The Activist Makes A Move

So I committed a minor act of vandalism today. All for a good cause, of course.

I've always thought that teachers are a very liberal and open-minded group. I think we have to be...we work with a widely diverse population. We are able to recognize that our students come from different backgrounds in all sorts of ways. So we can accept that and deal with it and try to help the students themselves realize it and prepare for our diverse society. That's the theory, anyway.

So it was with great dismay I noticed a bumper-sticker n the back window of a colleague's car a few weeks ago. It featured a cartoon image of a man and a woman with a little "+" sign in between them and the quote "Defend Marriage".

I have to say it depressed me quite a bit for a few days. I tried to express how badly it bothered me, but I don't think the one person I told really understood. I was depressed for about a week, and whenever anyone asked me if I was okay, I just said I hadn't been sleeping well (which was sort of true--I did have a bit of unrelated insomnia that week).

Like I said, I always think teachers are pretty cool and open-minded... to see that on a teacher's car was just a crush. Doubly so as even though I don't know this colleague very well, I did think she was kind of cool. Not no more.

I mulled it over for a couple weeks. I felt I had to do something. I had to act. Finally, it struck me. I went to Rainbow Road downtown and picked up some bumper-stickers of my own!

Today I made my move. I wanted to make a point to her, but didn't want to inflict any real damage on her car...so during my lunch, I walked out to the parking lot, found her car, and simply taped a Hate Is Not A Family Value bumper-sticker over her sticker (I left the backing on my sticker--activism with a conscience). I am dying of curiosity to know what she did if and when she saw it. Wanted to go look when M and I left today, but didn't dare. Wanted to tell M what I did, but don't want him to get in any "guilt by association" trouble should I by some extremely slim chance get caught.

I will admit I did feel pretty good after I did it. It was a non-violent, non-confrontational act with the intent to get somebody to think. Will it work? I have no idea, but I still feel better.

"Of course, I do have 2 more, although different, stickers ready to go for another assault," he said mischievously...