On Trump and Gaza: Roseville protesters bring the noise, change zero minds | Opinion

I just want to be able to take my kids to The Fountains in Roseville without being suffocated by everyone’s political opinions.

Is that really too much to ask?

The protests aren’t there every day, but often enough to be annoying.

“June 14 pedophile awareness day,” read one placard on a recent Sunday; “Flick me off if you love pedophiles,” blared another.

Nice reverse psychology! It’s the left-wing protestor version of the 1990s playground classic, “A sphincter says what?”

To flick off or not flick off, that’s certainly a question. But I chose another option for myself: Proceed to Whole Foods while ignoring weirdos screaming about pedophiles.

For the uninitiated, The Fountains in Roseville is an open-air shopping and dining center across from the Roseville Galleria.

On June 14, President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, protesters there were likening the president to a pedophile, for which there is no public evidence. It made me wonder if one protester in particular, a lover of middle fingers, was out here when Joe Biden was president.

Of course, the signs weren’t pedo-exclusive. The crowd was lousy with the “No Kings” placards that, objectively, appear to be working. It’s been nearly 250 years, and America still doesn’t have a king. Woohoo!

There was a sea of woke messages, but it was hard to take it all in. The protesters really hate Trump and shared those feelings with me and everyone else as if we had nothing better to do on a Sunday morning in 90-degree heat.

Yes, they have the constitutional right to assemble and speak, but just because they can do something doesn’t mean they should.

Maybe it’s therapeutic to them, but it’s not persuasive to others. If you’re stuck at Galleria Boulevard and Roseville Parkway, you’re unlikely to rethink your worldview because of an activist’s inflatable Trump chicken

Where does one buy such a thing?

This isn’t a pro-Trump rant because it’s not just about Trump. Some protesters want to “Free Palestine” while being clueless that Hamas, the terrorists, are the bad guys. Others believe “No One Is Illegal on Stolen Land,” which I always find confusing. If it’s stolen, why not vacate it?

“Where should they protest?” a friend asked me, pointing out that in West Placer County, The Fountains is the public square. I don’t know where they should go. Maybe for a hike, or to church, or to lunch.

Why should The Fountains be where you protest Israel or Jeffrey Epstein?

The truth is, we’re living in a nonstop protest. But when you protest everything, the messages lose all meaning. It’s just ranting at that point.

Spending Sunday morning thinking you’re proving a point while being ignored is not really fighting for change. It’s just being annoying.

Matt Fleming is an opinion writer living in Placer County. You can follow him on X @Flemingwords or connect via email: flemingwords@gmail.com.