History is hard to know, because of all the hired bullshit, but even without being sure of "history" it seems entirely reasonable to think that every now and then the energy of a whole generation comes to a head in a long fine flash, for reasons that nobody really understands at the time—and which never explain, in retrospect, what actually happened. -- Hunter S. Thompson
Was flipping through my copy of Fear And Loathing in Las Vegas today when that bit jumped out at me. Thompson was talking about the hippies but it seemed to fit that long, hot summer of '20.
One hell of a flash, largest protests this country's seen, along with many more beyond its borders. Here in Louisville they were a daily occurrence for more than a hundred straight days.
Never experienced anything like it, for a time there was a sense that for once the city truly belonged to the people who lived there rather than the armed enforcers who occupied the streets. A sense of genuine community, 'we take care of us.'
A feeling that we were finally Getting Somewhere. Don't know when that wave we were riding finally crested but I suspect it was somewhere in the neighborhood of Jan. 6th. Already putting up historical markers to those days so you know they're well on their way to coopting them.
We had no beef with peace, love, and understanding but we had AR-15s in case that didn't work out. It was interesting watching people discover a newfound appreciation for firearms once they realized that at the end of the day they were responsible for their own security.
In a few more years we'll get to see how the history books spin what happened. Should be fun seeing how passing of a resemblance it bears to what actually happened.
Until then, y'all stay safe out there.