Danger in the Big Blue Room 630
TUESDAY
Fly-on-the-Wall No More
My original plan was to spend a weekend in Philly -- Friday to Sunday. A friend had sacrificed a room of his group house for my photographer (who returned home early in the week) and I. I expected to snap some photos, scrawl some notes, and arrive at my real job as usual Monday morning slightly tired, but armed with a fistful of interesting parables. What actually happened was quite different from the journalistic drive in the country I had envisaged. I wound up spending eight days in Philly sleeping during hour-long lulls on unfamiliar floors, in the rain, in a muddy park; fed by the generosity of Quakers. I startle to consciousness with contorted images of my friends struggling, screaming, smiling. I wake with my mouth full of screams and my limbs jerking to dodge imagined obstacles.
I departed from my original plan early in the week. Midway through an anti-poverty march, I spotted a well-known activist on a sidewalk and called out to him. After explaining who I was and dropping two or three names, he pulled his face close and whispered that he needed support people, and more importantly, people willing to get arrested. He provided an address that I hastily inked on my forearm before rejoining the procession.
Went to a meeting, made a 1 am call. Luckily, an experienced activist had vouched for my legitimacy. Met my affinity group early next morning in a stifling, cockroach infested, upper-level rowhouse apartment. I still don't know their real names. We crouched on the floor, periodically sipping water (to stave off dehydration during the action) and smoking while the process of consensus ground on. Activist meetings are typically conducted by consensus a democratic process that scorns dominant personalities (there are no leaders, only facilitators), and eventually produces unified, mutually agreeable resolutions. People sit in circles during consensus, and use silent hand gestures instead of shouting to signify their reaction to the topic being discussed. Eschewing the rigid hierarchy of the corporate boardroom, such meetings are tedious, but fulfilling. After introductions, the human circle on the bedroom floor was partitioned into arrestables and non-arrestables. Depending on experience, the non-arrestables became medics, legal liaisons and support personnel. Tactics were finalized and rehearsed.
Before heading out, we marked up our legs, arms and shoes with the legal team's phone number. If the apartment was raided during this meeting (something that used to happen to dissidents in this nation, and, I think will become frequent again), I probably would not be writing this article for another week. I would be punished with a daisy-chain of hysterical misdemeanors like "Conspiracy to incite a riot, or Conspiracy to endanger property."
We had agreed to meet again in several hours. I handed my ID, wallet, keys and bike to my photographer. He would take a few shots of the action, and head back down to Baltimore. I blew a kiss at my bike -- which was chained to a stop sign -- wheeled around, and marched toward the predetermined meeting point.
I spotted my group immediately. They were huddled around a plastic table in the back of a restaurant. The multi-hued bandanas, dreadlocks, and environmentalist slogans weren't exactly covert. Then again, the pairs of heavies encamped around the huddle while scrutinizing last-page classifieds and nursing full beers weren't deep cover, either. A water jug was passed around, last minute lavatory trips were made, and we dissipated into pairs.
Minus the gas-mask holster strapped to my left leg, my partner and I may have been our AG's most clean-cut detachment. I wore orange target shooting lenses to tone down my tunnel vision. The heavies had amassed. We stepped quickly to the street, precisely halting several feet before every crosswalk. Looking both ways, and snatching peeks behind. Several blocks away now.
"Tear it to pieces! Eat it!"
ASSHOLES!
Every night with darkness came rain. Heavy, drilling downpours. The remnants of our AG scattered in loose formation back to the apartment, ducking under every available overhang. I bought a coffee at a Wawa, and requested a plastic bag to shroud my camera. I don't believe that probability governs human behavior. But I can state with certainty that, after dusk, there is always at least one cop shuffling through each of Philly's well-lit Wawas. I could feel his brown eyes jerk up from the body count tally scrawled on the back of my flak jacket to lock on my medulla.
I exited the Wawa, coffee already diluted by rain. We splashed uphill. A squad car roared past us. It slowed half a block ahead. The passenger's window rolled down. "ASSHOLES!" yelled several voices from the dark interior of the cruiser. Then it roared off.
I retorted with a Rebel Yell, the only response that came to mind before I doubled over.
WEDNESDAY
"The Wagon's Cool, But Not Too Cold"
I was walking near City Hall with a friend, winding through the vestiges of a small Citibank demonstration. I policeman stepped into my path and thrust a finger at my solar plexus.
"What's in your vest?" I was wearing a camouflage vest over a olive drab polo shirt (that approximately matched my green cargo trousers with a vintage gas mask case strapped to one leg). Officially, the vest buckled to my torso is called a "load bearing harness." It has multiple cylindrical pouches, loops, and clips and distributes weight between the shoulders and belt line. My pouches were stuffed with pens, granola bars, cigarettes and notebooks. In wartime, such pouches hold one grenade each.
"Left my 'nades at home, officer." "Let's see what's in your backpack." "Fuck no. You need an arrest warrant for that."
In my backpack were several pieces of soggy clothing, and a folded flak jacket nothing explicitly illegal, but I didn't feel like baring all to the first cop that asked.
"Let's see your ID." By this time, three to four more officers had surrounded me. "No." I looked around me. Several people I knew had gathered outside the perimeter of police. "Go get a legal observer!" I yelled. They ran down the sidewalk. I told the police that I wouldn't do anything including display identification until a lawyer appeared on the scene. This stalled them for approximately three minutes. Eventually, I was grabbed, and marched to the back of a police van. This police van had two sets of doors, the outer like an ordinary van (with a few more deadbolts), the inner were metal with a tiny grill punched out near the top. The outer doors opened to reveal an orange-shirted occupant who appeared to be near my age. I didn't realize until later that, for someone who didn't know me very well, he might have appeared to resemble me. He slid down the smooth (no sharp angles) white plastic bench to make way. Before I could get in, the cops emptied my pockets and placed all my affects in the narrow space between the two sets of doors.
"Don't take any of my fucking money!" I shouted out the van, more to the swarming news cameras than to my jailers. The presence of the cameras saved me; the policemen became meticulously polite with vacuous, black lenses hovering behind them. "They're arresting me for no reason!" I pleaded before the media.
"Don't worry, sir. All of your money and stuff will be right here." I heard one cop yank a pair of plastic zip-cuffs from his belt. "No," said another cop. "Don't cuff him."
I entered the van (with my hands free), and the doors snapped shut. A fist pounded the plexiglass square separating the driver's compartment and our white plastic prison. "Is it cool enough in there?" asked the muffled voice connected to the fist. I looked up at the stainless steel air vent. "It's fine!" We had to yell this several times.
Orange shirt and I talked for a while. I had heard stories from paddy-wagon veterans about cops mixing undercover cops or stool pigeons in with the legitimate lawbreakers. So I spoke about my great respect for the police, and my admiration for their restraint. He said that he was popped for the same reason as I was walking down the street. I noticed that I didn't feel nervous or frightened. I figured that I would be in jail, re-united with my friends in a few scant hours. That I would be incarcerated for no reason didn't bother me. I would be with my friends. I would see their faces again and my guilt would be gone.
The first set of doors swung open. I was asked for my ID again. "Fuck it," I thought, "I was going to be public with my name anyway." I dug my passport out of my backpack and gave it up. One cop scratched my stats on a clipboard. He was going to put 5'9" for my height before I explained (a little offended) that I was 3 inches shorter. I know they got my race wrong. They ordered orange shirt to move back on the bench. Then they handed me my gear, and I hopped to the curb.
"Thank you," I said, stretching my arms. "I just want to play it safe, officers. Just let me pull out my notebook and write down all of y'alls names and badge numbers. For the lawyers, you understand."
My friends met me at the curb. One said that he had summoned the television cameras. After waiting for me to calm down, he explained that a reporter had asked him what I was being arrested for. She nodded knowingly -- "Word on the Street" was that I had acid on me. For the first time in a week, my friend was speechless, stunned by the simple stupidity. "Where the FUCK did you hear that?" he finally blurted. She told him that a cop had told her. I still can't fucking believe it. I hope you understand that it took me several days before I could write the last few sections. At least my friends in Baltimore saw me on the news.
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
You wouldn't know enlightenment if it bit you on the ass. Gods fucking forbid you contribute to the betterment of society, but the cut that goes to making more useless overpriced millitary penis extensions must be allright since the Republicans like it.
There is nothing inherantly wrong in being old and white, but the fact is that 90%+ of the wealth in this country is controlled by 1%- of the population all of whom are old and white and who are dead set on that money only going to more old white people when they die. And they are damned sure they don't want the government to have it, hell they would just give it to those disturbing poor people and then who would they get to clean their pools?
Fuck them, and fuck you too.
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
Betcha never thought these laws would apply to you and the left wing. You'll never turn this one back. Hope you like broken heads. Moron.
NyahNyahNyahNyah.
Re:Wow... (Score:2)
Wrong audience? (Score:2)
Like most of the Seattle protesters, this group has the same demographic: twenty-something suburban white kids who have been raised in a relatively sheltered environment and educated in the humanities. Since they've moved beyond Nike and McDonald's (more for fashion reasons than ethics), they've decided no one else should have a choice either. This is elitism all over again, painted with a thin veneer of free speech.
BS (Score:2)
Nobody cares about the Republican convention enough to watch more than five minutes of it on TV, why should anybody care about the GOP love-in enough to protest it unless they were just childishly trying to get attention by blocking traffic and annoying the local cops?
This is not just flamebait, it is known and well-established that a lot of those "protesters" were paid to stir up trouble by whacko left-wing groups trying to draw attention to their causes. These groups didn't give a crap about the convention, they just wanted national coverage.
Not a single one of them was able, when interviewed by the press, to articulate any specific recent action of the Bush campaign that they were upset over... They just pretended to get worked up about republicans in general over issues like homelessness, drug laws, and civil rights (as if these haven't been issues for decades) so they could get their 15 minutes of telling us how noble they are in front of a TV camera.
Here's a reality check for you: Nobody cares what you have to say.
Re:nice attitude (Score:2)
Arresting him in this case was an absurdity- the officers could have very easily checked him for a weapon within the realm of their rights- and protected his rights as well, instead- he was held- for the same reason all who fight the powers that be are held- its easier to vioalte their rights now- and have them removed from the scene only to be released when the bs charges are dropped- then to allow them their freedom of expression/presence.
I also find frightening this shite about if a person is profane to a cop- the cop should arrest him before violence breaks out? what!?!? where is it illegal to say "fuck no!" to a cop? theyre not your 4th grade school teacher and they cant spank you for saying "fuck"; it may not be protected speech (tho in that case it was an expressive portion of a protected statement), but it is certainly not criminalized speech. Im sick and scared of the "just do what the cops want- cause if you dont, they get pissed and do it anyway" attitude these days- have we no concern for our rights? especially in this case- the profanity was not designed to rile up the crows or promote violence and destruction- it was merely expressive "fuck no i wont give my rights up to you" versus "fuck! everyone kill the fuckin pigs!" the second may be likely to fall under the "stop that speech for the greater good" argument, but the first certainly does not. being rude to a cop is a right we all have- breaking or abusing the law is the last power any officer should ever have. if the police are not strict adherants to the law- then the law which they enforce becomes bankrupt. the law is not simply commands written in arcane language and tombs- it is a living entity- resting in this society upon equal protection- if that protection is afforded unequally- or the law implemented in differing fashions- the law is truly bankrupt.
The law cannot tolerate room for emotion the way it is now- emotion can factor into the judicial process (ie. with juries and nullifications) but not in the enforcement process (ie. officers acting illegaly because their pissed).
Protesters are being denied the one thing that will placate and empower them- a voice. If the disenchanted and disenfranchised have a voice- they have power- and with that power the violence that is feared is no longer so much of a threat. Responding to excercises of the democratic process (protests etc.) with violence and harrassment is the end of the democratic process (what little is left). All these protesters want to do is give their message... but they have no million dollar convention- they werent born rich- they have no media circus following them- they dont own the media corporations or fashion laws that effect the flow of capital. They are the citizens, it is their government, and their streets to protest in, and their air to shout in.
*shrug*
Perhaps... (Score:2)
To be honest, I don't know, there could be lots of factors, class size, etc, but I'm not going to take the time to find them out to argue an AC.
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... (Score:2)
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Oh, you're right, I'm wrong. (Score:2)
How about public school funding? It's a great scam. Pay for it all via property tax, which means, ooooh yeah. rich people get lots of money for their schools, and good educations whereas the depressed neighborhoods, not enough money to get a good teacher. or a good book. or a good building.
this of course leads to an undereducated and poor population who... well.. can't get out. there are success stories, but it's *hard* for these people. I dare you to do social work for a year and see how much of an option these people have.
I'm not claiming nobody abuses the system, just that there's a large body of the population that's stuck in a downward spiral, and it truly isn't their fault.
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from what i understand, yes but... (Score:2)
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Damn Him! (Score:2)
and somewhere in an alternate universe, a GQ model gets stopped for wearing Armani.
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no attention (Score:2)
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Quick Survey! (Score:2)
Do you think children should call 1-800 numbers to warn school administrators about trenchcoats?
If your answers to the above are not the same, you should rethink your positions.
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Re:Two wrongs and such (Score:2)
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Re:Fascinating (Score:2)
His stated goal was to be arrested, and he seemed to be trying to go to jail; so he manages to get the cops to arrest him, where they put him in a comfortable (at least temperature wise) van and let him go once they are satisfied he isn't peddling acid.
what are we supposed to take a stand against here? Saftey in our streets?
Damn straight. Respect the cop's job. (Score:2)
The cop's _job_ is social justice, whether done well or poorly- ideally the cop does this well, doesn't step on people's toes too much and successfully stops the people who want to throw grenades/blow up stuff/mug you/con you/etc. There are always going to be people like that, but the only way you'll get decent cops is if people _are_ willing to believe in social justice and willing to sacrifice themselves for it, because I don't think OSHA rules cover 'stopping guys with grenades'- by definition there can't be effective safety rules for cops because the cop's whole job is defusing unsafe situations.
I have to wonder- was the original poster thinking of 'urban guerrillas' sacrificing themselves for social justice- or of cops? It could be read either way. When reading it I immediately thought of a poster I once saw here in Brattleboro (a biggish Vermont town). It said in big letters, PROTEST POLICE BRUTALITY! Then in smaller letters it said, actually here in Brattleboro we're not aware of any police brutality, but we would like to invite any Brattleboro police to come join with us to help protest police brutality in _other_ places...
Re:I'll never understand the mentality (Score:2)
and the parties forced to allow independants like myself to vote in BOTH primaries.
Err, accually parties should not allow anyone but members to vote in their primaries. The purpose of a party is a bunch of like minded individuals get togather and decide on one person they can all agree on to represent them. Without the party 7 like minded people run (like minded should be read to allow differences, but more agreement with each other then not)
When an independant votes in the primary they are screwing up the process. They are not a member of the party, but they are choosing what the party wants.
I personally belong to a party. (Those who know me can probably guess, but it doesn't matter for this point) When I go to a primary nobody looks at that membership. I often vote for the worst member of the opposite party. If amnisty International would endorce a Hitlet/Stalin ticket over the idiots the other party is running, then my party has a excellent chance of winning. (Saddly canidates that bad are rare and I have to work the campaign trails in other ways to assure the "good guy" wins.)
I'm not the only one who works as the above. After Gore secured the Democrat nomination, Rush Limbaugh managed to find several people who claimed to be democrats who voted in the republican primary. Their goal was to make the other canidate with a chance (and face it, only two canidates have a chance) someone who is a good second choice. This is wrong, and I don't understand why parties allow it.
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
Unfortunately, we also have the 'boomers starting to retire pretty soon. We also already have a substantial debt ($5.6 trillion) from those years where we had a deficit. And Congress is pushing an Estate Tax elimination bill which won't do a whole heck of a lot for that guy's first paycheck.
ehh (Score:2)
What I see as a bigger problem was the way Philly was enacting all these rules as to when and where people could protest, with the purpose being to keep them away from the convention. We have a first amendment right to assemble, and that doesn't mean assemble only where other people can't see you.
Also, the national medias lack of coverage of the protests, and the issues the protesters were trying to bring attention to, was shameful. There was hardly anything interesting happening at the convention: no debates, no arguments, just a big GWB love-fest. I'd like to have seen CNN pull one of the more articulate protest leaders off the street and let him argue with some Republicans.
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
Sigh. I wish people would stop repeating this crap. Humans are born with only one natural right -- the right to die. Anything else (the right to life, free speech, etc.) is just an artificial construct that we, as a society, have chosen to use as a way to live our lives.
What does conscience have to do with it? (Score:2)
And what, exactly, was this guy's belief? I read the article, and I sure don't know. Did he have a cause he was representing? I sure can't tell. It seems that his "activism" wasn't very effective if I can take the time to read his write-up and still have no clue as to his cause.
If he had a cause, why wasn't it plastered all over his write-up? If he is so gung-ho about his beliefs, that he's willing to get arrested for them, doesn't it seem that he would take the opportunity to explain them to his audience? Typing out his ideas is certainly easier than protesting.
"Social justice" sounds great, but I don't see what it has to do with this story. This guy wasn't fighting for a cause. He was just looking to get arrested, and the cops obliged him.
--Lenny
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
Re:nice attitude (Score:2)
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
Yes, and I don't have to resort to insults to get my point across. Do you think that those who believe in legislation limiting gun sales, gun production, etc. are all idiots who talk before they think?
Did you ever carry a concealed weapon when you lived in the state that allowed such actions?
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
If I see a guy walking down the street wearing army gear, I would hope a police officer would inquire what equipment he or she was carrying. Furthermore, if I heard a police officer ask someone wearing army clothing, "Whatcha got on under that army vest," and the person responded with cursing, I would hope the police officer would detain that person and ensure that they weren't a danger to those around them.
Re:nice attitude (Score:2)
[OT] Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
I'll assume that you're genuinely curious, and not flamebaiting.
For me, at least, the issue is largely one of taking responsibility for one's actions. An unborn child is legally killed, not because of anything that the fetus has done, but because its presence is not welcome. A convicted murdered is legally killed because they committed a violent act judged, by the state, to be worthy of the death penalty.
The fetus, then, is being held responsible for the actions of others.
The criminal is being held responsible for {his,her} own actions.
So yes, at least in my case, it can be easy to reconcile the pro-life and pro-death outlooks.
Re:HOWTO: Get Arrested (Score:2)
It's midnight, I'm on a 33.6 and don't have the energy for a comprehensive debate on every piece of evidence in the Peltier trial. Let's go straight to: Anderson's most glaring error is his false assertion that a red and white van belonged to Leonard Peltier. He ties Peltier to the van with the testimony of Angie Long Visitor and a thumb print on the van's mirror. What he omits is the fact that Ms. Long Visitor testified that the van belonged to Sam Loud Hawk.
OK, looking at the Anderson article [outsidemag.com], I don't see any point where he states that Peltier owned the van -- simply that he was driving it. And what difference does it make who owned it? The van used in the shootout had Peltier's fingerprints on it and Angie Long Visitor testified that she witnessed the shootout and saw Peltier involved in it.
If that's the "most glaring error" I doubt if the rest means a whole lot.
One of the worst enemies of justice are those who fabricate plausible and rational, though entirely incorrect, counter-arguments to make the opposition look like fools. Of course this "rational" alternative is much more appealing then the vehemence of those seeking justice, and people looking for answers blindly accept it and go on peacefully.
Uh, yeah. That explains why activists and the media keep repeating these nonsensical claims of overwhelming evidence for the innocence of Peltier, Mumia etc. while completely ignoring the mountain of facts underlying their convictions. Slashdot readers, the next time you see someone collecting signatures for Mumia, ask him or her if to name a single point of evidence supporting his guilt -- and then tell me who blindly accepts the claims of one side.
Re:HOWTO: Get Arrested (Score:2)
OK, one last time:
So, faced with a sweeping indictment of Peltier, the most damning objection his defense organization can raise is both irrelevant and false. Doesn't this raise at least some doubt in your mind about the claim that his innocence is beyond question? If it doesn't, you clearly don't have the slightest willingness to question your preconceived notions.
In any case, if we are unsure of the innocence of Peltier, the fact that the FBI falsified evidence, that the only eye witness was a mentally disturbed woman, and that there were 24 other fingerprints on the bag containing the gun, and that the FBI has never released the prints on the actual gun itself should themselves be mitigating circumstances.
Well, sure. If you assume that the only pieces of evidence against Peltier are claims you see disputed by his defenders. (Just to pick one:
By the way, to anyone else still reading this 12 hours and 800 comments later, the case for Mumia Abu-Jamal's innocence is orders of magnitudes shakier and riddled with falsehoods than Peltier's is.
Re:Simple minds (Score:2)
Today "civil disobedience" has become a charade. It is invoked for any passing enthusiasm, cheapening it. It is practiced with the expectation that it will be met with no consequences, and protesters are irate if they receive any punishment, completely blunting the point. It has been turned into an empty game, like doing the Wave at a football game, which eliminates the impact of citizens putting aside their respect for the law because of the even greater importance of the moral issues involved.
Incidentally, Emmett, as a Slashdot reader since Chips and Dips, I'm disappointed in you and Rob using the site as a platform for your political agendas. It's every bit as much an abuse as "F1rst p0st!". How can you expect posters to respect the system when the editors don't?
Re:HOWTO: Get Arrested (Score:2)
Same thing with Mumia Abu-Jamal, by the way. The "facts" raised by his defenders (the bullet in the dead cop was a different caliber than Mumia's gun, witnesses saw a different man fleeing the scene, etc.) are lies, pure and simple.
They're not doing it for 'Beliefs' (Score:2)
Idiots.
Too True (Score:2)
Not a vocoder...'talking' guitar (Score:2)
Joe Walsh pioneered this technique, although Frampton generally gets credit for making it famous. Aeorsmith, Bon Jovi and countless others have used it since to interesting effect.
Paramilitary garb (Score:2)
He's got his 'war story' now to share with his eco-hippy friends. Good for him.
Re:nice attitude (Score:2)
Exactly. So were all the people he was with. We recently had an anti-poverty protest (read riot) here in Toronto. Most of the protestors weren't a problem but there was a group of hard core protestor (like those the author appears to have hooked up with) who are there to stir up trouble and nothing else. There were the requisite gas masks and some came armed. They weren't out to prove a point. They were out to stir up trouble. They, and the author of this article included, are doing a diservice to the very laws/rights, who's violation they are trying to illustrate.
--locust
Re:Using /. to write and edit stories (Score:2)
The sad thing is that both the author and emmett figured that they could cash in on the outrage generated by the 2600 nextel arrest story to generate some more righteous indignation I can't believe the same people (/. staff) who keep reminding us to read the advocacy FAQ, everytime a someone says something really bone headed about a certain piece of technology, would post this article.
--locust
Re:I'll never understand the mentality (Score:2)
Why do you consider the republicrats citizens, when they are engaged in the demonstrably treasonous activity of selling out the government of the country to the highest bidder?
In the US, there is no such thing as treason during peacetime. What they are doing may be fraud, extortion, bribery, and assault, but nobody in the US today is committing treason, period.
Also, legally, current officeholders are largely immune to prosecution to anything other than treason.
In conclusion: Support the only true form of participatory democracy: Assassination.
--G
Somethings really bother me. (Score:2)
Good job.
There is one thing most protesters have to remeber though: they will all claim to right to assemble. Absolutely right. Everyone has the right to assemble, even the people who were there for the convention.
Yes, thats right, the people there for the convention have as much right to be there as the protesters do. So any protester who flipped a dumpster, or held up traffic or tried to stop or block the convention, congratulations, you just violated the same right to assemble that you hold so dear.
Personally, i think you should lose the right at that point.
Oh, and anyone(like the author) who protested just to cause problems should've been locked up.
Re:BS (Score:2)
For what it's worth, I've organized protest movements in the past, and we've never had to rely on paid protestors to show up and deliver the message. This country is large enough so that for any issue, you will find a significant number of people who will get pissed off about something, as long as it's fresh and current. Usually, you can rely on large numbers of students to fill the ranks, as well as people who are 'lifetime' radicals, who have pretty much made the politics of protest the center of their life. (You might call this latter group a bunch of losers, but on the other hand, you have to admire someone who foregoes the usual comforts for a cause they believe in.)
Frankly, I'd be quite surprised if any of these folks were brought to the protests by monetary incentives.
Of course, if you should have proof to substantiate your claims, you're free to post it here.
The Tyrrany Begins.... [fearbush.com]
Information on the protests... (Score:2)
The Tyrrany Begins.... [fearbush.com]
Re:nice attitude (Score:2)
You're assuming that they must agree with *EVERY* law they're enforcing. If this were true, all cops would have the exact same opinions about all laws.
This, however, is not the case.
People become cops because they want to enforce laws like murder, robbery, rape, etc.
They usually don't become cops because they want to enforce mopery, dopery, barratry, and conspiracy to commit trespassing.
A lot of cops risk their jobs to be a part of the political process, in between shifts of risking their lives to protect you and me.
Hating all cops because of one or more graphic depictions of individual stupidity is like hating all programmers because of Windows.
--
Re:nice attitude (Score:2)
Have things really sunk to that level?
If so, kudos to the protester for standing up to them and forcing them to show their true colors, instead of caving in fear of a merely implied bogus arrest like the rest of us would have.
This guy needs to go to a real protest (Score:2)
We would get shot at, tear gassed, and the unlucky bastards that got arrested suffered worse fates.
I find it amusing when I see this batch of protesters, that go expecting to find trouble, find a little of it, and then incessantly whine about it.
I'm not saying you shouldn't complain if you feel your constitutional rights where violated, but please get some convictions before going to a protest, don't just go there because somebody is looking for "people willing to get arrested."
Re:School Vouchers (off-topic) (Score:2)
As for taxes, I don't believe that funding is really the issue here per se. Public school teachers make substantially more money than private school teachers on average. Public schools demand things like "teaching" degrees, which are essentially meaningless pieces of paper (i'd far rather see a college graduate as a teacher with a meaningfull degree). What's more, the funding differential between your average private school (minus sports programs and the like) and public school is quite small (and even LESS if you include parochial schools) despite drastic outperformance on the part of private schools. Furthermore, did you know that we spend more money on public education than most of the developed world, yet see some of the worst results.
In my opinion, the public schools just need to be shook up--starting with the unions--then with overregulation--then with testing standards....
Re: (Score:2)
This just isn't the real story (Score:2)
(1) Political demonstrations are certainly interesting to me, but why is this "news for nerds", as opposed to just news?
(2) There are stories leaking about some *serious* abuses of police authority going down in Philadelphia, like severe beatings before and after arrest, protestors held for several days without a charge, and so on:
http://www.phillyimc.org/ [phillyimc.org]
http://www.indymedia.org/ [indymedia.org]
(3) As far as I can tell, these stories are not making it into the print media. If you're not on the net, you don't even know that there are thousands of people protesting, and over 300 people arrested. Oh, wait a minute, I guess there was this *one* story in a local SF paper, I just missed it:x aminer/archive/2000/08/08/NEWS114 31.dtl [sfgate.com]
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/e
(4) If it makes you all feel any better, a bunch of the lefty activists I know are running down to Los Angeles to protest at the Democratic convention (anyone who's paying any attention realizes that the Democrats aren't all that much different from the Republicans these days):
http://www.sfbg.com/News/34/45/45nfdnc. html [sfbg.com]
Re:Fight smart (Score:2)
You can try and work inside the system or outside the system, the important thing is the "work" part, and I personally am a little reluctant to jump up and say "No, no, you're doing it all wrong, you should do it *my* way." Maybe you should do it your way, and he should do it his way. And if you don't want to be associated with someone, go ahead and dissociate yourself, but don't expect them to act just like you to make things easier for you.
If anyone cares, I personally would not have handled things the way the kid in the story here did. For one thing, I think he showed far too much trust in the police: they easily could have maimed him for life, and then pulled a "I thought he had a gun, I thought my life was in danger."
(And anyway, what do you want with all those flies?)
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
"Budget" and "actual money" are two different things.
Re:nice attitude (Score:2)
He's not an idiot, he's a citizen with rights. The fact that the police regularly forget that is not his fault.
Re:Protests without a point (Score:2)
Are you an American? If so, you are profiting from the WAY lower standards in the US during the 1800s and first part of this century. How were the railroads built (hint: cheap Chinese labor)? How many people died building the bridges and canals that helped make this country prosperous (hint: a lot)? I could mention the wiping out of pesky indiginous animals, plants and people, too. Do you live on land that used to have an American Indian tribe on it? Seen them lately?
Is that not enough? How about Child labor? Unsafe factory conditions? Wholesale devastation of content-wide forests? Labor problems put down via government thugs? The US had all of these things in spades. So did other countries, but I'm most familar with US history.
All that the Third World countries are saying is "Look at how your countries developed! You had no standards for safety and labor until you could AFFORD it! Why can't we have the same chance?" Then a bunch of rich, white, idiot teenagers come along and tell them, "We know what's best for you."
This is yet another reason why the rest of the world hates Americans.
What political process? America is no longer a Democracy, the state is ruled by corporate interests. The system is fixed. Simple.
Please point out the time, date, and place where the average person had more of a say in how their government worked.
If you think the US is such a hopeless, awful place to live, I will pay for your one-way ticket to any country on the planet if you promise to never return to the US.
-jon
Re:-1, Offtopic (Score:2)
Sure, if it were just for wearing something like a "Fuck cops" T-shirt in a public park, that'd be something to worry about too. Context matters.
And I see some moderators have taken it upon themselves to decide that my original questioning of whether the subject was worthy of Slashdot was itself offtopic. Pity we can't moderate original posts. (Yeah, yeah, I know we don't have to read them. But moderating them might provide some useful feedback as to how better to select submissions to post.)
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
Face it, these Philly protestors don't give a shit about anyone's rights but their own. They're living a double standard. It's okay to for cops to break the arms of Operation Rescue protestors, but asking for Emmett's ID is the ultimate proof that we're living in a police state.
The Sixties: place flowers in the barrels of the national guard.
The Naughts: pretend to have a backpack of 'nades and cuss at the police.
Re:-1, Offtopic (Score:2)
thank you, thank you, thank you (Score:2)
as you hinted, the cops' behavior have been outstanding (eventhough it may have been because of the camera) and from living a few miles out of Philly and getting a whole lot of news about this - this has been my feeling exactly.
This article only confirms what I've been thinking all along.
What else has this guy written? (Score:2)
You'd be surprised what other garbage this guy has written. How he got posted on the front page of /. is totally beyond me.
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:2)
Besides whats wrong with being old and white? Typical racist bullshit..
BTW.. what the hell? (Score:2)
The right and the wrong of it (Score:2)
What he did right:
He was well within his rights to refuse to cooperate with any action on the part of the police which is not granted within their range of power. It is furthermore not a reasonable argument to say "If he has nothing to hide, don't arouse their suspicion by acting as though he did." If we yield to the pressure that "good citizens" cooperate with the police even to the extent of giving up their civil liberties when it doesn't cost them anything, then soon, someone who exercises said right, for whatever reason, becomes a target for increased scrutiny and ill will. In such an atmosphere, does someone truly have the right to protection from unlawful search?
The only way to protect your rights is to exercise them, even and especially when you have no reason to need them.
What he did wrong:
The use of profanity and the occasional hostile tone used towards the police did not help his case any. As is evident from many of the reactions here on /., he comes off as someone looking for a clash. Which of course he was, in one sense, but in doing so in the manner he did, he stepped over the line. Many civil activists of years past, the great Martin Luther King among them, advised protesters to be polite to the extreme when dealing with the authorities, without actually sacrificing those rights and privileges that are due you. In such a situation, you are already in conflict, and the authorities are itching for an excuse to arrest or disperse you which, if not valid, could at least be presented as an "honest mistake" or an "expected reaction" under the circumstances. Only the person who stays well within the boundaries of acceptable behaviour while exercising a right can hope to turn such an incident into an example via public opinion.
Just some thoughts. BTW, I am neither a Republican, nor a Democrat, nor any other flavour. Je suis Canadien; my system is, however, similar enough (and I know of yours from exposure) to comment, I think.
-TBHiX-
Activism, (Linux) evangelism, and language (Score:2)
Re:nice attitude (Score:2)
Try to imagine yourself in the cop's position. Someone's speeding, and you pull them over. You have no idea why they're speeding. They could simply be late for church. They may have just stolen the car. They may have just robbed a store. They may have just committed murder.
You approach the car. The windows are tinted. Is there somebody else in the car? Do they have guns?
That is what it means to put your life at risk every day. If soldiers are told to march through a minefield, it doesn't matter if that minefield contains 1000 mines, 1 mine, or 0 mines. They are still putting their lives at risk, and must approach the job the same way.
Very, very true. But as others have posted, it seems that his rights weren't violated, and that this was a reasonable search under the fourth amendment.Re:HOWTO: Get Arrested (Score:2)
While many people believe there's a Government conspiracy to keep Peltier in prison for political reasons, I find that very hard to believe. I don't think the Government is competent enough to pull off a good conspiracy.
Re:HOWTO: Get Arrested (Score:2)
As soon as you do, then I'll be happy to resume talking with you. Until then, you're a zealot who's looking to scream loudly about the abuses of the system.
Screaming about abuse is not the same as quietly demanding justice. Governments don't give a damn about the former; the latter sort of person scares the hell out of them.
Re:HOWTO: Get Arrested (Score:2)
It comes in because I feel that we all, as human beings, have a duty to treat other people with a modicum of courtesy. Sometimes this isn't possible, but as as a general moral principle, that's it.
The police officer
I didn't see any implication. I saw the police officer give a challenge (in the legal sense of the term--as in, `issued a demand'). I expect that the police officer was probably reasonably polite about this; "Please open your backpack, sir." Where's the implication? Even if it was "Open your backpack," it still wouldn't have any implication of it being nonvoluntary. "Open your backpack or else get arrested and then we'll open your backpack for you" is nonvoluntary (and, oftentimes, illegal).
If you choose to treat every police officer as if s/he is an unquestionable being whose every demand must be acquiesced to, that's your problem.
Insofar as deception go--the police are allowed to be tricky and cunning. Police are allowed to lie to suspects to elicit confessions; they're allowed to deceive suspects to get them to act in incriminating ways.
Even if you don't care if the officer sees what's in your backpack or what your name is, it's a service to society if you refuse.
Not really. Neither the law nor the Constitution permits you to withhold your name from authorities. You have the right to remain silent, you have the right to an attorney, you have the right to refrain from self-incrimination, you have the right to have a judge or magistrate approve warrants for searches of your property... but you do not have a right to refuse to give the cops your name.
Insofar as the resistance to illegal search goes, I'm in complete agreement with you. However, the search wasn't illegal. If someone shows up at a protest which is expected may turn violent wearing military load-bearing gear and acting belligerent to the cops, that's probable cause that the person may have violence in mind and as such, ought to be detained.
Police take WAY too much advantage of the average person's ignorance of the law in cases like these.
How do they take advantage of someone's ignorance? I own a 1995 Eagle Talon ESi, in very good shape and about 80,000 miles. I'm willing to sell it for $15,000, first-come first-serve.
Am I taking advantage of someone who pays me that much money, certain that they're getting a good deal? No. The Blue Book is widespread and easy to find. If you're paying $15,000 for a car which is only worth (optimistically) $10,000, that's your problem, not mine--caveat emptor.
Similarly, if you're ignorant of your rights as a citizen and you wind up not knowing enough to stand up for your rights when the police make demands of you, that's your problem, not the cops'--it's your responsibility, as a citizen, to know your own rights.
Take a walk in their shoes (Score:2)
You wake up at 5AM on your day off. Got to get up and patrol the city because every cop in the city has been put on overtime for the convention. Patrol Officer gives a brief telling you that undercover surveilance has revealed that extremist groups plan to get violent and provoke the police. You think, "damn, I'm not even a Republican, why should I put up with this crap". A brief picture forms in your mind of having to feed your family on anything less than the 24thou you might make this year. Suck it up bucko.
You pick up your riot gear at the office and head out on patrol. First corner you get to someone screams, "Asshole...Pig" in the window of your cruiser. This is only the start of the day.
By 10am things start getting hot. The loonies come out en masse. You are told to get out and pace the block. SOmeone walking by in the crowd sprays you with skunk scent. Not too bad but the smell lingers for 15 min. By noon things are getting out of control. You are exhausted but come across a gaggle of trouble. Guys wearing flak jackets and dark glasses are walking down the street screaming obscenities and blocking pedistrian traffic. Other people on their way about town seem scared of these troublmakers. You decide to check things out.
"What you got in those pockets?", you ask the commando. The guy cracks a smile and says "Left my 'nades at home, officer." "Let's see what's in your backpack." you say. "Fuck no. You need an arrest warrant for that.", he replies. Last thing you need, a guy dressed like a comando talking about grenades and swearing at you. Again. You decide there is a real risk that this guy could be dangerous. "Let's see your ID.", you ask. "No", the commando replies. Time to call in the calvary.
Have some respect. That police man is some underpaid schmuck wo risks his life every day on the job. Why does he do it? I surely don't know. one of my best friends was a cop. He didn't get paid shit, sucky beneeeeeeefits, if anything goes wrong the government is gonna leave you to hang, everyone hates you and the stress is enough to crack most people. You get in a car accident chances are the cops are the first ones there. Some crackhead decides to start harassing you there is noone else to call. So what do you do to show your appreciation? You take the weekend off ot go to another city and act like a terrorist. And you have the call to call the cops assholes. Look in the mirror.
Do Slashdotters have a Social Conscience? (Score:2)
Incoherent (Score:2)
So you went out and dissented and got arrested for being suspicious. Why? The only reason to go out and do these things is to raise awareness of some issue. The author obviously failed because I don't know what he's so upset about.
Going out to play rebel just distracts from the protesters who have something important to say.
Re:nice attitude (Score:2)
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:3)
Assuming, for the moment, that the account was accurate, the police acted with questionable propriety, in a manner more resembling the former police states of Eastern Europe than that of a "free" country.
That most certainly is one of the "negative features" of the world's Police States. You walk down the street, and may be confronted at any time with the demand: "Passport, please."
If there was a desire to change the rules on a temporary basis in such a sensitive area, there is a well-known way to do so. It is commonly called martial law, and allows for the suspension of many of the rights usually provided for by the legal system.
I am by no means "pro" the protesters. And I agree that the result was essentially what he "asked for."
But I see significant danger in suspending the rule of law outside the specific frameworks permitted in the law. That road leads towards Police State.
It would be a terrible shame if the Berlin Wall and the Iron Curtain fell in Eastern Europe only for the United States to throw itself into a paroxysm of despotism, having "won the war against tyranny" only to leap into tyranny itself.
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:3)
Very well said, especially the comment about declaring martial law. However, the situation is not nearly as dark as you portray. First off, I would argue that under the circumstances walking around in a "load bearing harness" and carrying a gas mask could very well be considered "reasonable cause." The rule of law does not require that our policemen become idiots. This character was clearly looking for trouble in a very dangerous situation. One in which the policemen are in very real danger. Mob violence is a very real and very explosive thing. This clown was actively seeking violence, and yet the police treated him quite fairly and decently for all of that.
Furthermore, there is nothing sinister about the police asking suspiscious people to identify themselves and their possessions, in fact this is standard police procedure. They can legally ask to see your ID, or see what is in your backpack. They can also legally ask you to open your trunk or let them inside your house. They can't force you to comply without a search warrant, but it never hurts to ask :). Many criminals willingly give permission for searches that would be illegal otherwise. If you can't be bothered to learn what your rights are, then I would suggest not becoming a criminal.
The suspects own accounts show that he was, in fact, conspiring to incite a riot. Any honest citizen, even one dressed in a load bearing harness, would have almost certainly been spared the paddy wagon just by apologizing to the police and leaving what was clearly a dangerous area. That's why the police were there, they were protecting innocent citizens by keeping them out of harm's way.
I personally wouldn't stand for the government declaring martial law every time that there was a political gathering. Martial law should not be easy to invoke as a protection against abuse. The police in this particular encounter did a marvelous job of balancing their duty to protect the citizenry with their duty to uphold this particular person's rights. The police broke no laws, and violated no one's rights.
The author of this particular piece can't say the same for himself.
troll alert (Score:3)
the problem is that philadelphia created a protesting "pen" and incredibly restrictive rules about its use so much as to place an undue prior restraint on free speech.
as a matter of fact, the ACLU took philly to court about this and won.
ANd the reason that the protests were ignored? Not because there was no clear goals, but more for the reason that no one wants to expose the real problems out there that are being swept under the table.
Think about it. How many /major/ protests have we had in the last couple months? We had Seattle, Washington, and now philly. Soon there will be similar protests in California at the Democrat's convention.
To quote a 60's song: There's something happening here, but what it is ain't exactly clear.
tagline
Re:nice attitude (Score:3)
Using /. to write and edit stories (Score:3)
Then all the
When the longer story gets published, Vergil will have answered many of his critics on this dry run. It will allow him to look like a clued-in protester with a cause rather than a society reject hoping to draw attention to himself and perhaps winning some easy cash from a wrongful arrest lawsuit.
the AC
Re:nice attitude (Score:3)
Walt
P.S. Come to think of it, when you consider 1st vs 3rd degreee murder, intent / attitude does matter. But not in the case of the cop.
Uhhh.. (Score:3)
What does this have to do with the rest of the story? I saw no mention of him being forced to sleep outside, or of him or any of his friends being beaten. So he got profiled as a seller and arrested. Big deal sue them for false arrest. He didn't even get cuffed for christs sakes.
Honestly I've been abused more when I got pulled over going 37 in a 30.
Re:nice attitude (Score:3)
Imagine that. People who have taken oaths to enforce the law aren't standing against it? Mon dieu!
Seriously, though, I think that you're really messing up here. If the cops don't enforce laws, they get fired and replaced with cops who do. Furthermore, if the police began to selectively enforce the law, what if they started enforcing laws that seemed ok to them, but to you, seemed wrong? You'd be demanding their asses in no time.
You can't have it both ways. The "they told me to do it" defense actually holds a lot of water. It's only in very rare cases that it doesn't -- really, only when it is absolutely, incontrovertably immoral to enforce a law. I can think of maybe three or four real world examples, and they're all pretty obvious.
But in this case, you can hardly blame the police for enforcing the laws they did. At least, I hope so.
Fight smart (Score:3)
What got the British to accept the fact that other nations weren't chattel, to be held and exploited like a resource? The American Revolution, or Ghandi's nonviolent protests?
The fact of the matter is, people today are scared. They don't want to upset the quo, because all they know is the current authoritarian government. By becoming more terrifying than the government, you run the risk of not only justifying the violence of the establishment against you, but also cause the people you are trying to help to fear you.
Don't make it easy for them. Don't give the media a chance to portray you as a bunch of drug addicts and gun nuts trying to overthrow the government. Think and look smart in your protests.
The author, while his heart is in the right place, perhaps, his head wasn't, until he was already in custody. If the officer wants to see what is in your pack, politely say, "I'm sorry, officer, but you need a warrant." If he insists on identification, or information, again,
Don't dress in the latest downtown Kosovo styles, but dress intelligently. Unless there is a reason to be costumed, for example the media-savvy homeless protest mentioned earlier, dress much like those you are protesting. Not only does it make it harder for them to identify the protesters before the protest, but it helps your media image. Everyone expects starving college students to protest. Who expects the well fed, but still outraged I/T professional?
And please, try to keep in mind, that some of the people working for the powers that be, don't do it for an ego trip, or for the money, or because they are, innately, evil. They do it, because they are trying to change things from the inside, and that things would be worse if they weren't there.
Re:nice attitude (Score:3)
This is not the way to protest, plain and simple. If he had not been so beligerant and was either searched without reason or arrested, he would have made his point a lot clearer. True, thugs have rights that should be protected too, but it's a lot easier to sympathize with an innocent protestor than it is a beligerant thug, and he would get more people on his side if he weren't acting like one.
--
Re:nice attitude (Score:3)
No he wasn't. He was expecting to go to jail from the start; he was expecting to have his rights trampled on, and he was going to do everything in his power to facilitate that trampling just so he could prove his point. These people make it hard for the police to respect their rights on purpose. It's sad, it's stupid, and it's pointless.
--
Re:nice attitude (Score:3)
Sometimes enforcing bad laws is what gets them changed. That's part of civil disobedience's effectiveness. You're confusing the police with the policy. If you've got a problem with the laws, your problem is with the legislature, not the cops.
They are nothing special in that they are just people like you and I, but anarchy is exactly what would result if there were not a deterrent force. There are any number of people who refuse to govern themselves and must be held in check by the threat of incarceration or some form of punishment (let's be realistic, recidivism rates are so high in our current system that rehabilitation is not a reality). The system isn't perfect, but it beats chaos. As far as what laws would change if none were enforced.... No laws would change. Why bother? How many antiquated laws are still on the books simply because they are universally ignored and not enforced?
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:3)
How's it feel to be a heartless prick? Stupid asshole.
Re:nice attitude (Score:3)
No one made any cop be a cop. they do it on their own free will. That means they must agree with what the job enforces.
I dont agree with what the author did either, he's an ass to be blunt. But, people who become police officers are nothing special, they uphold senseless laws and help support a decaying system. I dont believe in anarchy or anything. But imagine what laws would change if no one agreed to enforce them?
Two wrongs and such (Score:3)
Two wrongs don't make a right, so it goes. There are really important things to learn here.
1) First and foremost, no matter what the circumstances, the police force abused their authority in Philadelphia. That's what the story is all about.
2) Protesting for no reason at all, what the reporter did, is wrong. It diminishes the importance of the act of protesting and demonstrating.
But, these two wrongs did not balance out. You do not arrest people without "just cause," a primary complaint when debating "profiling." And even though the protester failed in responsibility, no matter how much I may disagree or misunderstand (or agree with), it is a Constitutional right.
That will never happen (Score:3)
So much talent to no great purpose. (Score:4)
On the other hand, it's all about the press for these guys. (It is always about the press to some degree, that's why you protest). But rather then press for some greater purpose, this is just a attempt for lime-light time. How do I know? Where in this article (which is being read by thousands of affluent americans) does the author even mention what he protesting. You don't protest to protest (you riot to riot), you protest to raise the social cost and awareness of issues.
On the other hand, this guy now has his 10 seconds of fame, gets to call policy various names (gee.. anyone else walk away feeling sorry for the police in this story). If I were them I would have simply hand cuffed him, read his rights and dealt with it later.
To badly quote Bush, So much talent to no great purpose.
Re:So let me get this straight... (Score:5)
At that instant I realized that I wanted them to take 60% of my paycheck, and give a little bit more to NASA.
I'm sorry if it seems like I don't care... (Score:5)
First of all, dude, you -really- suck at reporting your story. Read a book once in a while, learn a little bit about how to effectively write.
It's not that I don't care so much about the protesters, many of whom are peacful. But, for many of the extremists, whose combined combined lack of wisdom, respect for the law, and care for anyone but themselves, coupled with an overall lack of personal responsibility... Well, excuse me if I personally think many of them are assholes.
#1: As made very clear by this story, the "protester's" main goal was to, more than anything, bring the police across as a horrible oppressive force meant to crush the little stupid guy. Sorry, I don't buy it. There's a difference between keeping an air of order and civility and attacking random citizens on the streets. If you refuse to help out those who protect the law and keep people the innnocent of the country safe, then you are an idiot. I'm sorry if you felt like your "rights were violated" when all they wanted to see was your ID. Legally, they couldn't force you to show it, and by all means, you weren't obligated by law to show it or answer any questions without your attourney. But it's your problem if you didn't bring your attourney with you. Trust me, they'll have no problem making one availiable for you (unless you get caught by the oh-so-realistic actors of NYPD Blue
#2: Which brings me to my second point. Bashing the police for doing thier job is unamerican and stupid. I understand protests and revolts, but I do not understand undermining the law of this country, when the people of the country as a whole, through their vote and public expression of their opinion, shapes the law of the land. The police are doing the bidding of the people of a whole. Attacking the police is dumb. They enforce the law, they don't write it.
#3: Maybe your positions really are wrong. And maybe the majority of Americans have come to that conclusion. (People with difereng political views can skip the rest, lest they get mad. Don't say I didn't warn you.) Anti-poverty coalitions? Hell, get off your butt and work if you don't want to be poor. Welfare rights? Complain to God if you think that you should get money and food without struggling or working to get it at all. He's the one who created the world, not the damn government. Just because it can be done nowadays DOES NOT mean it should be done. Partial birth abortion. Guys, my daughter was born at less than 25 weeks old, and managed to make it. There are babies that will never get that chance because of partial birth abortion, and they will be much older than my daughter ever got before birth. It is _WRONG_, and it is murder. Just ask my daughter what she thinks of it. If you can't be responsible for your own child, then find someone who can be. Equal Rights? Try removing affirmative action. The governement should at least be color blind before we can expect our people to be color blind.
Maybe a lot of the protesters just don't get it, and thier target audience understands it.
Of course, this is all just my opinion, I could be wrong.
Re:Fascinating (Score:5)
In this case, given the way he treated everyone around him, I am not suprised that they snagged him. There is no excuse for treating other human beings without respect. Just because someone disagrees with your outlook on life does not mean that you instantly fall into cursing etc...
I feel real sorry for these guys. Protests are one things, whining is another.
So let me get this straight... (Score:5)
Why do these people bother? I see people like this and all I think is how misguided they are, shake my head, and move on...
I'll never understand the mentality (Score:5)
You placed yourself in a group specifically designed to get arrested.
You decided to be both belligerent and evasive to the officer involved.
You declined to provide identification when asked for it.
You implied, on camera, that the officers involved might steal your money.
I say, what DID you expect to happen?
For God's sake, if a cop asks to see your ID, show it to him. You look damned suspicious otherwise. If you weren't carrying any contraband, why bother hiding it. You can crow about "the principle" of it, but the fact is, you're a reporter looking to get a story. So far, your story boils down to "cops picked on me after I gave them reason to".
The cops didn't cuff you. Sounds to me like they held on to you while they checked your record. Standard operating procedure. You were belligerent, uncooperative, acting like you had something to hide. THey didn't cuff you. When you implied they were robbers, they responded by calling you "sir" and assuring that your stuff would still be there. They checked on you to make sure you were comfortable, temperaturewise. WHen they saw you had no record, they released you.
But, because they were cops, they MUST have been wrong, right? God forbid they would ever arrest you, because you MUST be an upstanding citizen. Here's a clue for you - if you intentionally try to make life hard for anyone, they will probably reciprocate.
Sheesh.
HOWTO: Get Arrested (Score:5)
If you want to get arrested, nothing tells the cops "troublemaker" quite like someone whose first word to them is "fuck". In fact, for maximum get-arrestedness, make sure that about every fifth spoken word is an invective. Feel free to mix in words like "pig", "lackey", "fascist" and "thug" with the more conventional vulgarities.
Do not: "I'm sorry, Officer, if you'd like to see my bag, I'd like to see your warrant." This is too polite and subtle.
Do: "Eat penguin shit, you ass spelunker. No fucking way am I letting you pigs get in my bag without a Goddamned warrant!"
2. WHO'S DA MAN? (YOU ARE!)
Never forget who's the really cool/hip/in-charge guy. You are. And if you're feeling generous, you can bestow Magic Coolness on your buddies, too. That means that anyone who gets in your way, even for the most routine of things, is automatically Naughty In The Sight Of God, and deserves a good smiting.
Do not: "Identification? Why, sure, Officer, here's my driver's license." This actually treats the officer like he's a human being who's doing a job. Since the officer is getting in your way and is Naughty In The Sight Of God, this is a no-no.
Do: "You can have my identification when you pry it out of my COLD DEAD FINGERS! LEONARD PELTIER WAS FRAMED! YAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Even this is not optimal. For best effect, use various profanities and insults liberally (see point 1 above).
3. ALL THE WOMEN LOVE DANGEROUS MEN.
Let's face it. Nothing turns on those lady cops quite as much as a sweaty, smelly, foul-mouthed Lothario. They want your attentions and affections. If they say otherwise, they're just playing hard to get.
Do not: "I'm just heading to the Port-A-Johns, ma'am." This is respectful, it treats her as if she's not Naughty In The Sight Of God for getting in your way, and you're missing on a perfect opportunity for police poontang.
Do: "Yeah, baby. I'm just heading to the Port-A-Johns... say. Does the little piggy wanna get porked?" Rude, crude, crass and utterly offensive to any woman within earshot. This is just about perfect.
4. REMEMBER:
No matter what, The Man is trying to get you down. The Man is trying to break you like a twig. The Man wants you dead, crushed underfoot like a snake.
Do not: "Thank you for helping me with directions, Officer." Don't thank the pigs. Everything they say is a lie.
Do: "Yeah, I'm sure you'd LIKE me to believe that the street ahead is closed! <shoves aside cop, charges forward anyway>"
* * * * *
If you do all the above diligently, you, too, can get arrested! And afterwards, you can write a self-important screed about how evil The Man is and how Naughty In The Sight Of God the Man is, and how your rude, subhuman, and utterly crass behavior is actually the culmination of two hundred years of American civilization.
nice attitude (Score:5)
"What's in your vest?"
[...]
"Left my 'nades at home, officer."
"Let's see what's in your backpack."
"Fuck no. You need an arrest warrant for that."
OK, and you were expecting exactly what from the police at this point? A smile and a wave?
In my backpack were several pieces of soggy clothing, and a folded flak jacket nothing explicitly illegal, but I didn't feel like baring all to the first cop that asked.
So you wanted to go to jail as soon as possible, instead of staying out on the street as a protester, being more effective.
You, sir, are an idiot.
Re:I'll never understand the mentality (Score:5)
Because obviously Republicans have no right to freedom of speech, only Democrats.
Amazing how narrowly most people define "freedom".
Re:I'll never understand the mentality (Score:5)
The (very badly made) point is that you cannot be arrested for failing to show id . This is an important point that most people are missing. While I totally agree that this dink needed story material, I don't think that he should have been arrested for not showing id.
That's all.
Simple minds (Score:5)
The local news radio broadcast carried a so-called "activist" taunting a police officer with things like, "Have you ever felt love?" That shows the simplistic outlook of so many of these demonstrators. Haven't we gotten past the od "Off the pigs" mentality yet?
There were also many groups deliberately blocking traffic. I don't know about anyone else, but if I see people blocking traffic my first thought is "Get these assholes off the street so I can get to work/home/South Street/wherever." I can't imagine anyone saying, "WOW, they're blocking traffic! I wonder if I can join their cause-- whatever it is."
And it doesn't matter whether I agree with their cause or not; thanks to the sensationalistic actions of some, I'll never know what they were protesting. Could have been any one of a number of things. I might have even joined them.
Actually, not always (Score:5)
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/scripts/getcase.pl?cou
Gregory S. (1980) 112 CA 3d 764, 779 refers to a "vagrancy law", Penal Code 647(e) that "imposes a duty to identify oneself when such person loiters or wanders upon the streets or from place to place without apparent reason or business, and the surrounding circumstances reasonably indicate that the public safety demands identification." but this was overturned in Kolender v. Lawson (1983) 461 U.S. 352, although it remains on the books.
Basically, unless you're on parole or in violation of a traffic code, not showing ID is not a crime... but it does give the police certain rights to make your life tough in order to determine your identity.
Re:nice attitude (Score:5)
But you've hit the nail on the head: this guy was asking for it. Consider the scene: the Republican Convention is in town, and security is tight. Ever since Bobby Kennedy was shot, who can blame them. Add to this mix protestors of every kind that descend upon the city, hoping to get themselves arrested on camera, and you have a tense situation.
So along comes our author, who is wearing clothing that, by his own addmission, looks like something Rambo would wear. He is stopped by a cop, who has been ordered to check for suspicious activity/individuals. Instead of being calm and rational, he is immediately beligerant to the officer, and basically dares the officer to arrest him.
I would suggest to the author that he perhaps needs to think a little more about what exactly cops mean to our society. These are men and women who every day literally risk their lives to protect the general public. Not many professions can say that. Do they do a perfect job? Of course not: none one does. Like it or not, though, their function is an essential one. Are you willing to take their place?
Re:nice attitude (Score:5)
"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." (Emphasis added)
When a cop confronts a protester wearing gear designed for carrying grenades and gas masks, that is what is known as "probably cause", and it is very reasonable of them to search for weapons (some deadly weapons were found among some of the protesters last week).
When a person spews profanities and a police officer and behaves in a hostile manner, especially among a crowd, the correct thing to do is apprehend him before the situation escalates. If they failed to do so, and violence were to errupt shortly afterwards, it would mean their ass. The police are there to keep the peace, and this twerp was disturbing it. He could have picketed all week long without ever having any trouble with the law but he just had to go and f??? with the bull to see if he would get the horns.
What he was doing was the streetcorner equivalent of trolling on slashdot... acting like a dick to see if he could provoke a hostile response. I wonder if he wrote "YHBT YHL HAND" on the seat of the squad car.