Heroes and anti-heroes

Here's Sue exiting the post office this afternoon as we contemplate the possible demise of said post office, endangered by the current President as he tries to obstruct voting by mail. If there are no machines for him to hack, there's less chance he can "win." So now he wants to eliminate the post office.

What's next is an update on local protests and protesters for those who are interested. Those not interested can stop here. 

Once the Feds backed away from the Justice Building, the major media reps went home, leaving the Black Lives Matter movement to clash with our local police for no eyes but our own. By day, we lobby the city council, the State legislature, and our representatives in Congress, demanding at the least reform of policing, and at best abolition of police as we know them. Every night, some 100-400 people show up at the Police Union or one of the police precinct buildings. Nocturnal protesters include small but sturdy contingents of the Walls of Moms, Dads, and Vets, Antifascists, Anarchists, and Anti-racism activists (considerable overlap among these groups). Wearing black bloc or color-coordinated t-shirts along with helmets and gas masks, they chant, wave signs, splash paint or spray graffiti, and occasionally set off small fireworks or start small trash fires. In return the local police "bull-rush" lines of protesters by running at them in formation and beating them with truncheons. When the protesters don't leave, the police fire impact munitions, pepper spray, and finally tear gas. Yes, tear gas. Every night. By about 2 a.m. everyone gives up and goes home. 

We are told by our factually-unreliable President that the Border Patrol, the Department of Homeland Security, and the mercenaries sent here over a month ago are still here, no longer wearing uniforms, deployed to various small hotels, "keeping watch" over us on the President's behalf until after the elections. Are they still here? We don't know. But the likelihood of fascist observers among us is not only infuriating but also destabilizing. 

This coming weekend, according to social media, the right-wing "Patriot Prayer" group is massing in the suburbs to hold a Trump 2020 rally on Sunday afternoon. They tell us they will be fully armed and willing to shoot antifascists who protest their presence. If the Feds are in town, we are sure they'll be attending that rally. This can't be good.