Fourth of July in Yachats

My whole life got swallowed up in planning the vigil for July 12. People who said they could do this or that part later backed out, and I had to soothe their feelings so they didn't feel so guilty, find replacements, and change the public information. Over and over I said, "Thank you for having good boundaries. Thank you for taking care of yourself. We have time. I'll find someone else." 

Because there are TWO vigils with the same name at the same time, I had to explain over and over, "We are complementing each other's work, we are not in competition, we don't need to have a huge turnout, no, really, it's fine. No, we are not excluding anyone, no, we are not trying to 'split the movement,' and no, we do not have a Permit." There is no need for a Permit (a custom according to which protesters pay money to the police to bribe them not to hurt us) because we are not crossing any streets, and we are not blocking traffic. At the moment, according to our event pages, 700 are going to that one and 330 are coming to ours. We shall see.

On Thursday morning Sue and I left Portland for Yachats, a small coastal town where Sue's family often gathers. Currently about fifty members of her family are in Yachats (I'm writing this on Friday). Sue and I are more deeply conflicted about this holiday than we have ever been before. A recent blog suggested, "No 4th of July While Children Die," which is our feeling about it. However we were touched by the small-town parade, where some children marched with a "Please Vote" sign. That is our sentiment. Not flag-waving jingoistic nationalism.