Mocking a political opponent for engaging in public service is mocking public service. Politicians don't mock everything their opponents do; only the things they disapprove of (or, more likely, the things they think their voters disapprove of).
Combined with the way anti-RNC protestors have been treated in the Twin Cities, the message that the Republic Party has been sending is that they do not care what the American people think. That we should stop trying to organize, stop trying to be heard, and just shut up and do what they tell us.
You know, there's no point in me even trying to explain how I view the mocking. You see it one way, I see it another. But I will tell you that saying that the Republican party does not value public service is at best ill-informed.
As for the poor little protesters - a number (I can't say all because I wasn't there to see who all was arrested or why) were Anarchists who were destroying public property and threatening bodily harm and violence to convention delegates. Maybe you think this is perfectly okay way to protest, but I do not.
Just some bits from blacksquirrel's lj after her 17 year old brother was arrested .
Supposedly for "unlawful assembly" - in reality, he was walking back to his car after being turned away from a sold-out union-sponsored public concert.
In an Update later:
This is being reported as the arrest of 280 "violent anarchists." This is patently untrue. Yes, some people did smash windows and throw rocks yesterday, but the number of arrests is grossly inflated. My brother said that they surrounded a grassy area the size of a city block and arrested everyone who was there at the time. Everyone. I am furious. Not only is this an incredible infringement of basic rights, but it's horrendously lazy. We pay the police to find out which people committed the crime, not to arrest everyone in the vicinity and let the courts sort it out later. It's sloppy, authoritarian, and inhumane.
And that's the story of just one of those people arrested in that area.
Well, if this is true, it will come out in the courts. I have no way of knowing one way or the other since, as I said, I wasn't there and only have news reports and video film to go on.
They kept that kid in jail for hours, without even letting him call his parents to tell them what had happened to him. The only reason his parents found out where he was, was because finally, one of the cops answered the kid's cellphone.
Can you imagine that, not knowing where your son is for hours?
And his is not the only story like that. There was less than five % of the protestors that were violent, yet hundreds of innocent people, press included were attacked, teargassed and arrested without due cause.
Just for the crime of being there.
Others tried to follow orders to disperse, and were driven into rows of other police officers in riot gear who then attacked them.
I tend to be on the polices side in most cases. Hell, I'm pro law and order, I like cops, but the way this situation was handled was disgusting to say the least. Clear overreaction from the police, brutality against peaceful protesters, innocent bystanders, all supposedly in a claim to go in against a small minority of people that actually did something wrong. (many of whom were basically spurned into doing so, after they were attacked in their homes the day before, for no reason, other than planning to be at the protest)
Check the links about it, believe me, the way the police mishandled this situation was criminal.
I was at the protest on Monday. There were a group of violent anarchists yes, but they were far outnumbered by both the peaceful protesters, and by police officers in full riot gear. There have been threats of violence that should be addressed, but the police reaction has been over the top.
I don't think that the Republican party does not value public service or public protest, but that certainly seems to be the message they have been sending this past week. I'm sorry if I implied overwise. I'm aware that my comment was very forceful. It's been a rough week, both because of the political situation here, and because of some personal stuff my family is dealing with that has nothing to do with politics.
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momijizukamori
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no subject
Date: 2008-09-06 12:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-06 06:10 pm (UTC)Combined with the way anti-RNC protestors have been treated in the Twin Cities, the message that the Republic Party has been sending is that they do not care what the American people think. That we should stop trying to organize, stop trying to be heard, and just shut up and do what they tell us.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-06 06:55 pm (UTC)As for the poor little protesters - a number (I can't say all because I wasn't there to see who all was arrested or why) were Anarchists who were destroying public property and threatening bodily harm and violence to convention delegates. Maybe you think this is perfectly okay way to protest, but I do not.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-06 07:23 pm (UTC)Supposedly for "unlawful assembly" - in reality, he was walking back to his car after being turned away from a sold-out union-sponsored public concert.
In an Update later:
This is being reported as the arrest of 280 "violent anarchists." This is patently untrue. Yes, some people did smash windows and throw rocks yesterday, but the number of arrests is grossly inflated. My brother said that they surrounded a grassy area the size of a city block and arrested everyone who was there at the time. Everyone. I am furious. Not only is this an incredible infringement of basic rights, but it's horrendously lazy. We pay the police to find out which people committed the crime, not to arrest everyone in the vicinity and let the courts sort it out later. It's sloppy, authoritarian, and inhumane.
And that's the story of just one of those people arrested in that area.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-06 07:31 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-06 07:41 pm (UTC)Can you imagine that, not knowing where your son is for hours?
And his is not the only story like that. There was less than five % of the protestors that were violent, yet hundreds of innocent people, press included were attacked, teargassed and arrested without due cause.
Just for the crime of being there.
Others tried to follow orders to disperse, and were driven into rows of other police officers in riot gear who then attacked them.
I tend to be on the polices side in most cases. Hell, I'm pro law and order, I like cops, but the way this situation was handled was disgusting to say the least. Clear overreaction from the police, brutality against peaceful protesters, innocent bystanders, all supposedly in a claim to go in against a small minority of people that actually did something wrong.
(many of whom were basically spurned into doing so, after they were attacked in their homes the day before, for no reason, other than planning to be at the protest)
Check the links about it, believe me, the way the police mishandled this situation was criminal.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-06 11:32 pm (UTC)I don't think that the Republican party does not value public service or public protest, but that certainly seems to be the message they have been sending this past week. I'm sorry if I implied overwise. I'm aware that my comment was very forceful. It's been a rough week, both because of the political situation here, and because of some personal stuff my family is dealing with that has nothing to do with politics.
Thank you for responding.
no subject
Date: 2008-09-06 06:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-09-06 07:23 pm (UTC)