Street Fighter Mas.

Joe Dunman in February, when briefly it seemed like there might be a viable future.

Dunman nails it: Bernie Sanders' agenda is "pretty much just 'catch us up to where Western Europe has already been for 40 years.'"

Fast forward to now, and Joe Dunman on well-mannered left-wing protest movements (again at Twitter: @JoeDunman).

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I'm a broken record on this but any serious reading about coups, uprisings, riots, and assassinations through global history will make you really appreciate how polite and patient American left-wing protest movements really are.

Modern right-wing protest movements, on the other hand, are bloody as hell. Spree killings, assassinations, bombings, beatings, you name it. The anti-abortion movement alone is an endless string of violent behavior. An incomplete list of victims: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-abortion_violence

That doesn't mean there's been NO left-wing violence, of course. There's been some. But compare the damage a crowd of thousands can do to what amount of damage they've actually done and it's really striking how passive they are.

The thousands of people now showing up nightly in Portland could very easily and very quickly take and destroy that federal building. Instead they play endless games of chemical weapons tag with a couple dozen goons in riot gear.

It is estimated that 500k people showed up to the Women's March in DC in early 2017. Do you know what 500k people can't do? Nothing. They can do anything they want, if they work together in even the loosest possible way. Instead, signs and slogans, and everybody went home.

Mayors Wheeler and Frey and Fischer still walk freely around their cities with the barest security if any at all. They don't fear retaliation from demonstrators, and rightly so, because demonstrators have shown no interest in extra-institutional forms of justice.

Historically speaking, this is really something. Hell, lynchings were (and perhaps still are) a regular occurrence in America. Violent mob justice is part of our culture. And yet, protesters' demands are limited to institutional calls for action. Arrest the cops! Defund them!

Of course the counter-rhetoric paints protesters as lawless and destructive in cartoonish ways. But if the protesters were as violent as they've been portrayed, there probably wouldn't be any cops left to arrest. No departments to defund. No mayors left to resign.

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(for the next few days, I'll be titling my posts after songs. That should confuse them even more)

An amazing NA moment in time -- as the GREEN MOUSE presents NAWBANY WEEK IN REVIEW.

This happened on Saturday in New Albany.

Actually this and two other events dedicated to Black Lives Matter happened on Saturday. The three causes converged downtown, and all of it was incident-free.

As a side note, in 2016 Floyd County as a whole gave Donald Trump a 20-point margin of victory over Hillary Clinton. That's a point or so better than the statewide Indiana tally. Granted, Trump won bigger outside city limits, but not that much bigger.

We'll see what happens next, right here in New Albany. I have a few thoughts about the advisability of keeping a close eye on the political bandwagon-jumpers, but these can wait.

After all, I'm on sabbatical.

Congratulations to everyone for yesterday. It was a very good thing, indeed.

All this AND the Farmers Market, too? Gads, it really IS New Albany's turn Saturday to contribute to change.

Yesterday, this:

Wait -- I'm getting a pulse ... The Movement and Say Their Names, coming Saturday to NA.

Then, later in the day, the Hoosier Action poster above. Unfortunately I have little more firm information than what is written on it.

Update: the press release arrived Friday just after lunch: "We encourage our Floyd County members to join us tomorrow from 12 pm-2 pm for Together We Rise: Bridging the Gap Rally in New Albany at 311 Hauss Sq.:

Most of us believe that everyone should be able to live a full and healthy life, no matter what we look like or where we come from. But today, Black Hoosiers are under the dual threat of higher fatality from COVID and from police brutality. Throughout our history, brave Americans have joined together across race and place and taken to the streets risking their lives and their livelihoods. And, throughout our history the powers that be have found ways to divide us by casting doubts or sowing fear about our protests. We are encouraging our members to show up to protest not despite but rather because of COVID. We’re taking every possible precaution even as we understand that coming together means increasing our risks. Because we know that, in this moment, staying apart guarantees unacceptable outcomes for Black people. We are long overdue to rewrite the rules and retake our democracy and it is only by showing that the many are willing to stand up to the money that we have the power in numbers to get the care and respect everyone of us deserves.

Hoosier Action first came to our attention in 2017 when the group became involved with opposing Jeff Gahan's public housing putsch, and helping to organize We Are New Albany as a counterweight to the mayor's avarice-fueled imperialism.

Hoosier Action is a new project focused on building the political power of working families and individuals in the state of Indiana. Hoosier Action emphasizes robust community organizing, where campaigns are built around economic and social issues that impact people and communities across the region. Hoosier Action will work to increase voter participation, lift people out of poverty, and build a new political voice for the residents of Indiana who have been left on the margins.

Click here to view a few relevant posts from the period. Here's one of them.

THIS JUST IN: ‘We Are New Albany,’ a campaign to save the homes of more than 1,700 New Albany residents from planned demolition, will publicly launch on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. at the City-County Building.

I may be inferring a bit much, but it seems I recall reading that Hoosier Action's founder Kate Hess Pace, a native New Albanian, had moved back to town. The organization now has an office at 1015 E. Main, so perhaps I remember correctly.

So, we have not one or two, but three Black Lives Matters (peaceful) protests occurring somewhat within the same window on Saturday.

And one of them involves Hoosier Action, the mere mention of which is guaranteed to induce bunker-down heartburn for Dear Leader.

Taking it a step further, remember always that Louisville's Mayor Greg Fischer is New Albany Mayor Jeff Gahan's turgid political idol. Fischer has acquitted himself HORRIBLY throughout the recent Black Lives Matter days. Will his eager apprentice do the same?

With three separate events planned for Saturday, will Gahan remain in the down-low bunker, playing whist with Squire Adam and Warren Naps?

Or, if the getting's good, will he appear with an envelope-armed retinue of HWC Engineering donors and take full credit for the peaceful gatherings?

Well, it's Hoosier Action, and Team Gahan has a very long memory. I predict Gahan will emerge from his lair wearing a mask suitable for the occasion.

Nick Vaughn forms exploratory committee, then joins anti-KKK protesters in Madison.

Nick Vaughn was on hand yesterday to join protesters at the Ku Klux Kooks gathering in Madison, Indiana.

What?

You say it's "kookout, not "kooks"?

Okay; whatever.

I think "kooks out" works better, but sadly, spelling deficiencies aren't confined to white supremacists. Vaughn had this to say about it at his Facebook campaign page.

Was proud and honored to speak against the hateful KKK today in Madison, IN. They have no place in Madison, New Albany, or anywhere else in this world.

Any other local Republicans care to weigh in?

Meanwhile, since Friday it has been made safe to refer overtly to Vaughn's prospective campaign, because this was the day he formed a formal "exploratory" committee.

Nick Vaughn to File Exploratory Committee

At approximately 11:30 AM, Nick Vaughn filed an Exploratory Committee for an unannounced office named "Nick Vaughn for New Albany." In the coming weeks and months, Nick Vaughn for New Albany will begin to meet with community leaders and concerned citizens about the issues facing New Albany. Additionally, Nick Vaughn for New Albany will begin to develop solutions to problems such as out-of-control spending, public housing, and ending the status quo in City Hall.

Finally, we are able to announce a few members of Nick Vaughn for New Albany:

Chief Advisor, Michael Grim
Treasurer, David Vaughn III
Youth Outreach Coordinator, Sam Stricker

The requisite Indiana form asks the filer to explain why he or or she is forming the committee, and Vaughn answered with "feasibility of a citywide campaign." The Green Mouse is hazarding a guess that it's not a campaign for city clerk, but beyond this, we know little.

GREEN MOUSE SAYS: What does it mean, this social media surge by Nick Vaughn?

Vaughn also has established a PayPal site for donations.

Now, for the local chain newspaper's coverage of the Kooks Up in Madison.

KKK event draws hundreds of protesters to Southern Indiana, by Erin Walden (A Cornucopia of Tom May Content)

Third "Ku Klux Kookout" held in Jaycee Park

MADISON — Hundreds of protesters descended upon Jaycee Park on Saturday afternoon, drawn together by their common objection to one thing: a cookout put together by the Ku Klux Klan.

This is the third year there’s been a “Ku Klux Kookout” in the small tourist city of Madison, nestled along the Ohio River in Southern Indiana, and the third time it’s drawn protests.

The Klansmen, some of whom had their faces covered with bandanas and handkerchiefs, gathered in a shelter house atop a small hill in the park. The group was comprised of fewer than 20 people, mainly men, who waved the American, Confederate and Nazi flags.

A chain link fence and police from three agencies — Indiana State Police, Jefferson County Sheriff's Department and Madison Police Department — along with barricades separated the Klansmen from hundreds of protesters.

“We are not a hate group,” Derek Eaglin, the leader of the KKK group, told the crowd. “We are not anti-black, we are pro-white.”

Their rhetoric seemed to contradict that sentiment. The group often shouted slurs at the protesters and argued that “diversity” and “minorities” are the cause for drugs in their community ...

 ... Another half of the protesters took a different approach. The Southern Indiana Fairness Alliance, Jefferson County United and Kaleidoscope, Hanover College’s diversity club, came together to organize counter measures against the “kookout,” according to Evan Stoner, a Jeffersonville native. The three groups lined up public speakers to send a different message to the KKK ...

Gahan bans ‘Heyburn Nine’ from entering Nawbany city limits, then slaps down some Hammer vinyl.

That's okay, mister mayor. An ICE-cold Bud Light should take care of the activism-induced headache, but at least it's your pal Greggie having to cope with it and not Shane.

Boy, wouldn't THAT be entertaining.

Heyburn Nine’ plead not guilty over disrupting immigration court, federal charges loom, by Jonathan Meador (Insider Louisville)

Carla Wallace seemed relaxed as she stood on the damp concrete steps of the Hall of Justice Tuesday morning as efforts by a committed group of local activists to change U.S. immigration policy moved from the streets to the courtroom.

The calm remained even as Wallace, a member of a group dubbed the “Heyburn Nine,” began to shout.

“Abolish ICE!” Wallace said, leading about two dozen supporters and eight fellow co-defendants in a now-familiar chant, a battle cry of the protest movement against the Trump Administration’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy and Immigration and Custom Enforcement’s policy of separating families at the border.

“Abolish ICE!” the crowd behind her responded.

It's good to see Dan Canon back from his holiday and once again tending to the legal needs of activists.

Dan Canon, a civil rights attorney and former Democratic candidate for Indiana’s 9th Congressional seat, is representing two of the nine arrested protesters. He told Insider that “anybody who can be saved from removal (by ICE) is a victory,” adding that he was inspired by his clients’ actions.

“(My clients) were there to not only exercise a fundamental American right of protest but a fundamental human right to stand against injustices perpetrated by your own government no matter who they’re against,” Canon said.

The charges brought by the city stem from direct action taken by the activists last week, in which nine members of Occupy ICE Louisville blocked access to the Heyburn building, home of the city’s immigration court. According to members of the group, the action was intended to disrupt that court’s proceedings and prevent deportation actions.

As the political puppeteers position, Hanson's folly follows up on March for Our Lives -- itself an undoubted positive.

I'm completely in favor of this rally.

And, I'm also completely in favor of sending Toto on a reconnaissance run in search of curtains for pulling back to expose the usual vested suspects lurking in the shadows.

Getting the attention of the politicians also means being attentive to the politicians aiming to use righteous indignation to maintain their grip on local beak-wetting.

More power to the kids ... less to the ancient patronage machine.

New Albany March for Our Lives rally to target stricter gun control, by Erin Walden (Christianity Today)

Saturday marches planned worldwide

NEW ALBANY — Six local students are working together to make New Albany one of 817 cities worldwide hosting marches calling for an end to gun violence and mass shootings in schools.

The March For Our Lives takes place this Saturday, with the main rally in Washington, D.C. and sister marches worldwide. The marches are in response to the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where 17 students and staff were killed and 17 wounded by a former student.

Local organizers say the rally in Southern Indiana is a way to get the attention of politicians and advocate for stricter gun control.

File under "principled protests": March For Our Lives Southern Indiana at Bicentennial Park this Saturday morning.

I'm pleased to announce that AdamBot hasn't yet hijacked this event in support of DemoDisneyDixiecrats 4 Gahan 4 Life, although unfortunately, four whole days remain.

TAP TAP TAP

Huh?

Say what? I see.

That's too bad.

Well, it is a great idea, and maybe the gathering will be worth attending, anyway. It's March For Our Lives Southern Indiana, this Saturday (March 24) beginning at 10 a.m. at Bicentennial Park.

On March 24, the March for Our Lives movement will take to the streets to demand that we end the epidemic of mass shootings in our schools today.

Rucker at LEO: "When protesting becomes dangerous."

Having seen the post on social media immediately afterward, I saved the photo for future use. It's being doctored today to protect whatever legal process currently is under way; apparently the stalker's name is (well) known owing to serial abuses.

Counter-protesting is one thing. When you "lay your hands" on another, the line or propriety has been pole-vaulted.

Speaking personally, thanks to Amber for her activism and abundant integrity; to her comrades for the same; and to Erica Rucker for writing about them.

When protesting becomes dangerous, by Erica Rucker (LEO Weekly)

Indiana tattoo artist Amber Bananafish went to the Louisville Women’s March, held on the anniversary weekend of Donald Trump’s inauguration. As Bananafish and her friends Jem and Alysia Elwood were entering the crowd, a middle-aged, white man greeted her with a question.

“He said something like: How about your feminist agenda?” Bananafish recalled.

“I just kind of laughed, because I thought he was joking. I was like, ‘Yep, mine’s intact,’” she told LEO.

That was not the end of it. What she thought was a joke quickly turned scary — highlighting the risks of protests where the goal is to push back against power and the status quo ...

Reacting to We Are New Albany's candlelight vigil, Deaf Gahan is confused and stunned like a duck hit on the head.

Monday evening's candlelight vigil brought a group of around 50 concerned citizens to the steps of the City County Building.

Team Gahan's compromised cadres were absent, although their increasingly ill-tempered spluttering formed a veritable ghost soundtrack to the evening.

Let's begin with perhaps the single best summary of Jeff Gahan's public housing takeover (in bold).

Candlelight vigil held for residents of New Albany public housing fearful of demolition, by Sara Sidery (WDRB)

 ... The group "We Are New Albany" is against the city's plan to overhaul the New Albany Housing Authority, which involves the demolition of units.

"If we don't stand together as a community, our community is doing to fail, and we can't let that happen," one resident said.

Residents in attendance said they live in fear about where to go next.

"They're spraying perfume in our face, but really it ain't nothing but a dog turd," Alissa Baumgardner said.

The mic was dropped, but we move forward with Elizabeth Beilman's excellent newspaper account.

Critics of New Albany Housing Authority demolition plan to deliver petition to mayor, Elizabeth Beilman (News and Tribune)

We Are New Albany holds candlelight vigil Monday

NEW ALBANY — A group of New Albany Housing Authority residents and others who oppose a plan to demolish more than 500 units stood supported by a state representative and local candidates Monday night ...

... Represented at the vigil were the Democrat Socialists of America Louisville chapter, Democratic 9th Congressional District candidate Dan Canon, Democratic State House of Representatives District 72 candidate Chris FitzGerald and Democratic candidate for Louisville mayor Ryan Fenwick.

"This isn't a red issue or a blue issue, it's a human issue," State Rep. Ed Clere, R-New Albany, said at the vigil. "Everyone deserves access to safe, decent, affordable housing, and everyone deserves assurance that that is going to be there tomorrow, and the next day, and the day after that."

Canon observed, but did not speak. FitzGerald spoke, though he followed the safe Dickeyist script, carefully avoided any direct reference to Deaf Gahan's public housing putsch, sticking instead to his own experiences of housing insecurity as a child, and neutral homilies about empowerment.

Clere was direct and empathetic -- THIS NARRATIVE IS INTERRUPTED BY AN ANGUISHED SCREAM FROM DEAF GAHAN, lifting his head from a puddle of spilled Kool-Aid in the groggy realization of ooh, that smell -- the Febreze bottle is empty, and there aren't enough TIF scraps left to buy more.

"I would say to all those regional players [at the vigil], where have they been? Where has Ed Clere been?" Gahan said. "Because this isn't new. The city of New Albany has put a lot of effort and a lot of resources into providing affordable housing to people in need since the 30's, and that will continue."

Let's help our enfeebled and agoraphobic Dear Leader: Having defeated a series of weak, throwaway Democratic candidates, Clere has been in Indianapolis, serving as state representative, a position Deaf Gahan won't ever experience in his life ... especially after this weird, ongoing, small pond student council sociopath's jihad against New Albany most vulnerable residents.

And yet Deaf Gahan remains ensconced within his Disney-fried fantasy bunker, writing mash notes to heroes like John F. Kennedy and Nicolae Ceausescu, both of whom, if reincarnated, would flick the Deafster aside like an annoying insect, asking: who's that fanboy poseur over there?

"I think if any of those folks that showed up tonight took a look at what we're doing and how we're doing it, I think they would be pleased as well," Gahan said. He believes the city is "doing [its] part" to help low-income residents.

With a friend like Deaf Gahan, who needs enemies?

Asked for his perspective, interim demolition director David Duggins responded by text.

Meanwhile, Clere dispassionately dispensed facts.

Clere said in a phone interview before the vigil that he told the group he would sign the petition.

"I'm concerned about what's been going on and most of all, I'm concerned about the residents who are my constituents," he said. "I'm trying to express my support for them."

Clere said he isn't sure if a one-for-one replacement of demolished housing units is the right approach. But he is "not convinced" the current plan won't leave anyone homeless.

"[Vouchers] sound great, but many people, not just residents, but other members of the community as well are concerned about whether displaced housing authority residents would be able to find housing," he said. "It's a question of availability and affordability. There has to be both. And that's an open question at this point."

Finally, brief coverage at WAVE 3:

Concerned residents fight plan to demolish New Albany public housing, by Jobina Fortson (WAVE 3)

NEW ALBANY, IN (WAVE) - Concerned residents gathered for a candlelight vigil Monday night in New Albany, at the site where hundreds of families are worried they'll soon be without a home.

The group We Are New Albany collected more than 1,000 signatures for a petition they plan to deliver to Mayor Jeff Gahan Tuesday.

Can wagons be circled any more tightly? Deaf Gahan's public housing putsch is his own personal Vietnam, which means the helicopters should arrive in November, 2019.

We Are New Albany will hold a candlelight prayer vigil at Hauss Square on Monday, December 18.

In response to this latest militant conspiratorial provocation, interim NAHA demolition director David Duggins is expected to announce that all public housing units in the city will commence a uniform code of interior decor, as follows.

"NAHA residents know damn well who's buttering their bread," commented Duggins. "If not, then we're prepared to churn out as many staged photo ops as it takes to demonstrate our boundless sincerity."

Next Monday there'll be a gathering at Hauss Square.

The We Are New Albany campaign stands together in defense of housing for all, in celebration of Christmas, and in honor of a diverse, beautiful community where all are welcome. Come sing, pray, and hold a candle for our city, our neighbors, and our future.

It's the type of event where even an atheist can feel comfortable, so I hope to see you there.