My life needs instructions as simple as this.

“If you want to be arrested follow Reverend Sharpton,” an organizer, his profile framed against the Welcome to Police Headquarters sign, barked into a bullhorn. “If you don’t want to be arrested, don’t follow Reverend Sharpton.” Fairly simple instructions. Having been arrested a stone’s throw from the site while covering a protest during the 2004 Republican National Convention I personally planned to err on the side of distance, especially once I saw the rolls of orange netting and ungainly clumps of white plastic handcuffs protruding off police officers’ belts.

Just sayin’.

Via Shawn Macomber, who gets to go to all the good protests. Of course, he also has to deal with spontaneous outbreaks of bad poetry and accusations of supporting the white supremacists.

Tucked in there is this bit of wisdom from Shawn:

An hour later trash cans were stuffed with “We Are All Sean Bell” signs. Because in the end, we really aren’t.

No, indeed, we are not. Which is something that I occasionally shout in public when someone stupidly says, “We are all Columbine.”

Offering sympathy and help in the face of tragedy and disaster is all well and good. The irritating need to insert oneself into the pain and loss of others is just arrogant.