Code Pink Journals CodePINK Journals

Work 4 Peace,Hold All Life Sacred,Eliminate Violence! I am on my mobile version of the door-to-door, going town-to-town holding readings/gatherings/discussions of my book "But What Can I Do?" This is my often neglected blog mostly about my travels since 9/11 as I engage in dialogue and actions. It is steaming with my opinions, insights, analyses toward that end of holding all life sacred, dismantling the empire and eliminating violence while creating the society we want ALL to thrive in

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Midnite driving thru North Carolina

I'm trying to make it to Greensboro before Sunday a.m. so I'll have time to spend with a sistah compañera I'm looking forward to visiting there so I'm driving east in the middle of the night on I40.

This is only a 2 lane interstate freeway with very little traffic on it - maybe a car every 5 or 10 minutes but at least 5 cars have pulled over to the shoulder and allowed me to pass them, before pulling back onto the highway to hover behind me with their bright lights on.

I'm thrilled they are taking the time to read everything - thrill tinged with a little high alert notice as I keep my cell phone close and prepare for danger.

But every single car and truck that takes the time to re-read the back of my truck, eventually pulls out from behind me and passes silently into the pitch black night. No reactions, no speeding off angrily, no blasting  horns or honking affably in solidarity. Nothing.


What???? The prick...

As I pass the perimeter leaving Atlanta in heavy traffic (the Bay traffic is nothing compared to Atlanta...), a young white man passing me in a newish dodge van has rolled down his passenger window and is angrily screaming something at the top of his lungs at me.

I've changed my response tactic while driving: I used to flash the peace sign or the "I love you" sign at folks who gave the finger or otherwise expressed their disapproval for something that is written on my truck. Now I shrug my shoulders questioningly, raise my upturned palms and say in what I hope is a bewilderingly way: "WHAT???? WHAT???"

Which I did as this young man passed but he flew by me - as much as one can fly in heavy traffic - so quickly I couldn't catch what he said.

But then traffic stopped in his lane and I approached as rapidly as I could. His window was still open and I shouted "WHAT?" out mine. He stops even with my window, abruptly leans across the empty passenger's seat and indignantly demands in the nastiest tone he can summons: "Are you voting for Hillary?"

I said, no, I don't think so. I'm probably voting for Jill Stein - and he relaxes a little into his driver's seat and repeats several times: "oh, okay then, that's okay then" like he's giving me permission to spread the truth about 'rump as long as I'm not voting for Hillary, like it's any of his business who I'm voting for.

So I put a little pin prick in his bubble of permission and firmly declare: "but I wouldn't mind at all if Hillary won."

He reverts back to disgusted and takes off before quickly slamming on his brakes, as traffic is not moving a tenth as fast as he is. Prick.