We've all seen them. The photo or video of the "pepper spraying incident" at UC Davis.
Just in case you missed it... Wait. What, have you been under a frickin' rock?!?!
There is, making the rounds, a video that claims to show "what really happened". I'm no professional, but the video shows several clips from several sources, assembled in what appears to be chronological fashion. It looks like all the clips are from the same event to me. Watch it, and make your own judgement.
Regardless, the only thing you seem to see on the news are the picture from above, or the edited video from which the picture was taken (I say edited, because the video only ever shows the pepper spraying, not the before or after).
Regardless, the only thing you seem to see on the news are the picture from above, or the edited video from which the picture was taken (I say edited, because the video only ever shows the pepper spraying, not the before or after).
Face it. You KNOW there was an "after" image to this. But this is just damn cute...
At best, a video or picture captures just one moment or split second in time. There is ALWAYS more context to what you are seeing. In this case, right from the word go, I knew that there HAD to be.
My feelings on the Occupy nonsense notwithstanding, It is really easy to say that no one deserves a face-full of pepper spray for engaging in a peaceful protest. If you abide by the law, follow the instructions of those who are charged with keeping the peace, and keep yourself totally separate from those who want to cause problems, you do not deserve to get pepper sprayed, tear gassed, or tazed (or shot with beanbags, rubber bullets, paintballs, etc.). At first blush, this is a cop spraying kids who are sitting down, and doing so calmly, with no apparent threat, while a crowd boos his actions (frankly, if he WAS so callous as to pepper spray indiscriminately and without cause, as has been suggested, knowing there were dozens of cell phone cameras recording his every move, the guy's got some serious inner honey badger issues).
But, that is just that moment. What led to that is more interesting.
I linked to a video above, and offered all kinds of qualifiers. I wasn't there. I did not directly witness ANY of this (not even the kittens). I can only go by what is reported. And when the media fails to report properly, it's up to others to help fill in the blanks.
The narrative that was told was that the police showed up to dismantle an Occupy camp on campus, met resistance, and whipped out the pepper spray. Surprise, surprise, there is much more to it than that.
My feelings on the Occupy nonsense notwithstanding, It is really easy to say that no one deserves a face-full of pepper spray for engaging in a peaceful protest. If you abide by the law, follow the instructions of those who are charged with keeping the peace, and keep yourself totally separate from those who want to cause problems, you do not deserve to get pepper sprayed, tear gassed, or tazed (or shot with beanbags, rubber bullets, paintballs, etc.). At first blush, this is a cop spraying kids who are sitting down, and doing so calmly, with no apparent threat, while a crowd boos his actions (frankly, if he WAS so callous as to pepper spray indiscriminately and without cause, as has been suggested, knowing there were dozens of cell phone cameras recording his every move, the guy's got some serious inner honey badger issues).
But, that is just that moment. What led to that is more interesting.
I linked to a video above, and offered all kinds of qualifiers. I wasn't there. I did not directly witness ANY of this (not even the kittens). I can only go by what is reported. And when the media fails to report properly, it's up to others to help fill in the blanks.
The narrative that was told was that the police showed up to dismantle an Occupy camp on campus, met resistance, and whipped out the pepper spray. Surprise, surprise, there is much more to it than that.
I watched the video. It shows the police offering several warnings regarding the legality of the camp. It can be inferred that several protesters were placed under arrest, possibly for resisting the police's attempts to dismantle the camp (which would have been done for the protesters safety more than anything, given the lower level of services offered on campus on the weekends).
According the the video, the other gathered protesters began to demand their release, quickly following the lead of one voice leading them in chants. Then the voice leads a "chant", in which the police are given an ultimatum. Let those arrested go free, and we will allow you to leave.
Think about it. Armed or not, you are one of a couple dozen police officers with a crowd gathered around you, chanting at you, and telling you under what circumstances they will let you leave. That the police didn't start spraying the mob down at this point goes a LONG way to show how much discipline they have.
Anyway, the mob continues to follow the lead of this one voice, who calls out new chants, and in general makes a bad situation worse. The chants go from "Set them free", speaking of the arrested protesters, and spread to one that includes "Fu*k the police!". The tension is escalating, no matter how much anyone wants to say "it's just words, and the police have weapons".
Do we really need to have a discussion about how words really mean things?
The police start to go down the line of sitting protesters and explain to them that when the vehicle comes for those already arrested, that they (the sitting human chain) will be subject to force. They ask if this is understood, and in at least one instance on the recording, receive a nod in acknowledgment. Think about that for just a second, if you will.
The police have offered warning after warning, after warning, and are now gently explaining to those who don't seem to get that there is a point to follow instructions, that they will be punished for their failure to do so. Is this REALLY the action of out-of-control, jack-booted thugs? If only those who really DO commit crimes were as polite. "Excuse me sir. I intend to beat you senseless with this crowbar, take your money, and I might just drag your wife into that alley and rape her while I'm at it. Do you understand what this means?"
But I digress. The police start to move a squad car into position while the crowd orders them (?!?) to stop their vehicle. Then the officers pull out the pepper spray, and begin to shake it. Now the mob starts to see that the police mean business. But rather than disperse, they begin to shout encouragement and offer advice to those about to be pepper sprayed on how to deal with it!
The police have offered warning after warning, after warning, and are now gently explaining to those who don't seem to get that there is a point to follow instructions, that they will be punished for their failure to do so. Is this REALLY the action of out-of-control, jack-booted thugs? If only those who really DO commit crimes were as polite. "Excuse me sir. I intend to beat you senseless with this crowbar, take your money, and I might just drag your wife into that alley and rape her while I'm at it. Do you understand what this means?"
But I digress. The police start to move a squad car into position while the crowd orders them (?!?) to stop their vehicle. Then the officers pull out the pepper spray, and begin to shake it. Now the mob starts to see that the police mean business. But rather than disperse, they begin to shout encouragement and offer advice to those about to be pepper sprayed on how to deal with it!
Final warnings are given, then Lt. John Pike begins what he told the protesters he would do.
This was not someone who "casually" pepper sprayed "peaceful" protesters. Lt. Pike showed amazing restraint prior to this point, but his hand, frankly, was forced. If the police did not do something to move the protesters, as they said they would, their credibility would have been eroded, and the mob would have had the impression that they could do as they wish, as long as they outnumber the police.
Every step of the way, according to reports and video clips, the police offered restraint and warnings. The protesters acknowledge that there was an attempt to restrict police movement (a threatening gesture, and not at all "peaceful protest"), and at the end of the encounter, the protesters, again led by the lone voice of the agitator, called out to the police that they would be "willing to give" the police "a brief moment of peace" to leave with their weapons and not be followed (quite frankly, I'm AMAZED that the agitator was not arrested for damn near inciting a riot).
All in all, there is, as I and many other suspected, a LOT more to this story than the MSM allowed to be reported, and shows once again, that virtually any involved in the Occupy protests simply do not understand what peaceful protests and assembly are. The police did not "react" violently to their "peaceful assembly".
Every step of the way, according to reports and video clips, the police offered restraint and warnings. The protesters acknowledge that there was an attempt to restrict police movement (a threatening gesture, and not at all "peaceful protest"), and at the end of the encounter, the protesters, again led by the lone voice of the agitator, called out to the police that they would be "willing to give" the police "a brief moment of peace" to leave with their weapons and not be followed (quite frankly, I'm AMAZED that the agitator was not arrested for damn near inciting a riot).
All in all, there is, as I and many other suspected, a LOT more to this story than the MSM allowed to be reported, and shows once again, that virtually any involved in the Occupy protests simply do not understand what peaceful protests and assembly are. The police did not "react" violently to their "peaceful assembly".
The police offered repeated warnings to the Occupiers to remove their illegally set up camp. Had they done so (even if only until the police left, and reconstructed their camp), the escalation that led to several students getting to experience pepper spray first-hand would never have happened.
This crowd, for instance, dispersed peacefully, with no pepper spray used.. Granted it took a few warm days, but...
It all goes back to one, very simple point. You have a God-given and human-codified right to free speech. You may exercise it as often as you want, wherever you want. But, that right doesn't exist in a vacuum. You MUST BE PREPARED to accept responsibility for what you say. When your free speech steps over the line of legality, as a responsible citizen you MUST recognize that you may well face consequences.
The police did not have to show the restraint that they did, and this instance is very, very far from the brutal, out-of-control, stomping of anyone's rights as it has been portrayed.
More than anything, this is a teachable moment. What the media tells you is true, might not be the whole story. There IS a bias in the MSM, AND in the "alternative" media. True journalists don't exist anymore. EVERYONE has their slant on a story, and makes it known, one way or another.
It's up to us, as citizens who want to be informed, to expose ourselves to what we are told, and to dig a little deeper. We need to be willing to step out of our comfort zones to find the truth, or at least the other side's idea of the truth.
It's up to us, as citizens who want to be informed, to expose ourselves to what we are told, and to dig a little deeper. We need to be willing to step out of our comfort zones to find the truth, or at least the other side's idea of the truth.
It's an old saying, "There are three sides to every story. Your's, their's and the truth". Modern "journalism" has made it incumbent upon those who want to be fair and reasonable to seek the truth that lies between the biases.
While it makes for fun times to be able to fly off the handle about your political preferences, and point to something in the news as support, remember that the news is being reported, not by true journalists, but by those who are after ratings or newspaper sales. The truth is as a homeless person, left out to wander in the street, noticed by only a few.
While it makes for fun times to be able to fly off the handle about your political preferences, and point to something in the news as support, remember that the news is being reported, not by true journalists, but by those who are after ratings or newspaper sales. The truth is as a homeless person, left out to wander in the street, noticed by only a few.
Seek the truth, and don't let the media define for you an entire person on the basis of a single moment in time.
After all, just about all of us have some picture of video that we wish didn't exist, and would not want to be judged on the basis of that one snapshot of our lives.
