A rational and moral person might think of the recent U.S. raid in Yemen this way.

We live in surreal times. Columbus’ Mayor pronounces our city safe for immigrants and an area of opportunity for all – on the same day Columbus police corral and mace anti-Trump travel ban demonstrators putting protestors, including children, at risk. Ginther pledges to make Columbus a premier middle-class city at his State of the City address – when at the same time giving away $68 million in tax abatements to wealthy Easton developers.

A city-sponsored review of the city charter pays lip service to the fact that Columbus should finally become more democratic and representative through district elections joining every other major city nationwide – but recommend all district-based candidates run citywide.

I learned on the radio today that had he lived, Kurt Cobain would have been 50 years old on February 20, 2017. While it didn't really tug at the heartstrings or inspire a nostalgia trip, it brought to mind a conversation I had a few years back.

I was sitting at the Little Palace with a Dennison student who had some sort of connection with my Uncle Bill. She was taking a bus to NYC that would be picking her up down the street, and my wife had insisted that I stay with her she got on board. We got to talking about music. She was an enthusiastic proponent of the string band revival which at the time was approaching its high water mark, and in my view also approaching tedious. At some point she asked me what I was listening to when I was in High School, paused a split second, and said “Nirvana, right?” Well, I thought, that’s a really interesting question.

Just days after the Columbus police pepper-sprayed hundreds of protesters near the Statehouse who were rallying against Trump’s executive order on immigration, two Street Medics led a Health and Safety Workshop for protesters in a packed room at the Free Press office. Interest was intense in the workshop, organized by Columbus Citizens for Police Review (CCPR). Many workshop participants had also participated in the protest.  Below is a smattering of the wisdom from presenters Gabriel and Allison, who declined to have their last names used or to be photographed, since police have been known to target Street Medics.

Biggest Medical Issues.Over many years and many protests, Gabriel and Allison have found that the biggest medical issues are dehydration and sunstroke. Advice: Hydrate. Drink a lot of water beforehand, for days – hydrate well because cannot rehydrate quickly in the moment – no caffeine, no alcohol. You may need a liter of water per hour during a protest. Pepper spray and mace are exceedingly painful but rarely cause permanent harm (unless you are wearing contact lenses or have a medical condition such as asthma).