The Man With The Sign

Yesterday something called Chamber Day inundated the quad with the booths of businesses and campus organizations. I happened upon my friends tabling Davis College Democrats' voter registration drive. Before I knew it, Don had me tabling with them. My friend Akhil pointed out a man with a sign a few dozen yards away. The sign said in big, bold letters "Jesus Saves" and underneath were words like baby murder, Muslims, sports nuts, homosexuality, Mormons, drunken party animals and rebellious women. Akhil said he'd given the man a "No on Prop 8" sticker for a cookie and that I could have a cookie if I did the same. "He'll tell you you're going to hell!", Akhil said enthusiastically. I agreed to give the man the sticker.

The man was in conversation with some argumentative undergrad boys. Evidently, they were contesting some belief he held. One of the boys was flipping through a pocket bible, searching for the quote he had asserted. The man responded, "I don't think you're lying, I simply think you misremembered".

I walked up to him and shook his hand, saying, "I like the work you're doing here." This was true because I believe in representing viewpoints, especially where they may be received with hostility, and because I think Jesus really does save. I showed him the sticker and explained that I was against Prop 8. He genially asked me what Prop 8 was. I told him the full story, mentioning "activist judges" and explaining that I believed in a "permissive society". He looked a little confused and asked, "So this Proposition, is it for or against gay marriage?" "It's against, and this is a 'No on Prop 8' sticker," I explained. He said, "Oh, ok. That part about 'permissive society' confused me, what do you mean by that?" I explained that I believed that a civil society such as American should allow individuals to do what they want so long as it doesn't hurt other people. He shrugged his shoulders agreeably and said that it just depends on what you consider to be hurting other people. I agreed, and bid him farewell.

The man was reasonable and courteous. Even under unrelenting assault by smug, combative boys, he managed to be, well, "christian". Just goes to show...