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"Pigs, fuzz, American Gestapo," and plenty of other names for mindless lowlifes or fascist collaborators when we thought of them.
I once referred to police outside the 1968 Chicago Convention as "the fuzz" and "brutes" within earshot of my dad, and he nearly threw me out of the house over it. Cops hate to be called "pigs," especially -- for obvious reasons and even when they deserve it!
I would like to suggest here to anyone who marches in the streets or attends peace rallies or anti-Bu$h events that it might be wise to assess the police as individuals when they are present for "crowd control" or are sent to quell your activities -- and try to avoid calling them ALL pigs if possible. Only because hollering "PIGS!" at them can get you a worse beat-down than might happen if you use milder words, even respectful ones when appropriate.
I guess I'm urging activists to "kill 'em with kindness" and "turn away wrath with a soft answer" whenever such an approach is at all possible. It can really work wonders!
For instance, I recommend picking out the individual cops who seem to be reluctant to beat civilians and talking to these individuals reasonably if you can find an opportunity. Addressing them as "officer" or "sir" may be going farther than you find you're able, but such respect shown to them BEFORE any violence erupts can go a long way toward maintaining the peace at your event!
If cops are present for crowd control purposes (purportedly) during a planned and especially large gathering, think of all the time you might have to explain your beliefs to guys in uniform -- even in riot gear -- before anything ever starts to go wrong. Look them in the eyes, not with rude defiance but to see if you can detect a spark of understanding or an indication of rational thinking that you can amplify with your words and actions.
Most of these men and women in uniform have families, and many have kids about the same age as the protesters they're asked to crack down on. That alone is enough to give some of them pause about raining brutality en masse upon crowds which they can tell are truly peaceful and non-threatening.
Consider also that many of them, even those who may still support this administration, may also have children or nephews or friends who strenuously oppose this administration and want to see the civil rights abuses here at home as well as the insane wars in Iraq and Afghanistan ENDED.
We who are older now once did a lot of good work during the 60's and early 70's, and in retrospect we were proven right. But we also made some mistakes that I would like to see avoided by our counterparts today.
Being careful not to make more enemies among the law enforcement types than we have already would be one good course of action, I believe. Keep in mind that many of them are conflicted about what they are asked to do when it comes to wasting their time and resources on peaceful protesters or rally attendees exercising free speech.
Whenever there is a chance to make allies of cops instead of setting negative attitudes in stone by taunting them or name-calling, it seems to me it would be wiser to look for officers who are reluctant to club American citizens and try to appeal to their better instincts and conscience. Not all cops are blindly loyal to their leaders or supportive of Bu$h and his wars and civil rights abuses -- not by a long shot.
Asking an officer if he has children can be a good opening for a dialogue that might open his eyes about the wisdom or righteousness of what he's doing in stopping peaceful rallies. His own kids may be small and he may be concerned already about their future in an America where freedom of speech is curtailed and young people are jailed and injured wrongfully.
Officers may have teenagers at home or sons and daughters in college or in the military or who are having a hard time finding decent jobs in this Bu$hwhacked economy. If such a cop thinks about his own loved ones who may side with the anti-war and anti-Bu$h-criminals and who could easily be victims of "pig brutality" at some point, it could hamper his willingness to be abusive to US.
"Do you have kids?" you might ask a cop while everyone's standing around before the rally kicks into high gear.
If s/he says yes, then you could follow up with, "Do you think your own children might ever join a group like this?" Or if s/he replied no to the first question, you could substitute "Do you know anyone who might attend our rally"? Anything to start them talking in a friendly, chatty way about the people and topics that are near and dear to their hearts.
It's very important to remember, IMO, that even police on duty and under orders may have a hard time brutalizing and arresting someone s/he has gotten to know, even a little bit -- someone who was friendly, considerate, and clearly non-threatening.
Charles Manson made one statement during his trial for the Tate-LaBianca murders that I found to be incredibly insightful. He said, during the lengthy speech from the witness box that he was allowed to make, "Your own children are coming at you with knives." He ranted on about how the "good citizens" of this country had thrown their children away, neglected them, ignored their legitimate needs and grievances -- and ultimately caused some of the very same behavior that so appalled them and even endangered them.
I'm not suggesting that you quote Charlie Manson to support your cause! :evilgrin: But I am saying he had a point in what he said that day about America's youth. When a nation's young people take a stand against all that's wrong in their government, and (in our case) dig in their heels, defy authority, and refuse to be silenced by "enforcers" that government sends to intimidate them, well, then maybe it's time for their "elders" to LISTEN for a change and consider what drives them to take personal risks for a cause.
One more observation I'd like to make. There are a lot of Americans who may have supported the Chimperor at one time but no longer feel he is acting in the best interests of this country. Many of those folks are of an age to recall quite clearly the turmoil and trauma of the Vietnam Era.
They might not believe that every action of protest or dissent taken during those turbulent times was justified; but everyone who's old enough to remember that war pretty much has to acknowledge that we were lied to, misled into war in Vietnam, and burdened with its many short- and long-term consequences because Americans were reluctant to express vehement dissent "during wartime."
Looking back, it's very hard for anyone to deny that the anti-war people were RIGHT, that that war was WRONG, and that Americans let it go on far too long before rising up against the madness and the creeping police-state within our own borders.
If you see someone among the police present at a march for "crowd control" or a crackdown, one who looks to be the right age to have served in or at least remember Vietnam very well, it might be useful to ask such a person if he does remember Vietnam.
"Remember how the country was led to war on a LIE back then?" (The Gulf of Tonkin incident.) "Remember how a Republican President took a big mistake and a wrong war started by a Democratic President and LIED a lot more about it, carrying it on for YEARS after promising to end it 'with honor'?"
"Remember that between the anti-war protesters and the government of the United States back then, it was the protesters who were RIGHT about that war -- not the leadership in the White House and Congress?"
These are just suggestions, and I'm sure you get the drift and can come up with a lot more good ideas for enlisting allies among those police who become threatening at peace rallies, rather than entrenching their bad attitudes toward us and our efforts.
What I feel we need is for the "enforcers" of this evil administration's policies and illegal actions -- that is, the police entities and the military -- to be guilt-tripped to the max and helped by any other means to take a long look at what they're doing and think about all the implications.
So much power lies in their hands, since without enforcers of its policies and objectives, no administration can long stand -- or at least can long continue its abuses and criminal behavior.
A cop who can remember Vietnam, who may even have served there, would likely be one who, due to his age and experience, has some rank in any police organization today. Such a person, if present at a protest or rally for "crowd control" or whatever excuse they're given for being there, might be able to avert ALL the brutality by simply ordering restraint among his subordinates at the scene.
What better way to frustrate the intentions of the goons in the White House than to have the police they expect to follow blindly their crackdown orders instead show good judgment and restraint, respect for citizens' rights, and ultimately recognition of the rightful complaints of those who protest criminal acts of this administration?.................
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