Declaration of Occupy Wall Street

[saywhatkid]

I'm 60 years old, and I remember the days of marches for civil rights. The marchers were neatly dressed and courteous, they didn't shout profanities or racial slurs, they didn't vandalize, they didn't urinate or defecate in public, and they always met violence with non-violence. They prayed and sung hymns.

They were able to get our attention and respect by the way they protested with dignity and courage.

I don't recall them being portrayed as courteous or well-dressed. I recall them being portrayed as protesters. The media was a lot different then. We only had 3 choices for TV news. You got Cronkite, Huntley/Brinkley, or Reasoner/Jennings. There was no MSNBC, FoxNews, CNN, etc. The protest portrayals changed as the years went by.

 

[deafskeptic]

Just for fun, here's The Onion's reporting on the protest:
Nation Waiting For Protesters To Clearly Articulate Demands Before Ignoring Them | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Lmao!

 

[Beowulf]

There is a small group of protesters here in town who speak against the war, and they occupy an area at a busy intersection. In the past few days, though, the group has grown larger, and I see passersby chatting with them. I am proud of our police who have left them alone, and I hope it stays that way. I can understand if the group grows so large that they interfere with the daily traffic and the cops step in. I sure am glad I am not a cop.

 

[sallylou]

Wirelessly posted (droid)

Police deal with so much "domestic" violence, too. That alone is difficult. Cutbacks are affecting that. In Kansas, the legislature repealed "domestic" violence laws that made it a misdemeanor. I kid you not. It's so much more efficient to wait for the murders.

 

[Tousi]

Wirelessly posted (droid)

Reba, if you're happy with the status quo, you can go about your business and ignore the protesters. If you feel the need to ridicule and discredit them, it says more about you than them. Last time I checked, Americans had the right to free speech and freedom of assembly.

And you don't accord Reba that very same right? Hmmmm, okayyyyyyyy.

 

[Daredevel7]

Personally, I'm just interested to see where this goes. But they better shape up their goals fast. Complaining isn't enough.

I do hope it's for the overall good.

Frankly, I think it's a bit unfair to use one bad apple (Mr. Pooper) to represent the whole group.

 

[Beowulf]

Personally, I'm just interested to see where this goes. But they better shape up their goals fast. Complaining isn't enough.

I do hope it's for the overall good.

Frankly, I think it's a bit unfair to use one bad apple (Mr. Pooper) to represent the whole group.

Unfair? I thought it hilarious.

 

[Reba]

Wirelessly posted (droid)

Reba, if you're happy with the status quo, you can go about your business and ignore the protesters. If you feel the need to ridicule and discredit them, it says more about you than them. Last time I checked, Americans had the right to free speech and freedom of assembly.

Somehow you keep overlooking the several times that I've posted I'm all for enforcing the banking laws. I don't support banking hanky panky, under the table deals, unethical business practices, cheating or lying by executives, etc.

For the protestors who are sincere and peaceable in the movement, that's fine. For those hangers-on who join movements either out of ignorance (let's party and make a mess) or have ulterior motives (for anything violent or subserive), I don't have any reason to avoid discrediting.

Yes, Americans have the right to free speech and assembly. Have I posted anything that even implies they should be prohibited from speaking or assembling? Doesn't free speech include the right to criticize the occupiers?

They don't have the right to destroy public or private property, or intimidate residents.

Well, so far, what have been the results of these occupations? What changes have they wrought?

 

[saywhatkid]

Somehow you keep overlooking the several times that I've posted I'm all for enforcing the banking laws. I don't support banking hanky panky, under the table deals, unethical business practices, cheating or lying by executives, etc. True

For the protestors who are sincere and peaceable in the movement, that's fine. For those hangers-on who join movements either out of ignorance (let's party and make a mess) or have ulterior motives (for anything violent or subserive), I don't have any reason to avoid discrediting. True

Yes, Americans have the right to free speech and assembly. Have I posted anything that even implies they should be prohibited from speaking or assembling? Doesn't free speech include the right to criticize the occupiers? True

They don't have the right to destroy public or private property, or intimidate residents.Agreed

Well, so far, what have been the results of these occupations? What changes have they wrought?

The only change so far has been to put the issue on the front page of the news, in large print.

 

[Reba]

I don't recall them being portrayed as courteous or well-dressed. I recall them being portrayed as protesters. The media was a lot different then. We only had 3 choices for TV news. You got Cronkite, Huntley/Brinkley, or Reasoner/Jennings. There was no MSNBC, FoxNews, CNN, etc. The protest portrayals changed as the years went by.

I saw the same TV news that you did. I saw the civil rights marchers portrayed as courageous and dignified, and the local Southern police and sheriffs were portrayed as ignorant, mean-spirited, and violent.

Most of the men marching wore suits and fedoras, and the women wore dresses or suits. Poor rural men wore farmer overalls but they were neat. There was no shouting or foul language used by them.

 

[deafskeptic]

The only change so far has been to put the issue on the front page of the news, in large print.

So far.. The question here will this snowball into much needed changes for the long term?

 

[Daredevel7]

I saw the same TV news that you did. I saw the civil rights marchers portrayed as courageous and dignified, and the local Southern police and sheriffs were portrayed as ignorant, mean-spirited, and violent.

Most of the men marching wore suits and fedoras, and the women wore dresses or suits. Poor rural men wore farmer overalls but they were neat. There was no shouting or foul language used by them.

Really miss the old days, huh?

We've overall become somewhat less classy... sigh....

 

[TWA]

I've seen videos of the protesters attacking first, such as at the Smithsonian.

First off: Any claim that the protesters have attacked police without any sort of provocation is just BS. You're watching edited videos.

Second: I was only talking about NYC. The Smithsonian incident wasn't part of the Occupy Wall Street protest; that was a very small group of protesters who left the main protest in Freedom Plaza for their own moronic anti-drone/war agenda. Don't associate it with the overall protest.

BTW, I went down to MacPherson Square and Freedom Plaza over the weekend. Hardly an antagonistic atmosphere. Struck me as a bit lazy and half-hearted really.

Try again.

I guess it depends on which videos one sees.

Try this one: [ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meT8CJgEBQw&feature=player_embedded]MSNBC Reporter SLAMS NYC Police Brutality![/ame]

Who provoked the protesters to urinate in the streets, defecate on cop cars, and vandalize the cars with paint?

The cops provoked them. Duh. An act of classlessness for sure, but what do you expect when people are getting beat with batons and pepper sprayed for simply exercising THEIR AMERICAN RIGHTS?

I think the cops are really pressing their luck if you ask me. Tomorrow is going to be a bad day.

 

[saywhatkid]

I guess it depends on which videos one sees.

Sadly, this is the probably most truthful commentary in this entire discussion.

 

[Reba]

First off: Any claim that the protesters have attacked police without any sort of provocation is just BS. You're watching edited videos.

You think the videos shown against the police aren't edited?

I watched your linked video. There was no way that simply watching those anyone could tell what happened before the video, or out of the range of the camera viewer.

The guy at the desk definitely knew how to spin the videos; he even included Rodney King footage from 1991!

The cops provoked them. Duh. An act of classlessness for sure, but what do you expect when people are getting beat with batons and pepper sprayed for simply exercising THEIR AMERICAN RIGHTS?

I don't know who provoked whom to what on the basis of the short video clips. There's no way to know the whole story from fast, jerky clips taken out of context.

I think the cops are really pressing their luck if you ask me. Tomorrow is going to be a bad day.

If they are as provocative and guilty as you believe, it seems odd that they would be so blatant knowing that every move is captured by cameras.

 

[Reba]

Sadly, this is the probably most truthful commentary in this entire discussion.

It was the biggest chunk of biased baloney I've heard in a long time.

 

[saywhatkid]

It was the biggest chunk of biased baloney I've heard in a long time.

I wasn't referring to the video. I was referring to the comment about which video one watches. After seeing his (TWA) posted video, and realizing that Liberals feel exactly like you when they see FoxNews coverage, do you have a grasp of the real issue here?

 

[Beowulf]

I've seen live-stream video of cops just lashing out and shoving anyone who ventured near them. It made me think "Uh oh."
But at least it wasn't as bad as the Democratic Convention in Chicago in the early seventies where cops would remove their name tags before entering their areas.

 

[saywhatkid]

I've seen live-stream video of cops just lashing out and shoving anyone who ventured near them. It made me think "Uh oh."
But at least it wasn't as bad as the Democratic Convention in Chicago in the early seventies where cops would remove their name tags before entering their areas.

Yes, the Chicago 8. It was a defining moment in the anti-war movement, along with Kent State shootings.

 

[TWA]

If they are as provocative and guilty as you believe, it seems odd that they would be so blatant knowing that every move is captured by cameras.

The video addressed your question exactly. Yes, why do cops act with such brazen wantonness and impunity? Because as long as nobody gets killed, they know they can get away with it! Seems unbelievable, right? Never in America, right? :roll:

Willful ignorance has destroyed America.