that was... good and bad
Mar. 11th, 2004 09:51 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quietannSo... I arrived at the Statehouse at 4:30, as planned. The crowds were *much* bigger this time, with Mass Equality and friends far outnumbering the anti-gay-marriage side. I really don't like crowds, but decided to stay outside for a bit. Was talking with a woman who was handing out cough drops to people on the "pro" side, and some unseen person rushed by and threw *vomit* on us. Luckily they didn't get my skin, only my coat. I kid you not!
I was really upset, and not thinking, so I didn't go to a Boston cop or a media person right away. I just sort of ulped, and made my way back down the hill to Park Street, and across to where Sandstorm used to have its offices. Got permission from the hairdresser on the third floor to clean myself up in the bathroom, and headed back up.
Along the way, I stopped to talk with a couple of "antis" about what a bad impression someone throwing vomit on me gave of them. Got sincere apologies, especially from a man who was there on his own -- he was anti, but very clear that many of his fellow demonstrators "do not know the love of Jesus" to use his own words. We had an interesting chat about bigotry and anti-semitism. There are folks on the other side who I respect deeply, and I think this guy is one of them. After consulting with Ben by phone, I did go to a cop and tell him what had happened. Also told him that I work in health care, and vomit would be considered a bio-hazard -- so this should be taken seriously. He said he'd tell the cop-in-charge, I thanked him, and he went to find the guy.
After this, I went back down the hill and bought more cough drops at the 7-11, and then back up the hill, where after a short wait I was admitted to the Statehouse. I took the cough drops up to the third floor where there was a *huge* crowd singing and chanting, and passed the cough drops on to a nice middle aged lesbian, with a hug and an explanation. Last I saw of them, they were moving through the crowd and rapidly being consumed.
I crossed paths briefly with my co-worker Scott, who had been there all day as well as the previous night. This was right after the first vote to approve the compromise amendment, so Scott was kind of down... but he was also surrounded by friends, and I have to say that Scott and his friends make me yearn for my "good old days" as a fag-hag. As I was leaving, one of Scott's friends proposed to him -- "let's go to the courthouse and get married on May 17!" I don't think he was serious, but Scott got all flustered anyway. He's even more cute when he's flustered :)
I think the vomit episode really shook me up, mostly because I got so upset about it, without doing anything effective (like trying to find the vomit-thrower, going to a cop immediately, etc.). I felt like such a wimp! I also really don't deal with crowds well, and didn't have any button or insignia that identified my "side" so people were not as sure whether to be friendly to me or not. I figure that the $9.39 I spent on cough drops was a good enough contribution to the cause, and left for the train just before 6 p.m.
I was really upset, and not thinking, so I didn't go to a Boston cop or a media person right away. I just sort of ulped, and made my way back down the hill to Park Street, and across to where Sandstorm used to have its offices. Got permission from the hairdresser on the third floor to clean myself up in the bathroom, and headed back up.
Along the way, I stopped to talk with a couple of "antis" about what a bad impression someone throwing vomit on me gave of them. Got sincere apologies, especially from a man who was there on his own -- he was anti, but very clear that many of his fellow demonstrators "do not know the love of Jesus" to use his own words. We had an interesting chat about bigotry and anti-semitism. There are folks on the other side who I respect deeply, and I think this guy is one of them. After consulting with Ben by phone, I did go to a cop and tell him what had happened. Also told him that I work in health care, and vomit would be considered a bio-hazard -- so this should be taken seriously. He said he'd tell the cop-in-charge, I thanked him, and he went to find the guy.
After this, I went back down the hill and bought more cough drops at the 7-11, and then back up the hill, where after a short wait I was admitted to the Statehouse. I took the cough drops up to the third floor where there was a *huge* crowd singing and chanting, and passed the cough drops on to a nice middle aged lesbian, with a hug and an explanation. Last I saw of them, they were moving through the crowd and rapidly being consumed.
I crossed paths briefly with my co-worker Scott, who had been there all day as well as the previous night. This was right after the first vote to approve the compromise amendment, so Scott was kind of down... but he was also surrounded by friends, and I have to say that Scott and his friends make me yearn for my "good old days" as a fag-hag. As I was leaving, one of Scott's friends proposed to him -- "let's go to the courthouse and get married on May 17!" I don't think he was serious, but Scott got all flustered anyway. He's even more cute when he's flustered :)
I think the vomit episode really shook me up, mostly because I got so upset about it, without doing anything effective (like trying to find the vomit-thrower, going to a cop immediately, etc.). I felt like such a wimp! I also really don't deal with crowds well, and didn't have any button or insignia that identified my "side" so people were not as sure whether to be friendly to me or not. I figure that the $9.39 I spent on cough drops was a good enough contribution to the cause, and left for the train just before 6 p.m.
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no subject
Date: 2004-03-11 07:59 pm (UTC)That is SOOOOOOO disgusting about the vomit. Oh my God.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-11 08:07 pm (UTC)A.
wowed, and horrified, and admiring
no subject
Date: 2004-03-11 08:46 pm (UTC)Try not to beat yourself up too much. We've been fed a lot of B.S. about theoretical people who think on their feet, instantly calculate the odds, and smoothly act in the most efficient matter to bring the miscreants to justice. Instead, the vast majority of people, when faced with something totally shocking and unexpected, will just stand there pole-axed. Most of the rest will break down into hysterics. Only a few will react "correctly", and they will almost always be those with some kind of relevant experience and/or training.
A lot of this nonsense comes from TV/Hollywood: how many times on film have we seen someone take a gunshot in stride, somersault smoothly out of the way, and come up shooting? In reality, most people who get shot anywhere on their person fall over in shock. It's not surprising that you went into a kind of mini-shock after someone threw vomit at you. It's just not the sort of thing most people get prepared for, though I daresay that if it, or something similar, should ever happen again (and I most sincerely hope not), you'll react in a way more pleasing to you.
I always get a laugh out of listening to people who have never been in real stress or danger in their lives carry on and theorize at great length and detail about exactly how they would neutralize an attacker/respond to a crisis/what have you. I'm fairly sure that I'd be one of those "stand there and try to figure out what's happening" types, and would probably get hurt or killed before I could actually do anything effective.
no subject
Date: 2004-03-11 09:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-11 11:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-03-12 07:08 am (UTC)