Marine Critically Wounded in Occupy protest by Oakland PD

Charlie Ventura

Charlie Ventura

Active Member
As the violence escalates by the "protesters," the police will escalate their response. It would be a good idea to stay out of the area. This would include the ex-Marine who was hit in the head with the teargas canister.
 
R

redivider

Well-Known Member
Charlie Ventura said:
As the violence escalates by the "protesters," the police will escalate their response. It would be a good idea to stay out of the area. This would include the ex-Marine who was hit in the head with the teargas canister.
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so you're ok with government suppression of free speech... specially if you don't agree with it.

i've seen how these things play out. typically there's no violence until the police show up....
 
Charlie Ventura

Charlie Ventura

Active Member
redivider said:
so you're ok with government suppression of free speech... specially if you don't agree with it.

i've seen how these things play out. typically there's no violence until the police show up....
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I'm an outspoken advocate of free speech, even challenging my congressman's staff at a local town forum in an effort to get people to be allowed to take posters inside the building. And this was long before the TEA Party was even thought of being formed.

Free speech doesn't include blocking traffic, trashing public parks, throwing items at the public and the police.

Don't be an idiot, man. Open your eyes and see that the folks behind the tools in the parks WANT violence to escalate. Open up a history book for cryin' out loud.
 
R

redivider

Well-Known Member
why open up a history book for a revised version of history that can pick and choose what happened?

i've been to several political demonstrations. violence always starts when the police show up.
 
Sara Saw It

Sara Saw It

Active Member
redivider said:
so you're ok with government suppression of free speech... specially if you don't agree with it.

i've seen how these things play out. typically there's no violence until the police show up....
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I haven't seen any violence whatsoever in the Occupy Chicago protests.

Being involved with such organizations, I've heard stories that undercover police officers will come to these protests to invoke violence among the protesters by being one of them. For example, an undercover will appear as an enrage protester who throws a brick through a window to attempt to get the crowd worked up, start a riot, etc.
 
Sara Saw It

Sara Saw It

Active Member
Coals said:
Couple of articles:

Buddy took a "non-lethal" to the forehead and is in critical condition with brain swelling. 2 tours in Iraq.
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A group of Occupy Chicago members were holding a vigil on the sidewalk the other day for this marine. Police officers dressed with face shields and gas masks approached and demanded that they leave.
 
FlyLikeAnEagle

FlyLikeAnEagle

Well-Known Member
Here's more about the guy, guess they arent just a bunch of unemployed hippies looking for a handout.

Certainly my definition of a true American.


OAKLAND, Calif. — The Iraq War veteran injured during a clash between police and anti-Wall Street protesters this week wasn't taking part in the demonstrations out of economic need.

The 24-year-old Scott Olsen makes a good living as a network engineer and has a nice apartment overlooking San Francisco Bay. And yet, his friends say, he felt so strongly about economic inequality in the United States that he fought for overseas that he slept at a protest camp after work.

"He felt you shouldn't wait until something is affecting you to get out and do something about it," said friend and roommate Keith Shannon, who served with Olsen in Iraq.

It was that feeling that drew him to Oakland on Tuesday night, when the clashes broke out and Olsen's skull was fractured. Fellow veterans said Olsen was struck in the head by a projectile fired by police, although the exact object and who might have been responsible for the injury have not been definitively established.

On Tuesday night, Olsen had planned to be at the San Francisco protest, but he changed course after his veterans' group decided to support protesters in Oakland after police cleared an encampment outside City Hall.

"I think it was a last-minute thing," Shannon said.



Joshua Shepherd, 27, a Navy veteran who was standing nearby when Olsen got struck, said he didn't know what hit him. "It was like a war zone," he said.

A video posted on YouTube showed Olsen being carried by other protesters through the tear gas, his face bloodied. People shout at him: "What's your name? What's your name?" Olsen just stares back.

Shepherd said it's a cruel irony that Olsen is fighting an injury in the country that he fought to protect.

People at OPSWAT, the San Francisco security software company where Olsen works, were devastated after learning of his injuries. They described him as a humble, quiet man.

Olsen had been helping to develop security applications for U.S. defense agencies, building on expertise gained while on active duty in Iraq, said Jeff Garon, the company's director of marketing.

Olsen was awarded seven medals while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, which he left as a lance corporal in November 2009 after serving for four years. One of them was the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45071048.../#.Tqr1QkcRacF
 
Dan Kone

Dan Kone

Well-Known Member
Sara Saw It said:
I haven't seen any violence whatsoever in the Occupy Chicago protests.

Being involved with such organizations, I've heard stories that undercover police officers will come to these protests to invoke violence among the protesters by being one of them. For example, an undercover will appear as an enrage protester who throws a brick through a window to attempt to get the crowd worked up, start a riot, etc.
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That's a trick invented by the SFPD in the 1960s. Still used today.

They were making allegations of that in Oakland too. But if the protesters are really attacking the police, then where are the injured cops? I've yet to hear about a single officer even getting a minor injury. Strange that every single "violent act" against the police has resulted in a total of zero injuries to the police. I haven't heard about any stores being looted. Why would people throw bricks through windows if they weren't looting?

All it takes is one undercover cop to throw something harmlessly and that gives the cops an excuse to launch an attack on the whole protest. It's clear this is a nationwide message being sent by the cops. That message is "this is over! Time to go home!".

If a cop is actually injured, then I might believe that a lone protester acted violently. But these stories about the magic rock that gets thrown yet never seems to do any harm and there is never any evidence that the rock got thrown lead me to believe that it's all just an excuse to be violent.
 
Dan Kone

Dan Kone

Well-Known Member
Charlie Ventura said:
As the violence escalates by the "protesters," the police will escalate their response. It would be a good idea to stay out of the area. This would include the ex-Marine who was hit in the head with the teargas canister.
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This was a pre-planned and pre-announced strike. It wasn't triggered by violence of any kind. The mayor dropped $300k in advance to make this assault happen.
 
Wolfhound

Wolfhound

Active Member
Free speech isn't about confrontation, it's about speech. If you go to protest & trash the place, refuse to move peacefully when asked, then you are not for free speech but for confrontation.

Remember Dr ML King ? That's what protest & free speech is . . .
 
Dan Kone

Dan Kone

Well-Known Member
Wolfhound said:
Free speech isn't about confrontation, it's about speech. If you go to protest & trash the place, refuse to move peacefully when asked, then you are not for free speech but for confrontation.
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So free speach is ok, but until the point the cops ask you to stop and go away?

Remember Dr ML King ? That's what protest & free speech is . . .
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MLK didn't leave when the cops told him to and they sicked dogs and put firehouses on them. Read your history.
 
mackey

mackey

Well-Known Member
FlyLikeAnEagle said:
Here's more about the guy, guess they arent just a bunch of unemployed hippies looking for a handout.

Certainly my definition of a true American.


OAKLAND, Calif. — The Iraq War veteran injured during a clash between police and anti-Wall Street protesters this week wasn't taking part in the demonstrations out of economic need.

The 24-year-old Scott Olsen makes a good living as a network engineer and has a nice apartment overlooking San Francisco Bay. And yet, his friends say, he felt so strongly about economic inequality in the United States that he fought for overseas that he slept at a protest camp after work.

"He felt you shouldn't wait until something is affecting you to get out and do something about it," said friend and roommate Keith Shannon, who served with Olsen in Iraq.

It was that feeling that drew him to Oakland on Tuesday night, when the clashes broke out and Olsen's skull was fractured. Fellow veterans said Olsen was struck in the head by a projectile fired by police, although the exact object and who might have been responsible for the injury have not been definitively established.

On Tuesday night, Olsen had planned to be at the San Francisco protest, but he changed course after his veterans' group decided to support protesters in Oakland after police cleared an encampment outside City Hall.

"I think it was a last-minute thing," Shannon said.



Joshua Shepherd, 27, a Navy veteran who was standing nearby when Olsen got struck, said he didn't know what hit him. "It was like a war zone," he said.

A video posted on YouTube showed Olsen being carried by other protesters through the tear gas, his face bloodied. People shout at him: "What's your name? What's your name?" Olsen just stares back.

Shepherd said it's a cruel irony that Olsen is fighting an injury in the country that he fought to protect.

People at OPSWAT, the San Francisco security software company where Olsen works, were devastated after learning of his injuries. They described him as a humble, quiet man.

Olsen had been helping to develop security applications for U.S. defense agencies, building on expertise gained while on active duty in Iraq, said Jeff Garon, the company's director of marketing.

Olsen was awarded seven medals while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, which he left as a lance corporal in November 2009 after serving for four years. One of them was the Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45071048.../#.Tqr1QkcRacF
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If it weren't for people like this, we would have lost 158,000 before the war in Vietnam was stopped. Thank God no one has been killed as per Kent State. We were marching in Jr. High to try to help stop that war. Sometimes the public just has to go to the streets to bring about change.
 
mackey

mackey

Well-Known Member
And as for change, I received a reply today from whitehouse.gov in reference to the petition to legalize marijuana. It really made me angry the bs in the email. If you get one please go to the site and send another email letting them know we are not stupid enough to believe mj sends people to the ER. See email.


What We Have to Say About Legalizing Marijuana
By Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
When the President took office, he directed all of his policymakers to develop policies based on science and research, not ideology or politics. So our concern about marijuana is based on what the science tells us about the drug's effects.
According to scientists at the National Institutes of Health- the world's largest source of drug abuse research - marijuana use is associated with addiction, respiratory disease, and cognitive impairment. We know from an array of treatment admission information and Federal data that marijuana use is a significant source for voluntary drug treatment admissions and visits to emergency rooms. Studies also reveal that marijuana potency has almost tripled over the past 20 years, raising serious concerns about what this means for public health – especially among young people who use the drug because research shows their brains continue to develop well into their 20's. Simply put, it is not a benign drug.
Like many, we are interested in the potential marijuana may have in providing relief to individuals diagnosed with certain serious illnesses. That is why we ardently support ongoing research into determining what components of the marijuana plant can be used as medicine. To date, however, neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the modern standard for safe or effective medicine for any condition.
As a former police chief, I recognize we are not going to arrest our way out of the problem. We also recognize that legalizing marijuana would not provide the answer to any of the health, social, youth education, criminal justice, and community quality of life challenges associated with drug use.
That is why the President's National Drug Control Strategy is balanced and comprehensive, emphasizing prevention and treatment while at the same time supporting innovative law enforcement efforts that protect public safety and disrupt the supply of drugs entering our communities. Preventing drug use is the most cost-effective way to reduce drug use and its consequences in America. And, as we've seen in our work through community coalitions across the country, this approach works in making communities healthier and safer. We're also focused on expanding access to drug treatment for addicts. Treatment works. In fact, millions of Americans are in successful recovery for drug and alcoholism today. And through our work with innovative drug courts across the Nation, we are improving our criminal justice system to divert non-violent offenders into treatment.
Our commitment to a balanced approach to drug control is real. This last fiscal year alone, the Federal Government spent over $10 billion on drug education and treatment programs compared to just over $9 billion on drug related law enforcement in the U.S.
Thank you for making your voice heard. I encourage you to take a moment to read about the President's approach to drug control to learn more.
Resources:
Check out this response on We the People.
Stay Connected
Stay connected to the White House by signing up for periodic email updates from President Obama and other senior administration officials.
 
Samwell Seed Well

Samwell Seed Well

Well-Known Member
Wolfhound said:
Free speech isn't about confrontation, it's about speech. If you go to protest & trash the place, refuse to move peacefully when asked, then you are not for free speech but for confrontation.

Remember Dr ML King ? That's what protest & free speech is . . .
Click to expand...
WOW, just wow

what do they teach you kids these days

too much barney when you were a baby huh
 
FlyLikeAnEagle

FlyLikeAnEagle

Well-Known Member
mackey said:
And as for change, I received a reply today from whitehouse.gov in reference to the petition to legalize marijuana. It really made me angry the bs in the email. If you get one please go to the site and send another email letting them know we are not stupid enough to believe mj sends people to the ER. See email.


What We Have to Say About Legalizing Marijuana
By Gil Kerlikowske, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
When the President took office, he directed all of his policymakers to develop policies based on science and research, not ideology or politics. So our concern about marijuana is based on what the science tells us about the drug's effects.
According to scientists at the National Institutes of Health- the world's largest source of drug abuse research - marijuana use is associated with addiction, respiratory disease, and cognitive impairment. We know from an array of treatment admission information and Federal data that marijuana use is a significant source for voluntary drug treatment admissions and visits to emergency rooms. Studies also reveal that marijuana potency has almost tripled over the past 20 years, raising serious concerns about what this means for public health – especially among young people who use the drug because research shows their brains continue to develop well into their 20's. Simply put, it is not a benign drug.
Like many, we are interested in the potential marijuana may have in providing relief to individuals diagnosed with certain serious illnesses. That is why we ardently support ongoing research into determining what components of the marijuana plant can be used as medicine. To date, however, neither the FDA nor the Institute of Medicine have found smoked marijuana to meet the modern standard for safe or effective medicine for any condition.
As a former police chief, I recognize we are not going to arrest our way out of the problem. We also recognize that legalizing marijuana would not provide the answer to any of the health, social, youth education, criminal justice, and community quality of life challenges associated with drug use.
That is why the President's National Drug Control Strategy is balanced and comprehensive, emphasizing prevention and treatment while at the same time supporting innovative law enforcement efforts that protect public safety and disrupt the supply of drugs entering our communities. Preventing drug use is the most cost-effective way to reduce drug use and its consequences in America. And, as we've seen in our work through community coalitions across the country, this approach works in making communities healthier and safer. We're also focused on expanding access to drug treatment for addicts. Treatment works. In fact, millions of Americans are in successful recovery for drug and alcoholism today. And through our work with innovative drug courts across the Nation, we are improving our criminal justice system to divert non-violent offenders into treatment.
Our commitment to a balanced approach to drug control is real. This last fiscal year alone, the Federal Government spent over $10 billion on drug education and treatment programs compared to just over $9 billion on drug related law enforcement in the U.S.
Thank you for making your voice heard. I encourage you to take a moment to read about the President's approach to drug control to learn more.
Resources:

Check out this response on We the People.
Stay Connected
Stay connected to the White House by signing up for periodic email updates from President Obama and other senior administration officials.
Click to expand...

What a bunch of stupid bullshit, and it all falls into what OWS is all about, corporations and money controlling govt.
 
sync0s

sync0s

Well-Known Member
I did hear a caller on a talk radio station saying they were blocking a bridge somewhere.... can't remember where. I support the protestors 100% until they interfere with the innocent people. They could have been preventing someone from getting to work.
 
C

Coals

Active Member
sync0s said:
I did hear a caller on a talk radio station saying they were blocking a bridge somewhere.... can't remember where. I support the protestors 100% until they interfere with the innocent people. They could have been preventing someone from getting to work.
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Heaven forbid a person might be prevented from getting to work within their self allotted time frame because some people have the courage and drive to take time out of their day and speak out on behalf of said commuters self interests.
 
Dan Kone

Dan Kone

Well-Known Member
sync0s said:
I did hear a caller on a talk radio station saying they were blocking a bridge somewhere.... can't remember where. I support the protestors 100% until they interfere with the innocent people. They could have been preventing someone from getting to work.
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A small price to pay IMO.
 
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