Had coffee this morning with a friend of mine. Actually more of a friend of a friend, but I’ve known him for years. My age, active, goes on 4 day, 400 mile bike rides. Absolutely conventional, a retired farmer, has 4 kids all worth more than he and his wife, who would come in around $2 million exclusive of a condo in town and a house at the coast.
He told us about the Occupy march he went on in Portland, Oregon, last night. Said it lasted about 45 minutes, was composed of 75% appropriately dressed people who resembled him and some who were a bit mangy. They chanted a bit, some hollered, he was very comfortable with it. Said it was completely orderly, no violence, no arrests or even confrontations with police. According to him police on bicycles almost had them surrounded, and were so thick it would have been a bit of a challenge to get out of the street onto the sidewalk.
He also added he would point to folks watching and say “You should be out here.” All the folks he did that to nodded and said he was right.
Nothing in this post is Earth-shaking, though it is a report about an Occupy march from someone who heard a report about an Occupy march.