Greetings from this benighted land of freedom! Yesterday was Independence Day, and my neighbors celebrated the occasion with a proper fireworks show in the middle of the street. Somewhere along the way it turned into a fistfight, which then devolved into gunfire. Murica!
It's always fun when muzzle flashes are the first thing you see when you look out the window. Figured that was enough excitement to do me for a little bit, but it turns out that was just the opening act. Was hanging out in the park playing board games this afternoon when we got word (and video) of the neo-Nazi and white supremacist group Patriot Front marching around downtown Louisville.
Brazen bastards. Chickenshit bastards too, we put the games away and headed for Injustice Square Park but they'd already skipped town by the time we got there. From what I gather, they were there just long enough to stage a quick photo op and then bailed. Seems their modus operandi is to stage these things well away from where they live, and to get in and out quick, before the locals respond.
Respond the locals did, as news filtered out through social media (the "news" media still hasn't mentioned it) folks made their way to the square, with more cruising around in vehicles looking for them. For all the ominous overtones of 'Neo-Nazis March Through Downtown,' there was an oddly reassuring side to it. Yeah, the fascists are getting braver, but this was a show of weakness rather than of strength, a carefully choreographed charade to distract from the fact that even they know their hatred is unwelcome here.
It was a good reminder that we need to be need to be prepared, while I hope that's the end of this nonsense, I'm not what you'd call an optimist. Still, all you fascists bound to lose.
*My Nikon came with me today, but it never made it out of the camera bag, all these photos are from the protests back in June.