Photo: Brian Nhuyen/The Aggie
I remember when the main thing I was seeing was a hashtag. #OWS or #OccupyWallstreet popped up on the social media radar and there were those who dismissed it at first glance, but I kept watching. From the interwebz to the front lawns of City Halls, to the concrete jungles of Wallstreet, I’ve been watching these protests for 2 months now yet none have struck a chord with me as much as the violence perpetrated against students in our California UC system.
This morning I came across an interview on BoingBoing which was a first-hand account of one such UC protest. The Occupy protests at UC Davis started off peacefully enough but were met with an almost barbaric violence of action… and it didn’t come from protestors! When you watch the video below, your first reaction may be horror at how these seemingly peaceful college students were treated by campus officers and one in particular (Lt. John Pike) but when you read the full interview at BoingBoing, it may be enough to get your blood boiling.
Yes, that alone is powerful enough, but then I began thinking, “what if those were my children peacefully protesting?” Then all the warrior, protector, father stuff welled up inside me and I had to get this post written. Let’s face it, right now our govt. isn’t too popular with “the people.” And with good reason! Look at California and how our educational system has degraded. One of the worst states in the country with an educational system in some cities that rates below some developing nations. Our youths are looking at these career politicians who fill the halls of our hallowed civic institutions and the system they’re a part of and many are hopeless about the future. The amount of students coming out of college and unable to find work factors into that, I’m sure. With all of this going on, it is hard not to empathize with our country’s youth and their peaceful protests. I’m amazed though by the brutality which we’ve seen visited upon these students by the authorities at UC Berkeley and now, at UC Davis. I can’t even put into words the rage I would be experiencing if one of my own were pepper sprayed in the face at point blank while peacefully sitting in protest of tuition hikes which could eventually place public education out of the reach of many.
I think back to the civil rights protests of the 60’s (I wasn’t around but I’ve done quite a bit of studying and listened to many, many first hand accounts) and wonder if those in power realize that by visiting this level of unwarranted violence on these youth that they may be sewing a violence creating by their own heavy hand. I remember that segregation and Jim Crow produced the MLK’s of the civil rights movement but it also gave birth to radicals like the young Malcolm X and Black Panther Party. Do we really want to push our youth to adopt the mantra, “By any means necessary!” Moreover, do we really want to see them act on it? If the police are already handling protests in the manner they are, I can only imagine the violence visited upon rock, knife or gun wielding “occupiers.”
I must admit that there is a strong part of my personality that as Dave Chapelle put it is a “habitual dissenter” but it is only the part of me that looks at life and systems and asks, “Why can’t we do this better? In fact, why aren’t we doing this better?” I think the amount of critical thinking we encourage in public grade school is already at levels that make me sad, but now it feels as though we’re trying to also take youths who are casting off indifference and complacency and show them that complaining without action is the preferred course of action… unless of course those actions are violent.
Great article!
Thanks Wesley!
As you brought up the 60’s equal rights movement it made me think, “Are we there yet?” I think it may be a crossroads we are looking at and as I roll this over in my mind, I am not sure my “children” understand the concepts of the #OWS movement. They see Mom and Dad struggle to pay bills or they see their friends moving because they “closed” their house and don’t get why. We may be seeing a movement that will later change how our kids are schooled, are hired, and work and get paid. I am anxious about what will come of the movement and will be watching closely as we see how it will change how we vote next year. Great post Tshaka!
High praise! Thanks Jim.
That’s a great point. It’s like the whole point of the violence is to discourage people from voicing their disagreement with a system created for the benefit of others (while numbing them with more Kardashian adventures).
Escalation my friend. And, I totally agree with the dum… I mean “numbing” down of America thru “reality” TV. I’ve had to spend a decent amount of time training my children in the art of media critical thinking. Our children must be skilled at parsing the garbage and distinguishing mental fast food from healthy meals. Nothing wrong with mental fast food per se, unless it’s all you’re eating. 😉
I read a great article today (I forget where) that talked about how police reaction to protests has changed over the years (and especially since 9/11). It has moved from passively sitting by and only interfering if people started breaking the law to a brute force, get out of here mentality.
What did the UC Davis administrators think was going to happen when they sent police to the protest in riot gear with batons, pepper spray and paintball guns? NOTHING GOOD can come of that situation. And then to come out and say that linking arms is not a form of nonviolent protest? Ridiculous.
The Occupy movement is not going away. There are too many people sick of seeing money run everything in this country and not being able to get ahead even though they do everything they’ve been told will help them get to the top. Sure there are one or two success stories that everyone points to, but for the most part people end up in the same socioeconomic class they were born into.
When the economy bogs down and you don’t have the millions of dollars it takes to buy legislation (I’m sorry, lobby for votes), it angers people and this time moved them to action.
So I say bravo OWS protesters, keep standing up for what you believe in.
Agreed. Thanks for your comment!
Strong post Tshaka.
The reaction from campus security was disproportionate, strong and excessive. Having said that, I’d like to know what preceded the footage that we saw. Were the students blocking access to something and were they give warning to disperse?
I think school choice is key towards improving the schools. Fire the bad teachers and figure out a way to establish benchmarks (for teachers and students). More money is not the solution to good education. For the past three decades we’ve been spending more money on education, but getting little for those efforts. However, look at the progress made with magnet and charter schools, impressive to say the least.
That’s why those students were protesting-the rising cost of college tuition. What’s the root cause of that? Their anger and frustration is warranted due to the fact that it’s doubled in the past 7 years. Who are they blaming for the increase? I don’t know the answer to that, the media hasn’t covered it.
Yeah, I don’t know about teacher evaluations yet. That’s a tough one. We do need some way to assess a teachers effectiveness though.
Why do I see the pictures and am reminded of Kent State?
Hear hear! I cut my post a little short, but I see so much of previous protests in this movement. I think we’re still VERY much in the beginning stages though as we have yet to see it move from an organic agreement of large scale discontent to a movement which will energize the mainstream to move for change.
I don’t agree with everything about the OWS protests and I certainly have some issues with some of the protesters in different places around the country.
But what happened at UC Davis is absolutely inexcusable. Those kids were sitting there peacefully and lawfully. To pepper-spray them like that is horrid. And to do it with all the cameras around? I mean what the hell was that guy thinking?? Unfortunately, too many police officers believe there are above reproach and the law. I saw it first-hand as a reporter on a near weekly basis.
Nice post Tshaka.
Thanks for the share and for your comments. Working in news as well, I have definitely seen the attitude you speak of… sickening. But, you know what they say about absolute power (or at least the perception that you have it)…
As a father, my reaction would rather be…”Why are you associating with an incoherent, emotionally unbalanced and illogical mob that seeks to promote anarchy?
Why have you not thought through the actual issues at hand? Why are you placing yourself in a potentially volatile and violent situation for a cause that is actually being manipulated by certain members of the so-called “1%” for it’s own political and financial gain. Wake-up and grow up!”
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