tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post9110654069008652359..comments2024-03-28T00:36:36.460-07:00Comments on The Tree of Life: A day of almost pure joy in #DavisCA and at #UCDavis, until ... #OccupyUCDavisJonathan Eisenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07953790938128734305noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-57900000951820787562011-11-21T09:42:36.726-08:002011-11-21T09:42:36.726-08:00I can't imagine being pleased about being shot...I can't imagine being pleased about being shot in the face with a stream of liquid carrying a pain-of-heat value (Scoville scale) an order of magnitude or more greater than that of the hottest pepper known and which can induce severe asthma: http://blogs.plos.org/speakeasyscience/2011/11/20/about-pepper-spray/Ellen Simmshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05254486838542741996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-29699611069363444752011-11-19T20:22:44.459-08:002011-11-19T20:22:44.459-08:00At the same time, I can't help but wonder if t...At the same time, I can't help but wonder if the protestors aren't actually pleased at such a response. Most of these kids are the children of people who were the age of Vietnam-era protestors and probably grew up on tales of cops breaking up protests and fantasized taking part in a similar conflict. Protests aren't very exciting if the authorities ignore them. And probably riot cops fantasize about the other side.Jonathan Badgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04921990886076027719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-475910170236376992011-11-19T14:35:01.889-08:002011-11-19T14:35:01.889-08:00Interesting point - yes - clearly - in a weird way...Interesting point - yes - clearly - in a weird way - the protestors won this round by a wide wide margin - maintaining dignity in the face of an excessive responseJonathan Eisenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07953790938128734305noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10781944.post-85141407803440489322011-11-19T12:44:26.103-08:002011-11-19T12:44:26.103-08:00I feel similarly, although with a positive take on...I feel similarly, although with a positive take on the outcome. <br /><br />It's difficult to characterize the dissonance of seeing this done on my old campus. My truly positive memories of the Quad, and attending grad school at Davis, are infused with the new, callously violent, image of this officer spraying seated nonviolent protesters - in their faces. Compounding the violence is the Chancellor's measured, passive-voice response to what happened as a result of her request.<br /><br />Like you, I am generally sympathetic to the default police position in situations like this. The university requested a police presence and the officers presumably take their duties very seriously. Protests are designed to elicit an official response, to contradict administrations and to be difficult to ignore/disperse. But this? The brutality - and it was brutal - was unsolicited. And completely unnecessary. How can the Chancellor invoke a concern for public health while condoning, even praising, a police response response that included spraying pepper in the faces of seated students?<br /><br />My positive take on the outcome is that the protesters appear to have successfully shamed the police into recognizing the humanity of everyone present - including the police themselves. In an era of increasingly militarized domestic police, that's a small but significant victory for protesters everywhere.Allen Hendersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14792447648378856060noreply@blogger.com