Violence @ the RNC

[salinen]

I've seen many warnings on this board and other sources that warn against violent reactions. Even if there are puke plants designed to incite violence. There are reasons why it should not be violent. And there are reasons why it should be violent.

The Shouldn't:

- The Corporate Media is wholly against Democrats and Liberals. We will be depicted as Anarchist, violent peaceniks, and crazies. If the Media were honest, the violence could be blamed on the disruptor's.

- Violence will be the focus. All else that is wonderful about the protest will be lost. Camera crews will rush away from speeches to follow the action.

The Shoulds:

- It will demonstrate the level of passion against this corrupt regime. The world will be watching, and the world overwhelmingly disapproves of this neo-fascist America. It will show that we are seriously devoted to the Constitution.

- The protests will be under reported and ignored anyway. The crowd size will be said to be small. They will show footage of kids with spiked green hair and ignore the grandparents with signs.

- The violence at Kent State had a profound impact on the American psyche. People were forced to consider an opposition that is dead serious. It is easy for the media to play it as a gathering of fair weather friends, misguided flower children, college kids looking to hook up, or families with nothing better to do.

[Nordic]

1. here's another reason (those are good by the way):

Ashcroft and co. has a whole lot of new weapons they would love to try out against people like us.

They have this new microwave gun they want to use for crowd control that burns you (not permanently) just under your skin. No one has been able to withstand this for more than a few seconds.

They also have new sound weapons they haven't tried out on anyone but Iraqis yet.

These people will gladly try to get something going just so they can make us the guinea pigs for their new toys.

So don't let them.

(By the way, we did this in Vietnam, we gave untested weapons systems to the South Vietnamese to try out. My father was involved with this. He'd fly into the battlefields after the S. Vietnamese used these things and see how it all worked out. He said "sometimes they worked pretty well, sometimes they didn't:")

on edit, here's a link to some really intereseting nonlethal weapons:

http://www.adacomp.net/~mcherney/nonlethal.html

[freetobegay]

2. Lets be thankful that

the events of a few will benefit the many.

[gardenista]

7. Huh? What does that mean? nt

[mongo]

3. One more Shouldn't

People will get Hurt! My daughter is talking about going - and I am worried about her.

I am afraid that any act of violence on people or property will be met by the police with a force 10 times stronger than necessary.

[salinen]

4. Indeed

I hope she's careful.

[mongo]

5. I hope so too

She dropped this bomb on me yesterday. She "knows a guy with a van that will take us and feed us all week for $25 and I'll get to see how it is to live like a squatter" Jeeez!

She did make it to Thailand and back over spring break, so I have to give her that.

But, she's only 19 and I don't think she has any idea what she is doing, and I have no way to vet this person who is taking her.

[salinen]

6. Have her call you 3 times a day.

She'll complain, but secretly she'll like that.

[bobbieinok]

8. make sure you both have a cell phone

[gardenista]

10. And that she has a camera. nt

[mongo]

13. Thank you all for the good advice

I just talked to my mom, who had dinner with her. She is not going to go. She is coming up to see me instead for 1 week before school.

I AM SO RELIEVED!

I guess she will just have to protest *'s visit to Wheeling with her old man instead. (and I wonder where she gets it from <grin>)

[gardenista]

9. Agreed on the "shouldn'ts. I want to talk about these shoulds, tho...

If ya don't mind.


"- It will demonstrate the level of passion against this corrupt regime. The world will be watching, and the world overwhelmingly disapproves of this neo-fascist America. It will show that we are seriously devoted to the Constitution."

Don't you think that tens of thousands of peaceful demonstrators can do the same thing? Because of the buildup this is getting in the media, there will be lots of eyeballs on even peaceful protesters. I suppose this is an argument in favor of making the media *think* there might be violence.

"- The protests will be under reported and ignored anyway. The crowd size will be said to be small. They will show footage of kids with spiked green hair and ignore the grandparents with signs."

I don't see how this is a "should". Are you saying that violence would change this somehow?

"- The violence at Kent State had a profound impact on the American psyche. People were forced to consider an opposition that is dead serious. It is easy for the media to play it as a gathering of fair weather friends, misguided flower children, college kids looking to hook up, or families with nothing better to do."

The violence at Kent State also killed 4 people. Is it worth it? And how would this help people take protesters more seriously? Though I was pretty young, I remember Kent State, and although I recall increased focus on police brutality, I didn't notice that it made people think protesters were "dead serious". I remember people feeling very sorry for the victims, though.

[salinen]

11. I will reply to these great arguments

after the wife and I go out for a Burrito. See ya a little later.

[gardenista]

12. Yum. Extra guacamole?

See you, salinen, have a good dinner!

[Green Lantern]

14. As best I can recall

the violence at Kent State was not on the part of the protestors. It was begun by National Guardsmen, poorly trained in crowd control, who lost it and fired on the unarmed crowd of kids.

A commission at the time said a group of violent protestors with clubs were about to assault the Guard's position. Turned out not to be true, as I recall.

Ghandi and our civil rights marches did far more with peaceful protest than the ROTC protests with the rock throwing, window breaking, and blood and inking of student records did, or the physical assaults on draft board offices. While I did not disapprove of those actions per se, they were not as effective in creating interest and sympathy with movement causes. The non-violence did the trick. Americans listen when someone says that all they wanted was a chance to speak, present their side, have a chance.

Let the world see the fortress that is MSG in NYC. Let the world see the fear the repugs hold their own people in. Show the comparisons with the garrison settings other dictatorships have needed to survive their own people.

Let's get rid of them first and let our laws take care of them afterwards.