[ Disclaimer : this is a somewhat disjointed post,it is late, it was a LONG day, and I am going to a funeral a LONG way a way early in the morning. So just take it on face value, enjoy the pretty pictures, and I'll write about what all happened later on, thanks. ]
Kyle Crawford, Happy Activist!
Activism can be dull. Activism can be watching paint dry.
Activism can be watching beige paint dry.
Activism can be watching beige paint dry slowly.
Activism can be watching beige paint dry slowly, with a dull movie playing in the background, with a dirge of a soundtrack.
Activism can be watching beige paint dry slowly, with a dull movie playing in the background , with a dirge of a soundtrack.... and the movie is about beige paint drying.
Today did not go as we had planned.
Fired up and ready! Fans of the marriage equality poured into the Minotaur's labyrinth that is the New York State Capitol just knowing that good things were going to happen. Today was the day. Our little band of freedom riders piled into Todd's E.S.P.A. sponsored big ass rented van around 8:30 this morning.
"99 GOP Senators going down, baby, take one down, pass him around 98 GOP Senators going down...."
A quick trip to Albany, a little nap, some conversation with newly made pals , a little nosh and we are there, Fired up and ready! It is the unparalleled cluster fuck that is the New York State Legislature. The best laid plans of mice and men.
ok, so every door in the place is like eight feet tall and weights 400 pounds made out of this solid beautiful golden oak, and all have the state seal on the brass door knobs. I had a long chat about said door knobs with a state police man. New Yorkers sometimes , still, do not understand Southerners...
Neil ran into a pal of his.
Hero to the cause ,TOM DUANE came out for a quick presser and to cheer us on! As I have written about on other visits to Albany,the complex is H-U-G-E! So, it was a little difficult to find all the folks we needed to find.When we all get to the right place, get ready, all the placards and t-shirts handed out, march ready and aiming for that Senate Chamber, the news breaks on every ones little mother box that the normal hissy's have been thrown and the unbelievably moronic buffoons that make up the New York Senate will not really be doing any work today, let alone voting on the equal civil rights of their citizens.
The Pride Agenda folks could not be more appreciative of us being there, rumors are a buzz all over the place that it is some sort of elaborate rouse and Superman or the Tooth Fairy (!) is going to sweep in and make them vote....We hung out in the halls outside the Senate Offices doing our little not at all tired dog and pony show of chants and veiled threats. I offered one Senator the home made pie of his choice if they would only hold the vote, and he was a chubby guy! Didn't work.
The Capitol was not at all crowded today, so in the LONG periods between any sort of information or action, I got to walk around the Senate Side of the building. It is OUT OF THIS WORLD. Seriously, I guess when the building was built New York State was just so off the charts rich, that it built this Palace to show the rest of the world. Mable, beautiful tiles, elaborate carvings , just everywhere...
SO, the hard working Senators, do come back into session just as the sun was setting. 5-5:30 ish, and all us rabble rousers clad in our new rainbow colored t-shirts fill the visitors gallery , ready to pounce... sit, wait, sit, wait, sit,wait.. nothing happens. The chamber itself is another tome to obnoxious consumption, gold walls, deep deep carvings , many many different types of beautiful marble. All the original gas fixtures are still there, HUGE and beautiful ( the tops of things could have used a good dusting...)OUT of the BLUE the Democratic Leadership all forms a line and pretty much storm out of the chamber. Wait some more... some one on the GOP side asks " are they coming back? " When told by the worker bee in the front of the chamber that he did know, the same guy says " well, we will just leave too! " and all the GOP guys saunter out. NOTHING at all got done. Not just on the marriage bill,that was a no go early this am, NOTHING AT ALL GOT DONE.
A pox on them all.
Our merry band of troubadours, ready to get back on the road!
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