Sunday, November 20, 2011

Nonresistance, UC-Davis Style

I find this photo remarkable:

Photo: Brian Nguyen

I'm struck, too, by what James Fallows calls the moral power of an image in this Atlantic article.

Whether you support the Occupy movement or not, you have to admit it's incredibly interesting. I feel, at turns, cheered, energized, afraid and puzzled by and for it.

The United States Constitution states the following in the First Amendment, of the ten amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

5 comments:

  1. I looked at the first video and I'm appalled at the UC-Davis police action. The statement by their chief indicating that they were concerned for their safety is BS--the only thing going from students to police was words.

    And an administrator for whom the students are secondary should resign.

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  2. after reading the Joe Nocera article in the NYTimes about the Baum lawyer firm and seeing what I thought was video footage of this same incident you have pictured here, I get worried that organizations with deep pockets stage "traps" or other situations in attempt to have Occupiers cry wolf or similar situation that they can use to gather public support against any Occupy movement.

    if they can create a situation and get the response they can manipulate so that any portion of the public will automatically disregard any Occupy concerns as being completely detached from reality and from then on ignore any valid concerns.

    as it any movement progresses there are less room for avoidable mistakes. Being able to periodically reference the route the movement has taken will be needed to adjust strategies yet maintain the same focus.

    if there is an easy way and a hard way to anything done, rest assured there will be those who will do everything in their power to ensure the Hard way is the road that must be taken

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  3. I was shocked when I watched this video. The police should be prosecuted. I don't cry fascism easily, but that was fascism.

    (Word verification: "scali" -- like Southern California, maybe?)

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  4. The most frightening aspect of the photo is the appearance of nonchalance on the face of the officer......

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  5. I agree with Kathleen, that's not about safety, it's about power and control.

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