I need to walk back last night’s “Low Renters” rant. A good portion of the people I saw on the streets on Washington, D.C. alarmed…okay, bothered me by way of their appearance, manner, etc. Some looked related to the hillbillies in Deliverance. Naturally I was saying to myself, “What is this?” But all the cool, educated, well-groomed, tastefully dressed people came out for today’s Restore Sanity rally. I guess they hide in their homes and apartments unless otherwise motivated.
I must have spoken with a good 30 or 35 people at the rally over the last six or seven hours, and each one was cool, agreeable, nice to chat with, witty, good-humored and creme de la creme-ish. Parents, couples, singles, GW students, nutters, septugenarians, etc. I was proud to participate alongside them. “I don’t know what this really actually amounts to, but it feels good to be here,” I told myself, “and that’s in large part due to the mood and the vibe of a very mellow and likable and relentlessly polite group of people.” Group! More like…what, 200,000?
So I guess I should’ve counted to ten before flying off the handle last night, but if you’d been with me roaming around Dupont Circle and up and down K Street you’d understand where I was coming from.