Seeing the Elephant

Well, i went to see the elephant to-day. [re: click] That is a 19th century term. A big thrill of entertainment had been to see a traveling circus. This was also a term for the first sight of battle. All this anticipation, and then the let down.

Well, i was not sure i was going. I missed the first day. Lots of out of town police, state police units waiting about in groups. When i walked by, the malls were empty. Public Square was very busy, as was East 4th. It was like a sideshow carnival:  a lot of vendors, a few barkers. So, i saw it as an opportunity to view people. I was not there long. All the asphalt, cement, and sun did not make me comfortable with the July heat.

The essence of it all.  #RNC2016 #ThanksRNC #ClevelandUnderOccupation

list of prohibitions, this was on the Lorain Bridge side

item#26 "There is no constitutional right to carry a tennis ball, however. (V)" — Votemaster

 (blues men) Indiana State Police

 

 Mounted police from Ft. Worth Texas

 Peace soldier, Viet Nam, Lou Pumphrey on E. 4th

 vendor on Public Square

Well, yeah

Circle the City with Love

Monday, the Republican Convention begins in Cleveland. Friday night, they had already taken the streets of downtown. Traffic will be greatly constricted. Some roads will be inaccessible. There are more snow plows in Cleveland now, than in a blizzard. Snow plows blocking highway ramps, on Public Square, along highways, and driving on highways. There are helicopters in the sky, and planes trailing banners.

Sister Rita Petruziello of the Congregation of Saint Joseph is the chief organiser for a statement of peace for the city. Sunday afternoon in mid 80's heat, thousands of people held hands in an half hour of silence on the Lorain Carnegie Bridge. The Carnegie side is  mostly verboten, and leads to the Republican Convention Arena.

  Lorain side

 

Sister Rita explains the programme. It is billed as non-sectarian, non-partisan; but it does have a large Catholic essence. It does not have many Republicans in the crowd of thousands. There was a lot of foreign press, the foam rubber on their microphones, and their security clearance tags told where (AFP, Global, Al Jazeera, and so on). Local teevee included Kristin Volk (WEWS), and Dawn Kendrick (WKYC). The feeling on the bridge was very good, and even serene; but not everyone viewing was interested in that, an aeroplane was constantly over the bridge with a "Hillary for Prison" banner. At the end, i noticed a couple of Republican tourists wondering at the event. This was not an RNC sponsored event. To call it a protest event would be false. The point was to create positive energy, and this flows from God.

  taking the pledge to act in a peaceful manner 

 walking to spread out on the Lorain Carnegie Bridge

 Carnegie side
 
After the horn sounded to end the half hour silence, "Hell-o I 'm Marianne".

when greyhounds meet

Le quatorze juillet

For to-day on the calendar, and here in Cleveland, La Marseillaise Casablanca :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTsg9i6lvqU

on W. 33rd & Detroit

remember that Woodstock poster?

more from Cracking Art Collective

 Wolfhenge

 some had water within, and when it left decompression set in

Cleveland sign #2

the further potemkinisation continues

Peace is Patriotic

Lou Pumphrey. Independence Day Parade Lakewood Ohio to-day.

Lou Pumphrey. Blossom Time Parade Chagrin Falls 2016.

Lou Pumphrey. Parade the Circle Cleveland 2013.

read Lou Pumphrey's essays {click}

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noto bene: this is post #1200 

Amherst Ohio

Perhaps the most famous photograph of World War II was taken on February 23, 1945 by Joe Rosenthal. Two days later it was in Sunday newspapers, and became very well appreciated. It won a Pulitzer Prize in photography.  The six marines raising a flag on Iwo Jima's Mount Suribachi were Ira Hayes, Franklin Sousley, Harold Henry Schultz, Harlon Block, Michael Strank, and Rene Gagnon.  Strank, Block, and Sousley died on the island. Just very recently the Marine Corps has acknowledged Schultz as one of the men. John Bradley was one of the men (a sailor) from an earlier flag raising, and was misidentified. Ira Hayes is remembered in a song Johnny Cash sung. In 1954 Felix de Weldon made a sculpture.

The Knights of the Maccabees were a fraternal organisation and insurance outfit.