kill all rats
i'm on a blog roll.
no really, i just had to share the disturbing turn of events on the picket line that i was witness to this morning:
so we strikers are all in front of the nyu library, gathered around a few faculty members supportive of the union to hear them speak on our behalf. they aren't miked so everyone is trying to be silent so the sound carries. then, from washington square park just across the street the sound of another protest starts up, so i look over to see what it is. there, i observe people milling about a giant inflated rat, much like our own union rat that we are all gathered around (see below). i think, hmm, maybe sympathizers to our cause? then i see a line of about 10 people come out of the park towards us carrying signs and chanting. one of them is dressed as a giant furry rat. i furrow my brow, squint to see better. who are these people? the procession comes closer, and as they notice the silence on our picket line as we strain to hear our speakers, they get louder. finally, details emerge. i see that their signs say "we're new yorkers too". i hear them yell, over and over, "rats never hurt nobody, rats never hurt nobody!" they stop directly across from us and intensify their screaming. it is as if they are directing it at us. i feel faint. they are not our supporters. they are supporters of rats.
yes, the polite decorum of the session of faculty speeches on our picket line had been disrupted by defenders of the lives of the rats of washington square park. the battle cries of those against the extermination of workers' rights had been overpowered by the call to arms of those against the extermination of the most vile, filthy creatures breeding and spreading disease/fear/despair in this city. the scornful expression on their faces seemed to say, "a pox on your trivial struggle. how can you fight union-busting in the face of rodent injustice?"
good grief.
rats never hurt nobody?
on top of it all, i had a nightmare about rats in my apartment last nite. a bad one.
how does everything seem so insane sometimes?
no really, i just had to share the disturbing turn of events on the picket line that i was witness to this morning:
so we strikers are all in front of the nyu library, gathered around a few faculty members supportive of the union to hear them speak on our behalf. they aren't miked so everyone is trying to be silent so the sound carries. then, from washington square park just across the street the sound of another protest starts up, so i look over to see what it is. there, i observe people milling about a giant inflated rat, much like our own union rat that we are all gathered around (see below). i think, hmm, maybe sympathizers to our cause? then i see a line of about 10 people come out of the park towards us carrying signs and chanting. one of them is dressed as a giant furry rat. i furrow my brow, squint to see better. who are these people? the procession comes closer, and as they notice the silence on our picket line as we strain to hear our speakers, they get louder. finally, details emerge. i see that their signs say "we're new yorkers too". i hear them yell, over and over, "rats never hurt nobody, rats never hurt nobody!" they stop directly across from us and intensify their screaming. it is as if they are directing it at us. i feel faint. they are not our supporters. they are supporters of rats.
yes, the polite decorum of the session of faculty speeches on our picket line had been disrupted by defenders of the lives of the rats of washington square park. the battle cries of those against the extermination of workers' rights had been overpowered by the call to arms of those against the extermination of the most vile, filthy creatures breeding and spreading disease/fear/despair in this city. the scornful expression on their faces seemed to say, "a pox on your trivial struggle. how can you fight union-busting in the face of rodent injustice?"
good grief.
rats never hurt nobody?
on top of it all, i had a nightmare about rats in my apartment last nite. a bad one.
how does everything seem so insane sometimes?
posted by lalista | 8:34 PM
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