The city of Bakersfield sits in a unique position in the California landscape. Not quite Southern California, but also not far enough north to be part of Nor Cal. Couple it’s geographic position in our state with a fertile valley community, add a transportation hub and Bakersfield is a great sample of the state.
I’ve been wanting to attend a grassroots rally in Bakersfield for a long time. When I was in Phoenix, waiting for Trump to arrive, he made a stop in Bakersfield but I knew that one day I’d make it to that small town. When that day finally arrived, I was welcomed with open arms. An outlandish California style patriot in a sleepy conservative town wasn’t rejected, in fact he was welcomed.
Standing on a corner alone is daunting enough, but when you are an atypical character it can be downright terrifying; especially in an unknown city. My friends were sure to arrive, but I’m an early bird and had yet to see a familiar face. Alone in a new town and who were these 4 large men rolling up on me? Proud boys.
They immediately thanked me for showing up and together we shouted at cars until another voice from across the street was calling my name. A newfound friend wanted me to do an interview with his buddy who has a radio show.
My friends soon arrived and I raced to change shoes. New shoes have a time limit and I reached it after an hour. I swapped for my standbys and took to street again. We shouted at cars, cheered when we were supported and told the city of Bakersfield that we need to stop living in fear.
I met a young woman who was on the edges of tears because her graduation was canceled. A single mother with an LGBT child lost in the sea of leftism worked hard to get a college degree and now her dream to walk as a graduate was destroyed. I comforted her as best as I could and we smiled knowing that nothing can change the joy of unity we shared in that moment. Tears gave way to strength and we enjoyed a great afternoon together. Thank you Bakersfield for a wonderful Saturday.
