As if poor Pittsburgh doesn't have enough of a negative image around the U.S. and the rest of the world. Now folks sitting back in their huts in New Guinea will be watching as protestors at this year's G-20 Economic Summit raise hell.News reports say that many downtown businesses will be closed on Thursday and Friday in anticipation of the protests. Hell, even Starbucks has boarded up many of their local stores. So no caffeinated libations for me and the rest of the addicts for a few days.
While I'm a firm believer in Freedom of Speech, it's sad that this Summit is going to be overshadowed with negative publicity about protestors and riot police. Seriously, how does a policeman protect himself from a flying piece of metal? That would piss me off.
But hopefully, the leaders of the world's 20 most industrialized nations - I swell with pride to see the flag of my little African home country in the line-up, there in the middle somewhere - will be able to put on their thinking caps, kick a few butts, and make some changes.
And hopefully Pittsburgh will somehow be able to show the rest of the folks in Howlong, Australia; Buttermilk, Kansas; and Wormwood Scrubs, UK that Pittsburgh has since shed its 60s image of a dirty, sooty, steel town and is now actually quite pretty. And green. And clean!
Hey hey, all eyes on us, please.
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