Fireworks On The Fourth

How’s the view?

“Jersey.”

The Garden State.

“If you’re growing assholes.”

Lovely. You climbed up there? That is scary.

“Scary as having your children taken from you and not knowing where they are?”

Probably not.

“No.”

I’m Thoughts on the Dead. I write little skitches. Short essays on occasion. Also middling, intermittent fiction.

“I’m Therese Okoumou. I’m going to jail for my beliefs.”

You don’t have to get self-righteous about it.

“Got to admit I’ve earned it.”

Not saying otherwise. Respectfully, a question.

“I reserve my respect, but continue.”

This was a spur-of-the-moment decision, wasn’t it? You don’t even have a water bottle with you.

“The last time I was at the Statue of Liberty was when I was seven. We came on holiday. Since I live here, I haven’t been back. So, I didn’t realize how climbable she was. Not her. The base. Kids could do that shit.”

Right.

“So me and the other activists hung the Abolish ICE banner over the railing, and we were getting some attention but not enough. You can see the whole island from up there, all the tourists and whatever in big lines waiting to get into places. We’re chanting and singing and making a big racket, but it wasn’t enough. People were still able to ignore us. So I made it so no one could ignore what we were saying.”

Spur-of-the-moment.

“I was halfway up the wall before I realized what I was doing.”

Yeah. This is gonna work out for you in the long run. The internet’ll give you some money, and some ambitious Lefty lawyer’ll take your case pro bono. You just gotta make sure your case is under New York’s jurisdiction.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

Because there’s years of conflicting precedent over who controls Liberty Island and Jeff Sessions would like nothing more than to expel you from the country, preferably directly into the heart of the sun.

“I’m gonna call that Michael Avenetti guy.”

Excellent idea. Please don’t get hurt coming down.

“Pssh. Cops got thousands of dollars worth of safety shit they’re gonna strap on me. We’re on teevee, so I’m gonna be serviced and protected.”

True. Any last thoughts?

“Abolish ICE, reunite all families torn apart at the border, enfranchise the DREAMers, implement a financial transaction tax, medicare for all, college debt forgiveness, and an immediate end to the endless war ranging from Africa to Asia to the Middle East.”

I can dig it. Be safe.

“I wasn’t safe before I came up here. I came up here because I wasn’t safe. They’re testing the boundaries of their cruelty, and it turns out America’s lenient on the subject. Shit’s getting unsafe.”

Don’t fall off the statue.

“I won’t.”