Protest March

I’m not the kind to join a protest march. For one thing, I don’t believe modern protest marches actually accomplish anything more than give the protesters a “feel good” hour, at best. In previous decades (and centuries), I believe protest marches may have actually been a real force to show public opinion. But today, they’re more show and act.

I mentioned, back on December 13, that the school board of our area was reworking the local school districts to move/bus kids around to new schools. Our neighborhood is very unhappy about this. (And I agree with their unhappiness.) The parents of the area have deluged the school board with emails and phone calls decrying this proposal. Cowgrit is all over this thing — she tracks the news on it and keeps me informed of what’s going on with it.

A few days ago, the leaders of our neighborhood started planning a “walk to school day” as a show for how close our school and neighborhood is, and to show how unified the neighborhood parents are against the redistricting proposal. Cowgrit told me about it, and wanted me to walk with her and the boys that morning. I agreed by default (I didn’t say, “no”).

Thinking about it for a day or two, I thought it could be interesting. If the whole neighborhood showed up for the walk to school in the morning, it would be cool to see. Plus, we’ve talked about walking Calfgrit7 to school many times, anyway, so this was an excuse to finally do it, at least one time.

And, I have to admit, I did consider that this would be a show of literally “walking the walk” to support “talking the talk.” I still didn’t think anything would be accomplished by a united walk by a small neighborhood, but I’ve always supported the “put up or shut up” concept.

Yesterday morning was the date. The morning was very foggy, but fortunately, it was unseasonably warm — over 50 degrees. The four of us got out the door and immediately joined the family of four across the street. We walked down our short street and turned to head toward the school. The fog made it hard to see more than a hundred yards, but soon we saw the large crowd of walkers.

I was impressed. There were probably a couple hundred people walking down the sidewalk, police officers were around directing traffic, and there were at least two local news crews out. To make it a real protest march, there were a dozen or so signs held in the air with slogans like, “Don’t break the heart of our neighborhood!”

I was kind of embarrassed to be in a group holding protest signs. Walking to school with neighbors and friends is one thing, but actually carrying signs was tacky. But the news crews went for the parents with signs. As we passed one such interview, I asked Cowgrit and a friend if I should run up behind the interviewee and make a scene.

I could think of a few good things to shout: “Earnhardt!” “Freebird!” “Hey y’all, watch this!” But I held my cool and just walked Calfgrit7 to his school door.

The local newspaper reported, “. . . hundreds of [school] families holding a protest march at the school today to show how close they live to the campus.”

So I’ve now officially taken part in a “protest march.” I feel a little dirty. I should have at least gotten a tie-died t-shirt.

Bullgrit
bullgrit@totalbullgrit.com