Enoch Pratt Central Library, Baltimore
The Bill Ayers protesters looked like a bunch of old hippies
Bill Ayers and his wife Bernadine Dohrn were at the Enoch Pratt Central Library last night to promote their book Race Course: Against White Supremacy, which deals with the endurance of bigotry our criminal justice system, election processes, war policy and education.
Racism is bad, so who can argue with a book condeming it, right? No, the controversy over Bill Ayers had to do with his past as a member of the radical Weather Underground group and with the Republican Neo-conservative Lunatic Fringe's attempts to christen him as Barack Obama's "buddy" simply because they both served on the board of an anti-poverty group, Woods Fund of Chicago, between 1999-2002.
The library anticipated a big protest, but all I saw was a handful of docile grayhairs holding up hand-made signs and one goofball wearing one of those Uncle Sam hats you can get at Party City.
Nice hat, Uncle Sam!
Curiously, the biggest protest was from some African-American woman who started shouting at the all-white graybeards about how they were racists who hated having a Black president and how they wouldn't be so brave holding those signs up in her 'hood. It was a curious argument, because the woman was ranting against people who were against a man who was against racism. I guess she was ironically buying into the Right Wing Neo-Con Nutjob contention that Ayers and President Obama were, in fact, friends and therefore a dis against Ayers was a dis against Obama. Huh?
Sometimes I think people just like to shout and fuss on the city streets. To see this woman and what I mean, see WBAL 11 News' video report: Bill Ayers Speaks at Event.
Anyway, I didn't stay for the talk. I took a few pictures of the protesters, who were flattered by the media coverage, even from a nobody like me with a cheap, low-pixel digital camera.
I was more excited at the prospect of meeting WBAL reporter Kim Dacey. She's so cute!
Kim Dacey is ready for my close-up
She seemed genuinely flattered when I told her I was a fan and asked to take a picture of her. I've followed her with interest ever since I saw her freezing in the snow during weather reports last Winter. Too bad I didn't have a Sharpie pen on me, or I would have gotten her autograph.
Kim Dacey doing what she does
Kim Dacey interviewing Pratt's Roswell Encina
Related Links:
Kim Dacey's WBAL report (video)
Controversial Author Bill Ayers Speaks At Event (WBAL article)
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