Long live the protests!

We were stopped in traffic by a protest march last Thursday night on Via Gramsci, the main street in Carbonia in Sardinia. Not sure what the protest was all about. No signs. No placards. More or less a silent march down the middle of the road, brushing against our tiny blue Fiat. And clearing the way for the protestors were two police officers, one in front, the other bringing up the rear. We waited and watched patiently and curiously. Trying to figure out what it was all about. A few days later, we read in the local newspaper that there had been three protests that day. One over rising health care costs, another over alleged inept scheduling of transit buses and trains and still another by students annoyed over education budget cuts. And I thought, ‘Wow! If only we had such daily protests in the USA.’ That’s certainly better than staying at home and sitting on our fat asses. In the city where I live in Minnesota we are far too placid, too lazy, too apathetic. Meanwhile, once again, I am impressed by what I am seeing in Sardinia. An involved citizenry, taking to the streets. –Jim Broede