An Open Letter To A Protester I Saw On The Rotary In Augusta

Let me start out by saying this is not an article about politics.  I just want to bring attention to something I saw the other night.

When I first moved to Augusta, one of the things that stood out most to me was the number of protests the city sees.  Of course, as the state’s capital, it makes sense.  It was just a little bit of a shock at first.  Especially since I would regularly drive past them on my way to and from work.

Of course, in the last eighteen months we have seen even more protests than normal.  There were protests and rallies aimed at convincing Governor Mills to allow non-essential businesses to re-open, anti-mask protests, rallies that hoped to encourage regulators to allow high school sports, and Black Lives Matter protests.   Yes, Augusta has seen its share of protests over few years.

On Wednesday evening, there was another protest / rally.  I am sure there were people exercising their First Amendment right in front of the State House, but I encountered these protesters around the perimeter of the West Side rotary.

As I rolled up to the rotary, I saw a young woman step off the curb and hold up her hand to stop traffic.

My first thought was, “oh great, I really need to get to the store…”

Then I realized what she was doing.

She was stopping traffic to help an older gentleman cross the street.  From my point of view, she did not just stop traffic, she actually helped the guy across the street.  When he was safely across the street, she went back to what she was doing.

I am not sure who the woman was, but the fact that she was wearing scrubs makes me think she was some sort of healthcare worker.  This should serve as a reminder that, no matter how you feel about the current situation, we need to remember these people are always driven to help people – even when they are not on the clock.

To the unnamed healthcare worker who helped the elderly man: thank you.