Friday, September 27, 2024

Walz rocks

Yesterday I wore this t-shirt (a product of the Lincoln Project, a para-campaign by disaffected Republicans supporting Harris-Walz) while walking laps around a small San Francisco lake. It was a lovely, warmish day and there were lots of other exercisers and strollers doing the same. 

The t-shirt reproduces a moment in Tim Walz' VP speech at the Democratic Convention: 

When it comes to reproductive rights, Walz says Minnessotans have a golden rule: “Mind your own damn business.”

Reactions to the shirt were interesting. Folks coming the other way don't always appear to read what you've got on your chest -- but some do. (I do read them, routinely.) 

The first woman who appeared to read it grimaced scornfully. That's interesting I thought -- and continued to tune in. 

One of the features of walking around a lake is that you start seeing the same people repeatedly going the other way if you are moving a smidgen faster than they are. As people came by on second and later passes, I began to receive smiles. It was clear that some groups had chatted about what this slightly dire message might mean. I was a little surprised that quite a few recognized the quote.

Tim Walz is a fine communicator and he's demonstrated a way for an older white man to speak out on reproductive freedom. Go Tim!

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