today was fantastic. the weather was perfect (well, almost) for the global day of action, marching from kits to downtown and hearing some amazing speakers at the rally (as well as some ih bands). like noam chomsky (!!!!). what shaina & her dad said is absolutely true -- there's nothing like 25 000 people banding together for a cause like this, screaming in the ears of the monsters to stop. (and there's nothing like hearing a figure like dr chomsky, either.)

i don't know what else to write other than that -- i don't feel qualified to say much else, other than marking that the feeling of being there was overwhelming, and overwhelmingly good, with this massive wave of hope that maybe things won'tfalltocompleteshitafterall.

i used to wonder why people went to rallies, because they never seemed to do anything. they seemed like an excuse to get high and 'bond' with people rather than a method of resistance. now, i think i know -- it's not so much that i feel like i'm changing the world, but at least i don't feel completely apathetic. at least i feel like i've added my body to the massive voices resisting. at least i was a part of something instead of just complaining. and there's what chomsky said, too, which i didn't realise -- that protests are the first steps to action and that, hey, sometimes governments do listen. protests are essential in raising awareness, raising action, getting people to perhaps vote different than they may otherwise have done, acting in ways that matter more by spreading their own distinctive voices, by joining campaigns, by being activists.

i get it now.

(and i hope that doesn't sound pretentious.)

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