Hyde Park West

In London's Hyde Park there is a place called "Speaker's Corner" which has traditionally been the literal soap box podium for loons of Britain to take turns addressing virtually non-existent crowds of uninterested tourists. They spout gibberish and conspiracy theories and people strolling the park pause to confirm the psychosis of the orator then move on.

Yesterday was spent strolling through the downtown area of Santa Fe after a great breakfast at Pasqual's. Chile rellenos con huevos con frijoles negroes is just the thing to give you a new lease on life.

I'd seen a hotel copy of the local tourist magazine, The SantaFean, which was promoting an end of month art show. There was a full page ad of a recent work of one of my longtime favorite artists, J. D. Challenger. His specialty is native American warriors and they are incredible. I fell in love with his work about twenty years ago when I toured his gallery in Taos. Regrettably I didn't buy one for my office. A warrior among some airplane paintings wouldn't be out of place at all.

It seemed like a good day to see if Challenger was displayed in Santa Fe. We found a couple. Nothing that appealed to me, but it wouldn't have made much difference since his work is now commanding $20,000 and up. Still, I like to dream.

Walking back to the hotel we crossed the square. It is beautiful this time of year. Trees are green, flowers are blooming, the Indian Market trinket vendors are offering souvenirs across the street at the former governor's palace and people are filling the park.

The bandstand gazebo has been captured by a half dozen eighteen to twenty year old zealots in black shirts armed with a bull horn. One holds the battery while the other rants. Across the front of the stage four or five of the miscreants wave signs and vilify their nation.

The speaker is rambling about the multiple genocides which America has continued to inflict upon the world. The fat goth girl with the stringy hair waves a poster urging "No More War" and the anorexic meth-head behind her displays one for "No Nukes!"

They are so obviously dedicated to their cause that they fail to notice the lack of enthusiasm of their crowd. The inanity of their language betrays their lack of educational grounding. They couldn't really offer you an example of American genocide unless they possibly resurrected the Ward Churchill canards about small-pox infected blankets for the Cherokee. They undoubtedly embrace the belief that if we abandon our weapons that Iran, N. Korea, Venezuela, China, and even al-Qaeda will sympathetically desist from their efforts in that direction.

SWMBO gives me a warning look as I mumble something just a bit too loud about there being no problem in the world that a few well placed B-61s couldn't solve.