LITTLE ROCK — AHEARTY WELCOME, y’all. And we mean it. To the Occupy Little Rockers, or the Occupiers o’ Little Rock, or whatever you’re calling your group or protest or outfit or Media Event, make yourselves at home. (By which we mean relax, enjoy your stay, and if you make a mess, clean it up.) Mama always said good Southern folks don’t turn away nice people when they show up at the door. Wherever you all come from, try the barbecue while you’re here. We get the feeling many of you are local, but in case some of you are from points distant, try the pulled pork. With lots of paper napkins.
We’ve been hearing about the Occupy Wall Street people. For weeks. Then there was Occupy Dallas, and something called Occupy Maine sprouted, and next thing you know, a good, old-fashioned, fully national American protest broke out. Next thing, Occupy Dubuque is going to make the news. The more the merrier.
A handful of y’all have decided to protest, uh, something here in Arkansas. You couldn’t have picked a better month for it. There’s something about October in Arkansas. The fall weather has finally reached these latitudes, the trees are turning, and folks are generally in a better mood after that long, hot, brutal summer.
Even the police are in better spirits these days. We saw Little Rock’s top policeman, Chief Stuart Thomas, at a press conference he called to talk about you Occupy folks. It seems you all might have inadvertently picked a not-so-convenient spot to hold your 24-hour protest. You’ve been setting up your shop (and tents) at the Clinton Library. That’s a park. A city park. And the city’s code is, well, clear on this matter: You can’t do that.
But the chief of police has an even better place. Again, we mean it.
It’s a parking lot at Ferry Street, between Capitol and Fourth Streets. It’s right across from the post office. Can’t miss it.
The good people at the police department have set up port-a-potties, a dumpster for trash, and even barricaded the place so other folks can’t park there. The chief says the police department is a neutral agency, doesn’t take political stands, and is just trying to enforce the law. He makes sense. (When they make a movie of Chief Stuart Thomas of the Little Rock Police Department, we suggest Fred Thompson—if the actor loses a few pounds. Or more than a few.)
The parking lot that the chief suggests is city property, but it’s not a park. So there’s nothing wrong with you all setting up a tent or 12 there. Besides, the chief says his people can better protect you all at such a central location. The Clinton Library and its manicured campus, as beautiful as it is, is off the beaten path a bit. You’ll notice you had to be going to the place to get there. It’s not exactly a place you pass by accident.
For an Extra Added Bonus, from the new location, you can be seen quite well—by many people—because Interstate 30 runs right by. You’ll be seen not only by commuters between Little Rock and North Little Rock, but by thousands of people Just Passing Through on one of the state’s busiest stretches of highway. Can you ask for more?
Well, you could. But that’s been taken care of, too.
The city went through the trouble of getting y’all a permit for your protest, too. Everything seems to be in order. We’ll bet those other Occupy protesters from other parts of the country don’t get near the help from local law enforcement and city officials.
Please, do feel welcome. And do continue to protest whatever you’re protesting. It’s so American. It gives some of us warm fuzzies thinking about it.
Just follow the rules. Mama called that manners.
Editorial, Pages 12 on 10/25/2011