some other disease and experienced issues with coverage.
- Out of the 4 black people, there was a guy selling flags, including yellow “Don’t Tread On Me” flags. He was down there representing Capitalism, not the Tea Party. Good for you bro, make that money.
- I would break this group into a few factions: The Stupid, The truly faithful far Right, Racists who are mad that a Black man won the Presidency, The Brainwashed, and The Fear Mongers.
- When they saw the Presidential motorcade appear they started shouting, “There he is!” and “There’s Obama!”. There was lots of booing and then they all started running to the east side of the Capitol where the motorcade was passing. It was kinda scary actually. It felt like a lynch mob. I was not surprised to hear that some of them yelled “nigger” and “faggot” at congressmen that day as well.
- Many of the signs were outrageous and didn’t make sense. One of them said “Health Care is a Privilege, Not a Right.”.
I’ve created a gallery of some of my health care reform bill protester photos below:
