Sunday, October 23, 2011

Occupy El Paso

And, so...the protesters had occupied the downtown plaza for a week, now. Hipster kids mostly, lounging in the grass laughing, talking, playing hacky-sack as demonstration signs lean scattered askew nailed or hung to posts and trees. The protesters only stir from their idle reverie when the camera arrives - leaping up to get their greasy, hairy faces seen by the folks back home.
A just cause. But, in the end, futile.
Yesterday, I spoke with one of their ring leaders who invited me to attend a 'rally' that was to begin at seven that evening. He became somewhat belligerent when I stated that why was no one protesting and just laying around. If only they or any protesters for that matter, could harness that anger into a force that could be reckoned with.
Well, I was hit up several times by scrawny, white kids with dread locks for cigarettes. At least, that was motivation for something.
You should be here!! Occupy!! a sign blares. Indeed. It seems the prevailing motive with the local hipsters is to be at least part of "Something...anything."
I wanted to gather the nerve to blatantly ask one of these gung-ho occupiers if they indeed had made a difference. But, much like them, I don't care.
On a lighter note - the occasional car still whizzed by honking. Yet, as we all realize, honking will not change things. I could stand on the corner brandishing a sign that said Honk If You're Horny and get the same reaction. Hell, most of the protesters barely looked up at the passing autos - lazy fucks! Do something!
The only positive thing was that the protesters encampment had put a curb on the screaming preachers that infest the plaza. It hadn't deterred the hobos and sexual predators, though. With all the kids around, they came out in legion.
I sat on a bench, bored after handing out my umpteenth smoke and just left with the realization that ones that the protesters are protesting against had won a long time ago...

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