This was written for Carrot Ranch’s Flash Fiction Challenge. Each week’s challenge is to write to a prompt in exactly 99 words. This week’s prompt is to write a protest story.
“I’m against picketing, but I don’t know how to show it.” – Mitch Hedberg
Be The Change
“Here’s another depressing news story. We should do something.”
“Like what?”
“Protest.”
“Protest what?”
“I don’t know. Pollution. Corporate tax cuts. Guns. Puppy mills.”
“Car washes.”
“What? You’re mocking me.”
“I am. What about actors who play roles inconsistent with their ethnicity? Innocuous lyrics to Christmas songs from the 1940s?”
“I’m serious. We live in a world where a xenophobic, rapist, megalomaniac, demagogue was elected president over a qualified woman amid cries of ‘Lock her up’ because she sent emails from the wrong account.”
“That’s why I’m protesting elections. You’re not gonna change anything.”
“Maybe we should protest apathy.”
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I’m all for protesting puppy mills but not Charli Mills, Supreme Leader of the Carrot Ranch. My friend and I have an inside joke that people standing out on the street with signs for their fund-raising car washes are protesting car washes. Once, she even leaned out the window and yelled, “Why are you protesting (Looooong Awkward Pause) car washes?” It’s one of those you-had-to-be-there, but that’s the joke. I know jokes are never funny when they have to be explained, but it’s funny to me, so it’s staying in.
NobbinBlog 
Love it and 3 cheers for “What about actors who play roles inconsistent with their ethnicity?” I could list some but I’d be here all day. 😉
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Yeah, the things people think are important.
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There is so much that is not, absolutely not, funny in your flash, ’cause it’s all true. There is much that is funny, ’cause it’s all true. It’s all good.
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That’s how I tell if things are true or not. If it’s funny, it has to be true. If it’s not, who cares? Thank you.
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And in the end, apathy saves the trees (no signs made). Actually, great use of dialog to draw out many points, some fun, some futile. And the car washes joke is funny and I can’t unsee it now. Next time the high school teams are out (after the snow), I’ll be laughing! Thanks, Nobbinmaug!
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Thank you, Charli. I love to write dialogue. I let my characters tell the story. It’s a product of script writing. I’m working on a rewrite of a book, and there are whole chapters that are just dialogue.
Yes, always laugh at high school kids. It doesn’t matter what they’re doing. Just laugh at them.
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Protest apathy? Who could be bothered?
Your flash is so true it hurts.
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Aldus Huxley nailed it. People don’t need to be controlled, just pacified.
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🙂
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Made me giggle and who protests against car washes? Other than the bloke who obviously did. Good job.
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Car washes are offensive. Coincidentally, I’m actually at a car wash right now. Thank you.
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Just as I expected.🤣
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