A Photo Blog of the San Fernando Valley. With comment.
Standing alone for the blue, Ventura and Sepulveda.
The Sherman Oaks BLM chapter has been busking in front of The Galleria for 113 consecutive afternoons. On Sundays, Benjamin stands on the opposite corner and witnesses for the police. Sometimes the BLMers cross the intersection and do a walk by. Compared to scenes from Portland the exchange, or lack thereof, was civilized. Score one for the Valley. He gets grief from passing drivers sometimes but doesn’t mind too much. He says he enjoys it.
Stop kneeling. Unless you intend to unzip his fly, get off your knees. This will not satisfy the mob. Genuflecting is only the beginning. But you know that already. You like the mob. You agree with BLM. You’re modeling behavior for the rest of us to follow. You’re putting yourself at the head of the parade.
If contrition is what you wish to express there are a whole lot of business owners in this city, including Van Nuys, you might kneel before. They have no interest in having their fly unzipped, but they’ll settle for a wee bit of law and order.
Why wouldn’t we follow this guy anywhere?
Clearly he’s thought the politics of the thing all the way through. Plus, he’s never dirtied his hands by actually voting. He’s pure!
The guy on the left put a wrinkle into the narrative for about five minutes, bringing psychic relief and patriotic gratitude to the nation. Then he re-emerged in the morning to issue a POW video, er, correction…denouncing himself for embarrassing his teammates, who hid in the locker room while paying fans stood for the anthem.
Sports was our last redoubt. The de-militarized zone in 0ur increasingly militarized culture war beyond the grasping, poopy fingers of politics, the one place where everyone could put the feuding to the side for a couple hours.
At least the kneeling is for a good cause. Nothing bad happens after you torch the cop cars in your town.
Pay no attention to these faces. Really. These are people who know nobody and nobody knows. Besides, they’re not pretty like the Pied Piper.