by Travis Mateer

UPDATE BELOW

I am SO happy to see a Missoulian reporter stumble onto a story about guerrilla warriors fighting for revolution in Missoula. Or was that NOT the story? Because below is what guerrilla warriors fighting a revolution look like:

And HERE is the image that Missoulian reporter, Griffen Smith, didn’t expect to see when residents of the Authorized Camp Site invited him to check out enforcement of the new rules:

If you read the Missoulian article you will discover that the introduction of these NEW uniforms is something our city officials, who OK’d the contract, are looking into:

According to Rogers International’s contract with the city of Missoula, the security guards must wear “casual branded attire with (the) company name clearly visible” when working. The contractors must also conceal-carry any firearms.

City of Missoula officials said they were unaware of the reason behind the change in dress code Wednesday. They are investigating the situation. 

The contract, which the city authorized in November 2021, also stipulates that at least one security guard is needed at the campsite at all times. Each security guard is paid a base salary of $30 an hour, according to the contract. The contract total is $670,000.

While our local officials look into the NEW LOOK of our dashing revolutionaries, I have some suggestions for additional context they might want to take into consideration, like the HBO rendition of The Watchmen:

And a local official (Missoula City Council) who isn’t having this shit:

And an independent journalist who ALSO likes to wear splashy outfits!

But on a more serious note, the fictional narrative of the Watchmen might be a good place to start for those who assume anger is a primary emotion, because often times it functions as a mask for other things, like fear.

Here’s the clip, and though it might be difficult to follow for those who don’t know the storyline, I think the takeaway line is valid by itself: wounds need air to heal.

Thanks for reading and watching!

UPDATE: a reader sent me a message about the ACTUAL hourly rate our revolutionaries are getting paid, and it doesn’t look like $30 bucks to me. According to a job posting at Indeed, it’s $16.

Thanks for the info!