The "Occupy" Movement

[FredEffinChopin]

Do you think people shouldn't be pissed?

[CorgiShinobi]

If someone is at fault for a legitimate reason, no bias involved (as unbelievable as that is), then people should understand, "Well, Joe wasn't exactly cooperating with us either."

 

People are still going to be pissed because one look over the shoulder and all you'd see is a police officer handling a protestor. "Black-n-White" kicks in and "What the hell are you doing? Huh!"

 

Hypothetical question: What if someone from the video got up, starting shouting in her face and began acting hostile? Oh, don't mind him, he's with us and he's just angry at the situation, not you! Protestors and officers taking responsibility for their actions, all I'm saying. Nothing in the sort of, "I defend Group A and not Group B."

[FredEffinChopin]

Let me clarify. I understand that there are two sides to every story. This incident at UC is hardly one to accuse people of being prematurely and illegitimately upset about though. It wasn't just aggression, it was an outright show of force. Those students could've been cuffed and led away, which is what still had to be done after the systematic point-blank sprayingof each one anyway. Instead a point was proved. The one proved by the man with the cans is more symbolic. The presence of officers in riot gear in the first place the more significant. When investigations are complete the details of who deserves the brunt of the blame for the UC Davis incident will surface, but this is the latest and most extreme in a pattern of overboard actions to silence this protest in a fashion that this country openly condemns when it takes place in other countries.

Edited November 21, 2011 by FredEffinChopin

[FredEffinChopin]

People are still going to be pissed because one look over the shoulder and all you'd see is a police officer handling a protestor. "Black-n-White" kicks in and "What the hell are you doing? Huh!"

 

People will do that. Are we (in this thread) doing that now though? You're being cautious and trying not to jump to conclusions prematurely, which I appreciate, but what conclusions have you come to about this particular event, with an unbiased eye?

[CorgiShinobi]

Haven't I made it clear that I'm not talking about anything related to Occupy, even the aggressive force of pepper spraying the protestors? My original post after this incident talked about the two extremes you see in protesting, like the event which occurred recently. That's all on the lieutenant's head.

 

Maybe the students were being passive-aggressive punks, or maybe the officer let himself get caught up in personal bias and sought any opportunity to bring force to the situation. My money is on the latter, but I merely wanted to bring to the table that protests display the worst in human nature, on both sides.

 

But as I've said, I'm not about to go on a cop hating spree because there are law enforcement individual who prove to succumb to stress and/or anger. We're human, even the protestors who go against a peaceful method. I just really don't like protests because it's never reasonable and I absolutely don't like misunderstanding.

 

I'm pretty self-conscious to tell you the truth, even online.

[RockyRan]

WTF?

 

Did I ever defend that? No. Any action, like having to escort persons off private property or legitimately arrest someone for a breach of public law. It happens, but just seeing it gets people pissed because it's "aggression."

 

Seriously, W-T-F?

 

Ah, I've misunderstood you then. I thought you were half-talking about that particular incident, but yes I do agree that there will be some people who will get pissed even if they're asked to leave an area via a public statement with no police presence.

[FredEffinChopin]

I don't dispute your statement about the ugly side of humanity coming out when people are in angry mobs. I'm not really disputing anything you've stated, I actually agree with most of it. I hope it doesn't seem like I'm trying to put you in a category of beliefs or anything like that either. The reason I'm still bringing this situation up though, is that it's the one on the table, and the one (timing indicates anyway,) that provoked you to talk about your disgust when people knee-jerk themselves into a frenzy. At this point I do get that you aren't talking about this particular protest, but wanted to know what you think about this particular case.

 

I also sensing that you feel as though there is a push to hate the cops in this thread, and since I'm the one who posted a pic with an email and phone number, I feel at least partially responsible for that. I should make it clear now, that one of the things that disgusted me the most about these protests when they began was (on the internet side of their representation) the "fuck the police" mentality that people were very quick to promote along with any picture they could find that might possibly resemble police brutality. I'm fully aware of the nature of protests, expected to see some scuffling & excited behavior and didn't have an especial problem with it. Some of the more recent cases though have made me seriously question the use of law enforcement against the protesters. Not the officers themselves, but they way they are deployed. My posting that pic wasn't in case anyone wanted to harass that man, but to speak their honest mind to him should they choose to. I didn't share it on Facebook (where I found it), but I did it here because I don't feel like this place is the pack of wolves most of the places on the internet I visit (including FB) are. Immediately after posting though, I realized how provocative it might come off, and so I'll take responsibility for setting that tone here.

 

Anyway, not trying to force any answers out of you, but I was asking your stance on this particular case. You more or less gave it in the last post.

[FredEffinChopin]

http://digitallife.t...us-works-of-art

 

Maybe it's my personal views on this particular incident, but I'd call this pretty legitimate art, and well done. If you dig the ones showcased in the article, it's worth checking out the full gallery. I liked several on there a lot. It would seem he's been labeled Casually Pepper Spray Everything Cop. The internet.

Edited November 22, 2011 by FredEffinChopin

[Mal]

http://english.ucdavis.edu/

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2011/11/22/uc-davis-physicists-to-chancellor-katehi/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CosmicVariance+%28Cosmic+Variance%29

 

This is getting interesting. Heheh.

I should ask my friends at Davis on about the situation.

[Enervation]

 

 

 

Courtesy of daidandyy via reddit:

http://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/mshlg/so_this_happened_at_ucla_today/

[Mal]

UCLA... pay top dollars, get this.

 

Sometimes I really wonder where the fuck is all the money is going with all the increases every year by upper single digits to double digits while shit get cut right and left. I would feel better if stuff weren't cut to hell but they are. Its frustrating. This pattern has been going on for about 15 years. Meh.

 

Now for something more about OWS... looking at the US Politics thread, I think a good place to start to formulating any sort of change is the voting system. Almost everyone can agree that it is pretty damn shitty in condition and that is where our politicians are coming from.

 

-----

Got this in the email.

From Cal Poly SLO president:

 

Dear Campus Community,

 

Over the past few weeks, a number of cities and campuses across the country have seen protests, demonstrations, and other expressions of free speech. I want to underscore Cal Poly's commitment to uphold your First Amendment rights. These rights are indispensable to our democracy and to our academic freedom. As an institution of higher education, one of our core values is that we have a special obligation to support the free expression of ideas, values, and opinions, however unpopular or controversial.

 

At the same time, freedom of expression coexists with other rights and the need for public order. We have a university-wide policy to help ensure the open expression of ideas and manage the related conduct regarding the time, place, and manner in exercising those rights. [For details, please visit http://policy.calpol.../100/cap140.htm ]

 

As we reflect on some of the trends nationally, I assure you that Cal Poly will continue to encourage free expression and rely on all of us to exercise the mutual responsibilities that come with that freedom. Lawful, peaceful, public assemblies or other similar exercises of free expression are welcome on campus and can be conducted without fear of retaliation or violence. I would encourage those who might be planning demonstrations or other activities to work with campus colleagues to assure policy guidelines are met and that an atmosphere of constructive dialogue prevails.

 

Cal Poly is a special place for all students, faculty, staff and visitors. We, collectively, are Cal Poly in what we think, do, and say.

 

In the meantime, as winter break approaches, here's wishing everyone a successful conclusion to the fall quarter and a joyous holiday season for you and your families.

 

Jeffrey D. Armstrong

President

Edited November 29, 2011 by MaliciousH

[Battra92]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ovs0fpFgeqw

What you've been waiting for. Good old ignoramus Miley Cyrus: born into money thanks to her Achey Breaky father and made an estimated 48 Million dollars last year trying to sell herself as the current princess jailbait. Yet she claims to be part of the so-called 99%. She's just as much a part of the 1% as the big bankers, the politicians, fat-asses like Michael Moore etc. I don't know if she's being opportunist or seriously believes this shit or her agent just told her to record it.

The Soviets had a term for people like her: "Useful Idiots"

[RockyRan]

That is a rather, uh, interesting find. I wouldn't be surprised if celebrities started jumping on the bandwagon for the sake of "IT'S THE POPULAR THING. I WANNA BE POPULAR".

[Luftwaffles]

Finally something we can all agree on. Miley Cyrus sucks.

[Thorgi Duke of Frisbee]

Fuck her and her vapid music. Creating dumb songs is one thing; acting like you care about a movement to get more fans is flat-out disgusting.

[FredEffinChopin]

http://english.ucdavis.edu/

http://blogs.discove...mic+Variance%29

 

This is getting interesting. Heheh.

I should ask my friends at Davis on about the situation.

 

The amazing thing to me is that she needs to be told that she has to go. The fact that she doesn't understand that shows that even now, after all the apologies and concerned faces that she made, that she has zero grasp of the magnitude of the disgust that that incident created for the school, both from outside and within. Those students don't want to move forward under her direction, they see her as the cause of the problem. Whether or not she expected something like that (I highly doubt she did), it happened on her watch and as a result of her premature and heavy-handed manner of dealing with the protest. If she claims responsibility as she said several times she does, then she will do the most dignified thing possible at this point; walk away.

 

What you've been waiting for.

 

Actually I think that's what you've been waiting for ~.o

 

Personally, I find the Jay-Z one more disturbing, as he was selling t-shirts. Also because I actually dig his music (or used to, it's been a few years). Doesn't indicate anything but greedy individuals, either way. That's just my assumption on the part of Miley, I'd like to think an educated one when it comes to young celebrities. Truth is I don't care enough about her to give her a fair ear. She just doesn't matter.