A GOOD DAY FOR A RIOT! (Frazer Chronicle)
As my Dad used to say, "stick your beak out the door to check the weather," the occupy Wall Street has done the same thing. Checking the weather, the climate, the lay of the land, attitudes and atmosphere, these are all important issues when contemplating a gathering for a protest that, if left unchecked, can turn into what most participants do not want, a riot.
America finds itself in the midst of a protest/riot that seems to be escalating into a full blown riot because of some very basic issues. The reasons for the protests aren't confusing or difficult to understand, they are basic to our system of government. Protesters are exercising their rights to free and equal rights for every person, to participate in a system of government, practiced by electing representatives of the people by the majority of the people.
The facts of this protest are easy to understand as well as the wants and desires, the protest is way past a "voice in the wilderness." However with protest comes some unwanted repercussions that distract from the original goals of the movement, unless you figure that the core of the movement wanted to stand in the streets of America staring down the gun barrel of law enforcement.
Protests have happened in the past in America and around the world as well, usually for a just cause, usually supported by a majority of the people and in most instances, have met with failure. Protests are lead by dreamers, by "do gooders," by visionaries and by those that fight for equality, usually to life people out of poverty, or an unequal voice in government.
In every election cycle for president in the United States, there are protests, although not supported by a majority, these protests usually turn into a riotous confrontation with local, state and even federal law enforcement. In every instance, "gathering permits" were applied for and denied, causing frustration and a predictable reaction.
The 1968 Democratic convention is a perfect example of how things can escalate into a bloody confrontation. In the aftermath of the riot in Chicago, police reported 589 arrests, 119 police and 100 protesters injured. A government funded study to determine the cause of the violence placed most of the blame on the law enforcement officials of Chicago. The Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley disagreed with the report, issuing the police of Chicago a pay raise.
A protest/riot in April of 1968, caused by the assassination of Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. had a very different result then the August riots. Of course the overwhelming majority of the protesters were black, so the response was predictable, 39 people were shot to death, 34 of those were black. In Chicago alone, there were 11 deaths, 48 were wounded, 90 policemen were injured and a whooping 2,150 people were arrested.
This brings us to present day protesting and New York city, Cincinnati, Ohio, Detroit, Green Bay, Wisconsin and Oakland, California. Although people are being arrested, tear gas, rubber bullets and Flash-bang grenades are being used, and although thousands have been detained or arrested, nobody has died.
We now have a war vet being hit in the head with a tear gas canister and there is a brew ha-ha over exactly what the protesters are protesting about. Inequality.....inequality.....inequality, that's it, pure and simple. Taxation, Wall Street "tom-foolery" and greed, "sorry Paul Ryan," but class warfare. I support these protesters, "from afar," and would donate money.
There is however one thing I would hope these protesters do.....do not get to many blacks involved, because some of those big bellied cops just love to take "pot shots" at the brothers.
As my Dad used to say, "stick your beak out the door to check the weather," the occupy Wall Street has done the same thing. Checking the weather, the climate, the lay of the land, attitudes and atmosphere, these are all important issues when contemplating a gathering for a protest that, if left unchecked, can turn into what most participants do not want, a riot.
America finds itself in the midst of a protest/riot that seems to be escalating into a full blown riot because of some very basic issues. The reasons for the protests aren't confusing or difficult to understand, they are basic to our system of government. Protesters are exercising their rights to free and equal rights for every person, to participate in a system of government, practiced by electing representatives of the people by the majority of the people.
The facts of this protest are easy to understand as well as the wants and desires, the protest is way past a "voice in the wilderness." However with protest comes some unwanted repercussions that distract from the original goals of the movement, unless you figure that the core of the movement wanted to stand in the streets of America staring down the gun barrel of law enforcement.
Protests have happened in the past in America and around the world as well, usually for a just cause, usually supported by a majority of the people and in most instances, have met with failure. Protests are lead by dreamers, by "do gooders," by visionaries and by those that fight for equality, usually to life people out of poverty, or an unequal voice in government.
In every election cycle for president in the United States, there are protests, although not supported by a majority, these protests usually turn into a riotous confrontation with local, state and even federal law enforcement. In every instance, "gathering permits" were applied for and denied, causing frustration and a predictable reaction.
The 1968 Democratic convention is a perfect example of how things can escalate into a bloody confrontation. In the aftermath of the riot in Chicago, police reported 589 arrests, 119 police and 100 protesters injured. A government funded study to determine the cause of the violence placed most of the blame on the law enforcement officials of Chicago. The Mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley disagreed with the report, issuing the police of Chicago a pay raise.
A protest/riot in April of 1968, caused by the assassination of Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. had a very different result then the August riots. Of course the overwhelming majority of the protesters were black, so the response was predictable, 39 people were shot to death, 34 of those were black. In Chicago alone, there were 11 deaths, 48 were wounded, 90 policemen were injured and a whooping 2,150 people were arrested.
This brings us to present day protesting and New York city, Cincinnati, Ohio, Detroit, Green Bay, Wisconsin and Oakland, California. Although people are being arrested, tear gas, rubber bullets and Flash-bang grenades are being used, and although thousands have been detained or arrested, nobody has died.
We now have a war vet being hit in the head with a tear gas canister and there is a brew ha-ha over exactly what the protesters are protesting about. Inequality.....inequality.....inequality, that's it, pure and simple. Taxation, Wall Street "tom-foolery" and greed, "sorry Paul Ryan," but class warfare. I support these protesters, "from afar," and would donate money.
There is however one thing I would hope these protesters do.....do not get to many blacks involved, because some of those big bellied cops just love to take "pot shots" at the brothers.
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