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And man, was it something. I got there quite early. The festivities didn't start until six, and I managed to pull in by about five. And ended up volunteering to help put up a banner behind a small set of platforms for the musicians and other performers. It's just amazing what you can do with some rope and rebar.
They had set up a number of game for young and old, with every thing designed to educated the participants both about the constitution and bill of rights, as well as the things the Patriot Act contained. And I tell you, it gets worse each time I hear it.
There was a stand there to educate folks about industrial hemp. And man was THAT an education. Some of the products that could be made from hemp blew my mind. Every thing from presswood, to plastic. But what was even more interesting was watching the skeptics question the sitters at the table.
And there was a disrupter there too. Nothing violent mind you, he just tried to debate this fella who manned one of the tables. This guy was actually quite skillful in twisting the debate. In the span of 5 minutes, listening like a fly on a wall, I saw a whole host of little weaselly tricks.
It took him on for a bit, but he didn't like debating with me because I debated with enough volume for the crowd to here, and called him on his attempt to change the topic from the Patriot Act, to my position. So he took on another person from the crowed. But he clearly saw the trick I exposed, and didn't let him get by with it either. There are some sharp people that come to these protests, I can tell you. And I can always count on some fascinating conversations.
But I learned something from disrupter that you can't see over the message board. I saw just how he viewed himself as superior to us liberals and progressives. For one thing, when I tried to jump in, he gave me this "I am debating with this guy over here" response. So I backed off, and let the two go. But as I observed, he decided that I was standing to close to him, and he ordered me to back off. The SOB actually ordered me to back off. I was "infringing on his liberty." And suddenly, he was debating me, not the other guy.
Yay, that cheesed me off something serious. So I told the audience this. (They had also seen me but out too, so this wasn't wasted on them.) And the look of astonishment on his face was priceless. And he took a step back. All though I am told that being 6' 2", I can be quite physically imposing to the average guy. But with my hand in my pocket and leaning on a poll, I don't see how he could have seen me as a threat. And that was the last thing he ever said to me as he looked for a softer target.
There is an old saying. No one is so dumb that you can't learn from him. All though he may not appreciate the lessons you take away.
I then went back to the stage to listen to some of the entertainers. At the time, a there was a woman singing country music protest songs. And I have to tell you, her stuff was moving and powerful. But my jaw dropped when she took up the song "Living in the waste land, of the free" as I suddenly recognized her song from what I heard from the internet. I also learned how that song was played on a Florida public radio, and was shut down by a Republican for doing so. But I was just taken by how some one of such fame, was signing from such a simple and modest stage.
I spend most of the day, chatting with patrons, and listening like a fly on a way to as many conversations as I could find. I am always interested in learning something. I stade to the vary end to help clean it up. After all, I put the banner up, I though I should help take it down. (It wasn't a big banner, about 10 foot wide or so.) It was another good Sunday rally in Kansas City.
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