I enjoyed last Friday’s humor column by Daily Post contributor Louis Cannon, suggesting that ‘Flag Day’ — celebrated by some, this past Saturday, June 14 — might feature various types of flags, if we wanted to ‘keep up with the times’.
Pride flags, for example. ‘Love Your Mother Earth’ flags. ‘Peace Symbol’ flags. Maybe Mexico flags.
When a ‘No Kings’ protest march took place on Saturday, here in Pagosa Springs, I truly wondered if we might see a wide variety of flags, celebrating a variety of ‘progressive’ concerns.
To my surprise, what I saw were literally hundreds of American flags. Not what I expected.
I also saw an impressive variety of picket signs — many of which displayed the ironic sense of humor many of us are attempting to hold onto, in the face of the numerous controversial, and in some cases illegal and unconstitutional, actions by the current Trump administration.
The protest marchers gathered in Town Park and then headed along the River Walk…
Lady Liberty herself led the march.
Americans have a strong philosophical aversion to Kings — perhaps on account of living for the past 250 years without one.
It was obvious that many of the protesters on Saturday also have an aversion to ‘Clowns’, for whatever reason.
The mood of the march did not seem at all ‘angry’ or ‘depressed’ or ‘aggressive’. I would, in fact, classify the crowd’s overall mood as ‘upbeat’ and ‘hopeful’.
One of the organizers was counting the marchers as they passed, and the total I heard later suggested that the crowd had numbered over 500 participants.
From the San Juan Overlook, the peaceful march continued along the sidewalk to the Bell Tower Park, often chanting “No Kings!” or “This is what Democracy looks like!”
I had the definite impression — based on the number of friends and acquaintances I came across during the march — that these were not ‘hired’ protesters who had been bused in from out-of-town.
The only ‘counter-protesters’ during the peaceful event consisted of a line of trucks and jeeps that drove past on Highway 160, bedecked with their own brand of flags — some Trump flags, yes, but also American flags that looked remarkably similar to the ones carried by the ‘No Kings No Clowns’ marchers.
A thoughtful person would almost think that everyone, on both sides, loves the same country.
