thependulumswings

But, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkin couldn’t help herself.  She proclaimed last Friday, a full eight days early that this was already a “Summer of Love.”  Her early proclamation stemmed from her enthusiasm after a visit to the six city square blocks she forfeited to The Movement.  The Movement has created a city within the Emerald City you know.

They call it CHAZ (Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone).  Or, they called it CHAZ.  Over the weekend, verbal and physical disagreements over the name mushroomed out of the groundswell.  It’s now attempting to rebrand itself as CHOP.  That’s the acronym for Capitol Hill Organized(or Occupied) Protest.  What’s in a name anyway?  The Movement moves fast.

It moved fast enough to create a border with vehicles and fencing blocking off the occupied area.  It requires an ID to get in.  It patrols its periphery with armed guards carrying concealed weapons.  It throws (literally) people out that it doesn’t like or agree with.  It sounds similar to the very concerns that they are protesting against.

Leaders (we use the term loosely) stated that they have no intent to cede from the U.S.  Too bad.

It’s even turned a city park into a makeshift farm.  Occupier Marcus Henderson calls in “guerilla gardening.”  The group is “trying to rethink public spaces into places that also nourish us.”  Is there a better example of “woke” than that, ever?

The Seattle Times wrote that it’s a “festival-like atmosphere.”  Seattle’s Bureau of Tourism must be champing at the bit to market it.  Occupiers quickly reminded the reporter that the takeover is a protest against systemic racism and police violence.  That’s two worthy causes.  We’ll see how they police themselves as the start inside has been rough and tumble.  The judge and jury seem to be limited to raising your fist and voice thus far.

Thank goodness it’s only the Summer of Love.  Everyone will need to get home by Fall to get the mail-in ballots mailed to them.  We’re assuming that the occupants actually have a permanent home of course.

School’s out for summer too.  And Saturday in New Orleans John McDonogh’s statue was out as well.  Protesters there had enough.  They toppled it and carried it and threw it into the Mississippi River.  McDonogh was a slave owner.  Although during his life McDonogh was an infamous miser, he left the bulk of his close to $2 million fortune to the cities of Baltimore and New Orleans for the purpose of building public schools for poor children—specifically, white and freed black children. This was unprecedented and proved controversial.  The New Orleans public school system had been established in 1841, but the McDonogh Fund facilitated major expansion. Eventually, over 30 schools were built.

The NOLA public school system achieved a second to none status across America back then.  Now, it’s deteriorated to one that’s second to all.

Who knew that tossing a statue of a known slave owner turned philanthropist could solve the educational system’s failures?  It won’t, but many will say it’s a start.  McDonogh’s money then in today’s dollars is $92 million.  Back then it was a start.

Meanwhile, Atlanta’s summer isn’t off to a lovely start.  A suspect is shot running away from the cops. The police chief resigns.  A Wendy’s gets burned to the ground near where it happened.

What America needs right now actually is a Coke and a smile.  Then we could teach the world to sing.   

What’s better than guerilla gardened apple trees and perfect harmony in 2020, a year when every day feels like the longest day of the year?