Shellfish

Resist

    A stunning photograph from last night's protest here in Phoenix of Trump's visit.

The 60's

   Ah, yes.  I do remember the 1960's.  And yes, I did participate in a protest or two.  But I was no idiot.  If you're going to challenge the cops (or campus security), do so as part of a large crowd of protesters.  It makes the chances of you getting your head bashed in rather minimal.

Injustice

    Really, St. Louis Police Department?!?!  You're offended that some of the St. Louis Rams players  showed their solidarity with the Ferguson black community by giving the "Hands Up! Don't Shoot!" gesture??

    Well, I'm offended that you think shooting an unarmed black teenager for walking down the middle of a street is okay.  F*cking racist cops.

Occupy Phoenix

When  :  Saturday, 15 October  (not sure of the time)

Where  :   Wesley Bolin Plaza

Why  : Cuz I'm part of the 99%, not the 1%

    Besides, I haven't illegally occupied anything since my college days, when we liberated a fountain at ASU in the name of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam (Viet Cong), and held it for two weeks.

Wall Street Protests

    It is interesting to watch the "Wall Street Protests" unfold. First of all, because they're so under-reported.  Second, because they refuse to be "polite" demonstrators - carefully complying with every stoopid police regulation ("Do Not Block the Roadway"; "Stay Several Blocks Away From Meaningful Landmarks"; "Inform the Police Beforehand of Everything You're Going to Do"; etc.) .  Third, because unlike we protesters from the 70's, they don't really have any clearly-stated goals.

    Methinks it is a balancing reaction to the Tea Bag Idiocy.  Elections are coming up; it looks to be a dogfight, no matter which wing-nut the Gopheads nominate; and someone needs to grab the headlines from the Tea Baggers.
   
    And one has to be impressed by the way these protests are spreading.  The New Yorkers are overcoming the media stonewalling.  The Chicago protest is sustaining itself.  And Los Angeles has its own Anti-Bankers demonstrations going.

    By coincidence, I will be in L.A. this weekend.  Mostly to go see Dumbo and Nemo.  But I just might find time to join the demonstrators.  Jeez, I haven't been in a protest since 2003.  And that was in London.  I'm overdue.

it was 40 years ago today...

...that four students at Kent State University were gunned down by National Guardsmen for "failing to disperse" while protesting Tricky Dicky's invasion of Cambodia. Is that before your time? You can read the Wiki article on it here. Nine others were wounded and ironically, two of the students killed weren't even taking part in the demonstration. . To commemorate the event, last night police in Philadelphia tasered a teenager who had jumped onto the field from the stands during the Phillies' baseball game. .

Now I admit, the kid was a jerk. And I would have booed him and said bad things about his mama for him pulling this stunt. But does that justify tasering him? He posed no threat (watch the video of it out on YouTube), and people have died from being tasered. .

The truth is - we were living in a police state forty years ago, and we are living in a police state now. You can protest if you're a dittohead tea-bagger, and you can physically slap liberals at Town Hall Meetings on Health Care. But if you are protesting the war (remember Cindy Sheehan?) or interrupting America's pastime, you will be arrested at best, and shot or tasered to death at worst.