Thread: An interesting twist in the UC Davis pepper spray incident

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

LOL Next time you're out with your friends, surround some policemen, challenge them to go through you and see how pleasant they are. It was a very stupid move for the protesters to make and they're lucky all they received was a little pepper spray.

ahoy Mrs. M,

if i were to sit in a wide semicircle 'round police officers...or heck, even a wide circle, i'd be surprised if they raked us all with mace. if yer sayin' they were "lucky", yer implyin' that good fortune was on the side 'o the students.

lucky would mean them poor young americans caught a good break, aye? what then woulda been thar fate without good fortune, but just plain garden variety normalcy? bein' beat to a pulp with batons?

would ye have said, "well, thats just bad luck", if them students were shot fulla holes?

- MeadHallPirate

Originally Posted by MeadHallPirate

ahoy Mrs. M,

if i were to sit in a wide semicircle 'round police officers...or heck, even a wide circle, i'd be surprised if they raked us all with mace. if yer sayin' they were "lucky", yer implyin' that good fortune was on the side 'o the students.

lucky would mean them poor young americans caught a good break, aye? what then woulda been thar fate without good fortune, but just plain garden variety normalcy? bein' beat to a pulp with batons?

would ye have said, "well, thats just bad luck", if them students were shot fulla holes?

- MeadHallPirate

If you surrounded the cops with locked arms and told them if they wanted out they'd have to go through you, wouldn't you think you were issuing them a challenge?

Originally Posted by Mrs. M

If you surrounded the cops with locked arms and told them if they wanted out they'd have to go through you, wouldn't you think you were issuing them a challenge?

ahoy Mrs. M,

look into yer heart, lass...yer a reasonable poster here on the good ship USPO.

'twas a buncha seated young adults, armed with backpacks 'n cell phones, armored in hoodies...sittin' a wide circle or semicircle...thar "barrier" was so ferocious that ye can see the police steppin' o'er, around, and right up to'm to the point whar an officer was able to talk quietly into one 'o the student's ear before the mace was blasted in thar face.

thar battlecry was "Don't shoot students!".

*shrugs*

if ye see this as a reasonable response and the students were who maced in thar faces were "lucky", then i guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, Mrs. M.

- MeadHallPirate

Originally Posted by MeadHallPirate

ahoy Mrs. M,

look into yer heart, lass...yer a reasonable poster here on the good ship USPO.

'twas a buncha young adults, armed with backpacks 'n cell phones, armored in hoodies...sittin' a wide circle or semicircle...thar "barrier" was so ferocious that ye can see the police steppin' o'er, around, and right up to'm to the point whar an officer was able to talk quietly into one 'o the student's ear before the mace was blasted in thar face.

thar battlecry was "Don't shoot students!".

*shrugs*

if ye see this as a reasonable response and the students were who maced in thar faces were "lucky", then i guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this one, Mrs. M.

- MeadHallPirate

I reckon we'll have to disagree then. The chancellor wanted the kids removed, they didn't want to go when ordered to do so by the police, they locked arms and challenged the police to go through them. That's not very peaceful if you ask me and pepper spray was very minor compared to what could have happened.

Originally Posted by MeadHallPirate

'twas a buncha seated young adults, armed with backpacks 'n cell phones, armored in hoodies...sittin' a wide circle or semicircle...thar "barrier" was so ferocious that ye can see the police steppin' o'er, around, and right up to'm to the point whar an officer was able to talk quietly into one 'o the student's ear before the mace was blasted in thar face.

- MeadHallPirate

One student????

It appeared to me from his demeanor that casual pepper spray cop was obviously the commanding officer on the scene. The guy in charge of the operation to remove the tents. He told all of them what would happen if they continued to block the road.

Originally Posted by Formaldehyde

It's called civil disobedience.

No shit? Thanks for posting this blinding flash of the obvious, since I had never, ever heard this term before. :rolleyes:

Originally Posted by Formaldehyde

It is used in virtually all free and open democratic societies without armed thugs threatening the health and well being of those who practice it.

So, would you personally be OK with random individuals deciding where you are and are not allowed to go? Think of the incidents in DC and Oakland, where the protestors arbitrarily decided to deny the right of free movement to other people.

Originally Posted by hairballxavier

One student????

It appeared to me from his demeanor that casual pepper spray cop was obviously the commanding officer on the scene. The guy in charge of the operation to remove the tents. He told all of them what would happen if they continued to block the road.

ahoy Capt'n Hairball,

in one 'o the videos, i saw one 'o them police officers saunter right up to the seated row 'o students, lean o'er, and talk quietly into the ear 'o one 'o them students.

thats what i was referrin' to.

i actually give them students credit...they knew was what comin' when the officer was walkin' 'round shakin' his can 'o mace and didn't flee like mice as each 'o thar fellow protesters was maced down in the face.

that takes courage.

- MeadHallPirate

Sometimes thar be a fine line between courage and stupidity.

Originally Posted by hairballxavier

Sometimes thar be a fine line between courage and stupidity.

ahoy Capt'n Hairball,

that be very true. i think these americans were courageous, though. ye think they be stupid....

the results?

Officer Pike be suspended.
the tent encampment be huger than before.
lawsuits be pendin' from the parent's 'o the students.
the campus hath become a focal point in the OWS movement.

ye can judge fer yerself if the police fella's actions were judicious, me friend.

- MeadHallPirate

And what did the illegal protestors gain?

The cops got overtime pay.

What did they get....kickbacks ?

Originally Posted by hairballxavier

And what did the students gain?

*ponders*

they gained what they sought, matey;

visibility and attention.

imma thinkin' back to the absurdity and the passion 'o youth - the way things can seem vital and viseral and important...i may be wrong, but i think them students be revelin' in this.

- MeadHallPirate

Ahoy Mead Head. I agree that they seem to want the attention, but I can think of better ways of getting than taking a shot of pepper spray in the face. This OWS seems to be trying to revive the popular dissent of the 60's. But conditions are much different now than then. Also the reports of violence, sexual assault and the way they treat their living areas is more inclined to drive people away from them. And the list of groups that have come out in public support of them aren't the type that help their cause.

Originally Posted by Hoplite

It proves there were cameras there, as there are at virtually every gathering of people.

It proves they wanted to provoke a response like this cause they are fucking idiots that think everyone will sympathize. they were wrong. This isn't the 60's we all don't think cops are pigs and solders are baby killers.