"A man's got to be tough,

  but he doesn't have to be violent until he has to be as a matter of defense," a Chaplain explained. 

  The crowd was a mix of signing and support.  A lot of younger siblings hung back at a little distance, but were close enough to tackle anybody messing with anybody threatening to mess this up.  This sane and functioning Republic woven from shredded flags. 

  "Poor flags," commented a little girl dressed just like her mother and the mom's bestie.  Though the flags had survived getting to an open air chapel in the mountains, there had been real loss of human life in "the culture war".  (i)Drugs(i), a parent confided to a parent about the loss of their young person.  "I understand," was code for having also been affected by all that had been going on.