Talked to her this morning. She’d seen this picture of mine showing how to put a sign on a freeway while barely having to leave your car and gave it a go.
She only had seven feet of hose and said it took her about fifteen minutes because she was using tape and I recommended taping wire coat hangers to the sign next time. The wire instantly attaches cardboard to just about anything and just makes the whole process go easier and quicker.
I have to say our chat left me with mixed feelings. I mean, I want people to speak out and all: I want them to do it now and to as many people as possible. I don’t just “want” it, at this point I honestly see it as our only hope. And while I certainly admired her spirit, I hadn’t really pictured people requiring oxygen assistance as being our first line of defense. Now I’m hardly a war scholar, and I know it sounds ableist, but I’m pretty sure traditionally those are the troops you’re supposed to save for last. Anyway, I hope those of you who don’t currently require breathing assistance will be encouraged by this, and for those of you who do: a 62 year old woman in Colorado Springs just robbed you of what used to be a perfectly good excuse.
Fortunately, Colorado Springs is one of the few cities we have active signposters, so next time she’ll have help. The last thing I want is for someone to get hurt. I spent most of the last ten years seeing my mother through to the end and I know that after a certain point just falling down is practically a death sentence. Here’s a story about it.
Summarized, I figure the people who should be doing this are the Vets. They’ve sacrificed years for this country, and presumably should be willing to put in a few more hours towards saving that investment. Also, they’re warriors, and freewayblogging is just like war without the violence: you use things like the lay of the land, line of sight, speed, stealth and deception to beat the enemy. You try to do as much as possible with the least amount of effort — like that parking lot up there. Putting words in front of eyeballs is like fighting a war without violence, and without violence, war is just a game. And trust me, once you commit yourself to it, you’ll find putting words in front of eyeballs is the greatest game you’ll ever play.
But here’s the most important thing our veterans should know and that our activists still need to learn: you don’t just “participate.” You fucking fight until you win.
Here are the latest signs from the usual suspects and some promising newcomers: