Something’s Happening Here

For those of you old enough, that’s the first line of the protest song, “For What It’s Worth,’’ by Stephen Stills of Crosby Stills, Nash & Young fame. It’s his anthem about police brutality and older generation ignorance of what was going on with young people during the unrest of the 1960s.

We are here again.

Just as we reckon with George Floyd, police kill Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta. Our entire system is now under reconsideration, especially the way we keep order in a society.

So what to do? Citizens in Montpelier, VT Saturday took a first step. They painted “Black Lives Matter’’ in huge yellow letters on the street. Not just any street. But the main artery - State St. - in front of the Vermont Statehouse. They did the same in Washington, DC outside the White House.

Now they have done it in Montpelier.

Photo by Sawyer Loftus/VTDigger

More than 200 people showed up with paint rollers. It took two hours. Halfway through they ran out of paint and 50 more gallons were procured. It was the brainchild of Noel Riby-Williams, a Montpelier High School graduate, and City Councillor Conor Casey.

The sign is brilliant. It’s beautiful. It’s meaningful.

“Something’s Happening here. What it is Ain’t Exactly Clear.’’

That the city council and the governor allowed this to happen. Something’s happening here.

That Riby-Williams wasn’t deterred by the usual cynics who complained about traffic interruption or insurance liability or any number of reasons NOT to do it. Something’s happening here. 

That Montpelier police were on the scene to protect and serve not to enforce. Something’s happening here. 

That people of all shapes and sizes turned out to paint, draw with chalk and finish the job with no violence. Something’s happening here. 

That the sign is in front of the Vermont Statehouse, a daily reminder to Vermont’s political leadership of the job that lies ahead. Something’s happening here. 

That Montpelier just hired a new police chief who is black. Something’s happening here. 

That the Farmers Market was taking place right next door, a symbol of the possible link between racial equality and the growth of local economies. Something’s happening here. 

That many of the sign painters were next generation, the kids who will take over and run this state in the next 20 years. Something’s Happening here.

That Montpelier embraced a dramatic, clear statement of response to the murder of George Floyd and so many other black people. Something’s happening here.

That Montpelier made the sign huge and unavoidable. A daily message to ourselves and the rest of the world. Something’s happening here. 

That we better follow Ms. Riby-Williams and people like her. They are the future. Something’s happening here. 

And that the adults had the sense to get out of the way.

Something’s happening here. 

POSTSCRIPT

Vandals hailing Trump and painting profanity defaced the BLM mural Saturday night with spray paint and motor oil. The fire department was out immediately to clean it up. Vermont’s governor and the speaker of the House immediately condemned the vandalism. NOTE - the police have a photo of the vandal and are investigating.

Change is hard. But it’s coming.