The Scene: League of Women Voters Ohio House Dist 34 Candidates Debate, Anderson Twp Government Center, 7954 Beechmont Ave, at 7:00p with Tom Brinkman and Steve Silver. (The debate was supposedly broadcast live on Anderson's local cable station.)

Beechmont was busy, but the debate location is midway between two lights, so sometimes the traffic sped by.

Even so, a lot of people got a good look at the sign. There were far more supports than otherwise.

The debate location is right by a sheriff station, so I got a lot of attention right off the mark.

This fellow, Sargent Dean, was about the forth or fifth officer to go by me. He stopped and said he wasn't with me or against me, but he wanted to know if I had any ID, and what my intentions were. I told him that yes, I had ID, and that my intentions were to stand where I was until about fifteen minutes after the meeting starteed, and then go home.

The officer then said that was OK, and asked again if I had ID. I said yes, and asked if he wanted to see it. He said yes, and I said, OK, that's a different question, then, isn't it? I dug out my license and gave it to the officer. He swiped in into a box on his console and handed back saying "OK, Raymond." I think he was being friendly, not condescending, by using my first name instead of the more professional "Mr. Owens" I usually get. When he handed me back my license, I gave him an unrelated.net\antiwar business card and said "you see, it's not about me."

He kind of smiled at that, so I then asked if I could take his picture. He said he couldn't stop me. I took out my camera, said "smile please" and took his photo.

A lot of people went by. A few showed mild disagreement, but many showed approval. Most showed no reaction at all. This, strange and to say, is something of an improvement over my last excursions to Anderson. Strange, because I wasn't expecting the mellowing; sad, because I think it means the highspirited in-your-face jingoism of the past is being replace by a melancholy realization of betrayal and failure.

So it goes.

Notice:
Today's sign event page is dedicated to the all the people who attend debates.

More fun later,

Ray

Written Oct. 17, 2006