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I saw one video clip showing the policemen using their batons shoving the ends into the mid-section of female protesters. It made me sick. These are the tactics of a police state and not a country where the right to protest is embedded in our Constitution.
This is not the first time in our history where violence was used to stop a protest. George Wallace's thugs turning the fire hoses on peaceful protesters during the Civil Rights Movement. And then there was Kent State. The bullies never learn that these tactics don't work.
Ironically, the protesters are fighting for the rights and jobs of the very policemen who are using their riot gear against them.
It is time for all of us to show solidarity with the people who are fighting for Democracy. We must let our leaders know that we strenuously object to law enforcement using force.
19 comments:
Darlene,
This was one of Keith's best tirades and I thank you for putting it up for us to see.
We have just started to get Current TV on our Concast Network so we can now see Keith at 8 o'clock but I missed this one.
Happy that you didn't miss it. You don't miss much and that's good for us.
As a non American, I refrain from writing about what happens there, as you do such an admirable job. What Keith points out, the world is watching in horror the US establishment using tactics that tin pot dictators use, is one hundred percent true and I despair that it is happening to a country that deserves better. In India, we had our own Bloombergs arresting a leader of our own protest movement and exactly what Keith predicts happened. It boomeranged on the establishment and the movement became stronger. There are many parallels to what is happening in your patch of green to other developments elsewhere in the world and all that I can say, is that we are living in a moment of history where the global order is likely to change into something very new, in the very near future. Here is a little taste of the reaction that the arrest of the leader in India generated - http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2362057.ece
RIGHT ON, DARLENE! Let's all keep fighting this good fight!
*Nancy - I can't get Keith on TV. Cox doesn't carry the channel, but I do get him on the Internet. Thank God for the 'net.
*Rummuser - Thank you for the link to your newspaper article about the arrest of Anna. The protest is world wide. The people have the power by their sheer numbers. They must continue using it.
*Jack Jodell - I'll try, but it does get wearying at times.
This was a 'gem.' No...Keith doesn't take any prisoners...that's why I love his commentaries. Thanks so much Darlene. ~Joy
Olbermann sure gets worked up, doesn't he? Of course, he's right. I don't know why government entities always seem to fear the peaceful demonstrations that are protected by the Constitution.
Did you see the pix of the 84 year old woman being pepper sprayed in the face? This happened in Seattle.
Disgusting.
Ah, Keith who gave us Rachel Maddow. Do you get to see her?
Darlene--I don't think I had heard of Mr Olbermann until blog friends started posting him a few days ago.
In general, I think too much heat goes into opinion reporting; but, I'll give this to Mr O: he lays it on the line in a well-reasoned way. (He really, really did not like the Bat Man movie's being made in NYC, did he? He gave me such a laugh - and I agree with him!)
Thanks for the posting!
Cop Car
*Joy Des Jardins - My pleasure.
*Betty - Yeah, he does and that helps my BP as I let him do the heavy lifting.
;-)
*Hattie - No, I didn't see the video but I did hear about it. Disgusting!!!
*Naomi Dagen Bloom - Yes, Rachel is a favorite of mine. Her research team is impeccable and she often covers things the other pundits ignore. Unfortunately, now that daylight savings time is over she conflicts with the News Hour. I flip back and forth from one channel to the other.
*Cop Car - He does get hyperbolic, but it's a good antidote for the lies from the nutty far right.
I didn't watch Keith that day. I've become a fan of Ed's but I didn't like him calling the mayor a tyrant. Since I didn't see the show, I don't know how reasoned he was on it but there was never a good reason to let the demonstrators put up tents which I think has led to most of the problems. Although I am more a leftie than a rightie, I wrote my dislike for this as well as the words Occupy in my political blog. I know I'm going against the mainstream of the liberal and progressive groups who are pushing this heavily. I distrust it as I don't like the idea of communism which occupy sounds like. I wish they'd come up with better words for it. I also hope they go beyond occupy to doing something about getting new people into Congress because without that, the demonstrations can only lead to violence and not a solution.
*Rain - Keith always goes overboard in name calling in his rants. His schtick is anger and he uses it lavishly.
I don't quite get your objection to the word Occupy or relate it to Communism. They are trying to occupy Wall Street in opposition to Wall Street occupying the economy. Actually, the protestors are exercising one of the most cherished freedoms of democracy and I am all for it.
I guess I will have to read your post. I am so busy with a Christmas project among other things that I don't have time to read posts often. I check in when I can, but missed yours. I will be back on track later. I just installed a new computer last evening and you know what that means, so time is at a minimum now. I do apologize to my friends for my dereliction and hope you will stick with me until my life returns to normal.
I don't think it helps us much to read things that get us mad which is why my political blogs don't get posted in my main blog-- generally. Anger is unhealthy. We can do what we can and there have been suggestions-- like switching our money to small banks or credit unions, etc. I believe in finding new candidates to run for the Democratic party and getting rid of those who sold out. Make them be true progressives or vote them out.
My objection is the meaning of the word occupy. As for Wall Street, some of them may have cheated but most Americans who have investments in stock markets are going to be hurt if Wall Street was say forced to collapse. That is fair? The latest for the occupy is to close down the ports all along the West Coast for one day-- December 12th. These kinds of things will hurt our country economically but I don't believe they will hurt the richest. They will hurt ordinary people who need to buy products and have say IRAs. Not every investment out there is bad or unfair. What I would like to hear is set goals for what they want. I have heard quite a variety of possibilities. I also don't like that I have to avoid downtown Portland because I don't want to be caught in a demonstration and who knows where they'll be. We had planned to go to the Historic Society and put it off because of this whole thing. I realize some think we should be down there demonstrating but that has never been my thing and it's sure not going to change now especially where I am not even sure of their goals...
This classic Keith!! He always tells us how he really feels!!!! Gotta love it!!!!
Couldn't agree more with your feeling that this is less and less a country constrained by law and the Constitution, a country hijacked by the very wealthy.
I'm glad Mr. Olbermann got out of MSNBC and I wish Miss Maddow could do the same. It makes me nuts that MSNBC has commercial after commercial from the gas and oil industry.
That was the thing that struck me too. The police are all part of the 99%, and union members as well.
howarya, Darlene? Thanks for posting Keith where we can all see it!!
*Rain - I agree that the voting booth is the way to change what's wrong in America, but without educating the people we could end up with another bunch of Tea Party guys.
Look what the T.Party accomplished with their demonstrations.
I have long advocated that we, the people, are more powerful than the 1%, but outside of elections how better to change the picture by mass demonstrations. We need to shake up the power brokers and this movement seems to be doing it. It's a reminder that, while they have the money, we have the majority.
Please copy the link in your browser to see what they hope to accomplish with the protests. OWC does have an agenda.
http://us.mg1.mail.yahoo.com/neo/launch?.rand=d8ms2on8jfj5m
Again, how does the word occupy relate to communism? I occupy my house and we use the term to mean we are living there. The protesters and living in the parks. I agree that the tents are a bad idea, but so is pepper spraying people using their constitutional rights peaceably.
*Kay - He doesn't leave you wondering about his point, does he? Tee Hee.
*janinsanfran - I'm glad you agree with me as I always do with you.
*Barry - Money always trumps right it seems. Even the 'bottom line' of a liberal station is more important to them than the message.
*Ellen - Thanks for stopping by. Yes, I don't get it that the police are acting for the 1% when the protesters are acting in their behaf.
*Xtreme English - See and hear him, huh? Even we with hearing loss can understand Keith.
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