I’ve been told by a friend that the area around Bel Air Maryland is an east coast headquarters for the KKK.
I take a back road through some beautiful scenery, marred only by two giant tRump 2028 signs.
Entering the sprawling town, I park at a shopping center to use a bathroom. While inside a WAWA gas station, a young white womon holding her daughter’s hand approaches me quickly and quietly wanting to know if that’s my truck outside.
I’m always amused when folks who don’t necessarily greet me at my RRB, come inside to where I’m at and recognize I’m related to that truck.
Her eyes sparkling, her face flushed, she tells me I have no idea how much seeing my truck means to her. Her 7 or 8 year old daughter reflects her smile and enthusiasm. I’m glad and I tell her how she also has no idea how happy I am to hear her.
I return to my truck, staring at google maps to plan my next route, when another womon strides over the grass and asphalt to tell me how very happy she is to see something like this in her neighborhood.
We talk and I find out she’s first generation u.s.ofa. (like me) from Pakistan (not like me), born and raised in Philadelphia. Divorce brought her to Bel Air although it is her intention to move back to Philly.
I of course ask her if she knows her rights, just in case, and if she wants a red card. She tells me about her book group who did a “KYR” evening and red cards were passed all around.
I mention what I’ve heard about the KKK being local and she looks at me like “dah”, asking me what I’ve noticed since we’ve been standing there talking. And I have – the cars driven by white men, old and younger, staring as they drive by a couple of times, a not-so-friendly curiousity, even slight hostility.
She tells me she’s afraid to put a bumper sticker on her car. I ask her what does she think will be the worse thing that could happen?
She gets it and we talk about the courage it takes to subsume fear. She asks me if she can video my RRB while I explain each side to the camera. Then she declares she is going to post the video on all her social media and share with her book group.
We leave with another hug and a promise to be on the street on the 18th.
