UC Davis--What Really Happened

[cornflake]

1. I am sad because these protesters had zero idea at the consequence to their actions. They treated this protest as a joke. Most probably happened upon a group of students protesting and thought "Cool. Let's check this out.". Mob mentality is very scary...scarier still when half the people don't even know what's going on...but hey, they might get on You Tube. :roll eyes: This generation had been fed a line of "you are special", any attention is good attention and You Tube will make you famous. Sad.

I don't understand where you get the notion that people at a protest, actively participating IN the protest, have no idea why they're there and, further, somehow are shallow and stupid enough to want attention from being taped so hang around (getting on youtube to get famous doesn't, btw, take anyone else - it's not like 'gee, we can get on the nightly news' you can put yourself on youtube as people do every day). Or that they treated it as a joke. What evidence do you have of any of that?

I mean what would the scenario be - people wandering on campus no less who have no idea what's going on, on campus, who see the protest, on campus, and say 'hey, look, a protest' 'what're they protesting?' 'who cares! Let's go join them, we'll get on youtube!' I mean... what?

I've never been anyplace near a protest, nevermind involved in one, and met anyone who was there who didn't know why they were. I've passed plenty of protests, and people on the fringes of protests, and asked what the deal was and miraculously, people were always able to answer.

 

[M5ward]

I don't understand where you get the notion that people at a protest, actively participating IN the protest, have no idea why they're there and, further, somehow are shallow and stupid enough to want attention from being taped so hang around (getting on youtube to get famous doesn't, btw, take anyone else - it's not like 'gee, we can get on the nightly news' you can put yourself on youtube as people do every day). Or that they treated it as a joke. What evidence do you have of any of that?

I mean what would the scenario be - people wandering on campus no less who have no idea what's going on, on campus, who see the protest, on campus, and say 'hey, look, a protest' 'what're they protesting?' 'who cares! Let's go join them, we'll get on youtube!' I mean... what?

I've never been anyplace near a protest, nevermind involved in one, and met anyone who was there who didn't know why they were. I've passed plenty of protests, and people on the fringes of protests, and asked what the deal was and miraculously, people were always able to answer.

Funny...the large majority of OWS protesters who have been interviewed have no real idea what the movement is really about; and it comes across in their statements. Many of them seem to want something for nothing, and THAT comes across in their statements.
Law enforcement officers are damned if they do and damned if they don't. I, for one, don't think they overreacted at all. When they accessed the threat, they responded; they didn't beat them with batons or punch or kick them. They used a pretty effective method that got results without using excessive physical force.
I agree with those who have commented on the "entitled" mentality that pervades our society...and it isn't just our young people. Seems like the hand is always out looking for a gimme for free.

 

[Acklander]

[/B]

Funny...the large majority of OWS protesters who have been interviewed have no real idea what the movement is really about; and it comes across in their statements. Many of them seem to want something for nothing, and THAT comes across in their statements.
e.

Actually, a large majority of OWS protesters know exactly why they are there. What's amazing is those interviews don't make it on the news.
And wanting banks to be regulated so that they won't crash the ecconomy and bring the country to it's knees or asking corporations to keep their money out of politics and to pay their taxes isn't exactly wanting something for nothing.

 

[Rabscuttle]

Actually, a large majority of OWS protesters know exactly why they are there. What's amazing is those interviews don't make it on the news.
And wanting banks to be regulated so that they won't crash the ecconomy and bring the country to it's knees or asking corporations to keep their money out of politics and to pay their taxes isn't exactly wanting something for nothing.

Their list of demands included the following;

1. $20 per hour minimum wage.
2.Guaranteed living wage regardless of employment.
3. Free college education for everyone.
4. One TRILLION dollars of infrastructure construction.. NOW
5. 100% debt forgiveness for EVERYTHING.
6. Outlaw all credit reporting agencies.

I wonder how that would work out for us?

 

[PeterPan09]

Comparing Davis to 2 of these is like apples to oranges, and the third marks the decline of western civilization

The real decline of Western Civilization is how many people are SO willing to give up civil rights for anyone they disagree with. Sure, now it's easy because you don't agree with them, but for a minute...just a minute.....think about the precedent you are setting. Maybe someday, it will something that affects YOU, and something YOU might be outraged about...but too bad, so sad. Don't you dare speak against authority. Don't you dare protest. Just go on along and take what is dished out by those who have more power than you. You might get pepper sprayed, or billy clubbed, or shot...but that's what you wanted right? Anyone who dares to raise their voice in opposition or challenge authority deserves whatever they get, right?

You may not be the one everyone is against today, but someday you might be.

 

[plutotek]

The real decline of Western Civilization is how many people are SO willing to give up civil rights for anyone they disagree with. Sure, now it's easy because you don't agree with them, but for a minute...just a minute.....think about the precedent you are setting. Maybe someday, it will something that affects YOU, and something YOU might be outraged about...but too bad, so sad. Don't you dare speak against authority. Don't you dare protest. Just go on along and take what is dished out by those who have more power than you. You might get pepper sprayed, or billy clubbed, or shot...but that's what you wanted right? Anyone who dares to raise their voice in opposition or challenge authority deserves whatever they get, right?

You may not be the one everyone is against today, but someday you might be.

While your response has little to nothing to do w/my original comment, I will address the bolded portion by stating that yes, anyone who violates a lawful order and presents a threat to those trying to enforce that order deserves everything they get. At that point, the defense of staging a peaceful demonstration goes out the window.

 

[declansdad]

The real decline of Western Civilization is how many people are SO willing to give up civil rights for anyone they disagree with. Sure, now it's easy because you don't agree with them, but for a minute...just a minute.....think about the precedent you are setting. Maybe someday, it will something that affects YOU, and something YOU might be outraged about...but too bad, so sad. Don't you dare speak against authority. Don't you dare protest. Just go on along and take what is dished out by those who have more power than you. You might get pepper sprayed, or billy clubbed, or shot...but that's what you wanted right? Anyone who dares to raise their voice in opposition or challenge authority deserves whatever they get, right?

You may not be the one everyone is against today, but someday you might be.

I don't think anyone has said that the right to protest should be taken away. I think what most people have posted is that if, while protesting, you surround and threaten the police, don't be surprised if they eventually use some type of force.

At least is was only pepper spray and not tasers, clubs or bullets.

 

[Magic Mom]

The real decline of Western Civilization is how many people are SO willing to give up civil rights for anyone they disagree with. Sure, now it's easy because you don't agree with them, but for a minute...just a minute.....think about the precedent you are setting. Maybe someday, it will something that affects YOU, and something YOU might be outraged about...but too bad, so sad. Don't you dare speak against authority. Don't you dare protest. Just go on along and take what is dished out by those who have more power than you. You might get pepper sprayed, or billy clubbed, or shot...but that's what you wanted right? Anyone who dares to raise their voice in opposition or challenge authority deserves whatever they get, right?

You may not be the one everyone is against today, but someday you might be.

Nobody said or impled that, but great Straw Man.

 

[PeterPan09]

Few of you seem to capable of understanding the concept of precedent, nor do you seem to be aware of the role of protest in American history. Perhaps that is because injustice has never touched your lives. I' m also a bit surprised by how few understand that supporting a person/groups right to protest is not the same thing as agreeing with what they are protesting.

And yes, bringing the "straw man" insult in is such fun...but it really sends a very different message to me than what you probably intended.

 

[Wadecool]

Their list of demands included the following;

1. $20 per hour minimum wage.
2.Guaranteed living wage regardless of employment.
3. Free college education for everyone.
4. One TRILLION dollars of infrastructure construction.. NOW
5. 100% debt forgiveness for EVERYTHING.
6. Outlaw all credit reporting agencies.

I wonder how that would work out for us?

So much for pulling oneself up by the bootstraps, huh?
Sign me up!

 

[Acklander]

Their list of demands included the following;

1. $20 per hour minimum wage.
2.Guaranteed living wage regardless of employment.
3. Free college education for everyone.
4. One TRILLION dollars of infrastructure construction.. NOW
5. 100% debt forgiveness for EVERYTHING.
6. Outlaw all credit reporting agencies.

I wonder how that would work out for us?

No, that wasn't their list of demands.

 

[Magic Mom]

Few of you seem to capable of understanding the concept of precedent, nor do you seem to be aware of the role of protest in American history. Perhaps that is because injustice has never touched your lives. I' m also a bit surprised by how few understand that supporting a person/groups right to protest is not the same thing as agreeing with what they are protesting.

And yes, bringing the "straw man" insult in is such fun...but it really sends a very different message to me than what you probably intended.

Since you only seem to read what you want to see rather than what is written, that isn't surprising. It's a shame too, because the discussion up to that point had been a good one.

 

[declansdad]

Few of you seem to capable of understanding the concept of precedent, nor do you seem to be aware of the role of protest in American history. Perhaps that is because injustice has never touched your lives. I' m also a bit surprised by how few understand that supporting a person/groups right to protest is not the same thing as agreeing with what they are protesting.

And yes, bringing the "straw man" insult in is such fun...but it really sends a very different message to me than what you probably intended.

You seem to be overlooking much of what people are posting. Perhaps it would help you understand if you read the posts again.

 

[minniecarousel]

I watched all 15 minutes of this guy's "chronology". I still think the police were wrong to use the pepper spray. They could have called for reinforcements or waited out the students.

 

[BadgerGirl84]

Hmmm... I don't recall the constitution only allowed peaceful assembly if that assembly is targeting a 'right'

But I'll bite anyway.

While unorganized, mis-targeted, and unstructured... OWS is protesting for the right of the citizens to be treated the same as corporations.

Banks received 10s of Trillions of dollars in loans, bailouts, and investment guarantees from the representives of the citizens of the USA.

Our reward for our generosity towards the banks? A return of huge profits, huge bonuses, and a shifting of 100s of 1000s more jobs overseas.

And half our government quibbles about ~50 billion in extended unemployment benefits for the common worker.

We are told that to jump start the economy the 'job creators', which are the top 1% and big corporations, need more money in their pockets and it'll 'trickle down' to the rest of us.

So massive tax incentives are given to them. A company like GE can have 14 Billion in profits and still receive a refund from the government. ( and they are just one of many)

Our reward for our generosity for a favourable tax policey for GE and other F500 corporations? Another 100s of 1000s of jobs shifted overseas.

And half our government is quibbling about continuing a 3 1/2% tax break for the middle class.

And strangely enough... the anit-tax teapartiers and Norquest are awful quiet about this impending tax hike on the middle class. ( perhaps because they are funded by the big corporations?)


Shall we mention the erosion of our rights from the patriot act?

Or the fact that huge corporations are allowed to track us through the internet and our phones?

Or that the Senate just passed a bill that requires the military to detain US citizens and suspend their constituitonal rights if they are 'suspected' of being terrorist?

There are a lot of reasons these days for college students and other to be protesting these days.

It's a little disheartening to see plenty of people cheering on a rent-a-cop pepper spraying peaceful protesters when there was about a million other ways of dealing with it.

Oh wow, where to start?

First off, no one is saying that the right to peacefully assemble should be taken away. However, the students were arrested because they were camping overnight on the campus quad and that is illegal. You can peacefully assemble without turning the campus into your own campground.

Your anti-capitalist rant isn't showing me how the student's stand was on-par with the American Revolution or Black Civil Rights. All I hear is "gimme, gimme, gimmie."

The "tax break for the middle class" does not have funding. It’s a raid on the Social Security and Medicare funds which are so near and dear to the hearts of OWS and their supporters.


Those students should hit the books so they can get good grades, become more employable, and hopefully pay back the student loans that ME, the taxpayer, was so generous to loan them.

 

[plutotek]

I' m also a bit surprised by how few understand that supporting a person/groups right to protest is not the same thing as agreeing with what they are protesting.

I'll second you following the advice below:

You seem to be overlooking much of what people are posting. Perhaps it would help you understand if you read the posts again.

Personally, I never said anything about the right to protest. My objection was, and always will be, when the protesters have negated their position by resorting to tactics that endanger others. By threatening the officers in the course of their duties, their protest was no longer peaceful, but that concept seems beyond the grasp of some.