Dimensionally Barrett

I do like these signs! Photo: John Barrett   I’ve mentioned before that rallies, gatherings, marches, and protests are always more than they appear to be at first sight. While they very often are focused on a theme or cause, it is counterintuitive, perhaps, to say that is all they are about. Yesterday’s Labor Day March, put together by 50501 Houston and Houston Coalition , was comprised of several hundred people who marched two and a half miles through one of the chi-chi retail districts in the country, Houston’s famed Galleria, through Highland Village to conclude at Lamar High School, located in River Oaks, where most of the one-percent reside in the metro area. The group met at the Hines Waterwall as the result of a last-minute change, but somehow, this route made a world of sense. We marched for workers’ rights and this includes fair wages, paid time off, insurance, better work/life balance and in general, just better working conditions for all. It wasn’t lost on anyone that ...

A sterling group at the weekly protest in fron of Sen. John Cornyn’s office. Source: The Houston Democracy Project’s Facebook page Another good turn-out in front of Senator John Cornyn’s office. I didn’t take any pics, so I’m fleecing this one from The Houston Democracy Project’s blog (thanks Neil!) Some good discussions about how, even if only one or two people show up, that’s enough. One or two people can still convey the urgency of a situation. One or two people can still reach others, get them to thinking and maybe acting. Also, starting and leaving a chant is really hard work for us soft-spoken types. I envy Neil Aquino who seems to be able to project across the county. In any case, we did get some chanting going and that was a lot of fun. I can’t stress how much smaller gatherings mean. Consistency is key and Neil and others have kept this particular action going for eight years. In Cambridge, the Tibetan community has kept its Wednesday evening vigils going since 2008.  Crit...

In a kind of push to simplify things, I’m going to introduce this series on “Stuff to Do”.  One of the recurring questions I hear is “what can I do?”, and I think while that comes from a very genuine place, all too often the implication is that everything is so overwhelming that the brain short-circuits. That’s completely understandable. I’m not going to list everything all over the country, but I am going to concentrate on Texas, Harris County, and Houston issues.  On any given day, when I open Bluesksy or even Facebook (still), there are postings by individuals and organizations, petitions to be signed and, of course, larger nationwide efforts like the upcoming protest on Saturday, April 19. Another reason I’m doing this is because reposting stuff on Bluesky or Facebook takes time. I want to give people regular one-stop shopping, at least from my end, so there’s that. Anyway, I’m going to try this out for awhile. I may still multiple post on social media, but for ease of use...