April 3, 2013 – Week #17

It was a cold and windy spring day. I was alone again. I expected it to be an uneventful protest but I was wrong.

As I was holding up my signs, a young, slim man was trying to talk to me from across the street. I waved and shouted at him that I couldn’t hear what he was saying because of the noise of the traffic.

So, he crossed the street and said to me, “I agree with your signs. You make a very good point but I work in there and I need a job.” He’s in his mid-20s.

He told me that he has worked at Irving Shipyard for two years.

I said to him that I want him to have a great job with excellent pay and benefits and I that I believe that he could have one in a green economy not building warships.

He agreed and added, “What the f*ck do we need warships for?”

He wondered why I was the only person out there protesting, “There is only one of you out here. That’s not going to change anything. Money does. Money talks. Irving has money.”

I replied, “I have to do something. I have tried to do other things like writing letters, organizing events, and passing out leaflets against the National Shipbuilding Procurement Strategy but nothing is working. I just have to stand out here to publicly express my opposition.”

I asked him if he was working today. He said that he’s off on holiday this week and is practicing his boxing to prepare for a match on the weekend. He said again that he agreed with me and then left to catch his bus.

I wished him good luck.

I got 11 honks and waves. 5 fingers and frowns.

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