G20, the Day Before

The sky was grey and clouded over Pittsburgh today. I almost had to use my umbrella as I maneuvered through the streets downtown, hopping over puddles and avoiding the dripping water under the eaves of buildings. The muted tones of the sky were repeated on the streets, army green and grey lined the sidewalks. Helmets, tear gas, flak jackets. Major incident unit, ply-wood, chain-link fencing. The diplomatic G20 has ushered in a week of military maneuverings. Duquesne has closed down and borded up. So here I sit in my suburban home catching the 5 o'clock news (the closest I'll get to seeing any action), hearing the helicopters and watching the protests from afar. I will be reading about Ben Franklin, that great American society-builder, while a few miles away the leaders of this postmodern world dine in a conservatory and negotiate under solar panels. We've come a long way. Here's to a peaceful G20 holiday.