Some of you RMMB veterans may recall the tasering incident at UCLA, my recount of the events as I saw them, and my interview with BBC radio where I was pitted against two fuckwits at the ensuing "rally." I had completely forgotten about this until I read the title of the thread, and decided to do an internet search -- <a class="postlink" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCLA_Taser_incident" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UCLA_Taser_incident</a> -- turns out that the university paid out over $200,000 to settle the case of "police brutality." I feel sick.
Ok, I may have made some assumptions about what you meant, but please don't call me down to having poor reading comprehension. I just think getting irate over some hippies who have no clue what they are protesting or don't understand what they are protesting just isn't worth it. They want you to get angry at them, I'm saying let their cause die by not responding, don't give them what they want. I don't disagree with you at all really, just with the hate toward protesters. And I admit, I believe you prefaced your post by saying it may sound harsh. I was basically saying you maybe a little too harsh, that's it. When too many emotions get involved with any issue, judgement can be clouded.
That's cool, I understand. And I don't want to drag it out but I think you made an important point: It obviously depends on the nature of the protest, but where they're being obstructive about something they're causing repercussions beyond their little pool of ignorance. If they're just standing on the side of the road singing songs and being smelly, good luck to them. But when they're damaging things, stopping work or causing a need for extra security (as some examples) someone ultimately has to pay for that. I will defend anyone's right to have an opinion, whether I agree with it or not. But it always seems that someone has to pay for their convictions and it never seems to be them (I'm talking immediate costs, not some esoteric "our future generations" unprovable crap).