Sunday, August 31, 2008
The RNC (to be continued)
I knew that there were going to be problems. I knew that some of my friends were going to be arrested. But apparently, I am much more naive than I care to admit. I did think that the authorities would actually wait until people started acting up or the convention started. In retrospect, I am a fool.
Friday night I was happily sipping wine, nibbling exotic cheeses and playing games. All very civilized. Had I not been invited to the party, I would have been at my usual haunt. And likely would have been in trouble with the police. Seems they decided to cordon off the block where the coffee shop is and harass everyone. Searching people randomly and without cause. Taking several people into custody for insidious crimes like loitering. One of my pals who is far to old, uptight and lazy to be involved with any of the hullabaloo left the café during the mess to head to work. One of the cops followed him several miles away, to his place of employment and harassed him in the parking lot in front of his co-workers. Fun! He is pissed because he feels he is being harassed simply because of where he likes to get his cup of joe.
Last night a garage band concert was raided and another handful of folks were arrested and charged with 'conspiring to riot.' Ditto at a number of activist houses where doors were busted in, a dog shot and heads cracked in all in the interest of stopping the protests that haven't even started yet.
Seems like they are expecting something to happen on the highway as well. On the 5 mile route to the drive-in yesterday there were 8 highway patrol cars lined up on my side of the highway and 5 more on the other. Today there were 12 all in a row on my way to Hard Times. For the next week or so I really should rethink what I am carrying in the back of my truck. I can only imagine what fun I will have explaining the items in my metal gun case and damn will I be pissed if they confiscate them.
Woohoo! Let the chaos begin. Anarchy rules!
Things are just getting started…
That being said, my home computer is dead so until I have the time and money to fix it, my computer access is limited to the time I spend at the coffee shop. So, if you don't hear from me for a while it may be due to the computer or it may be due to my deciding to visit to a cozy jail cell for a few days.
Friday night I was happily sipping wine, nibbling exotic cheeses and playing games. All very civilized. Had I not been invited to the party, I would have been at my usual haunt. And likely would have been in trouble with the police. Seems they decided to cordon off the block where the coffee shop is and harass everyone. Searching people randomly and without cause. Taking several people into custody for insidious crimes like loitering. One of my pals who is far to old, uptight and lazy to be involved with any of the hullabaloo left the café during the mess to head to work. One of the cops followed him several miles away, to his place of employment and harassed him in the parking lot in front of his co-workers. Fun! He is pissed because he feels he is being harassed simply because of where he likes to get his cup of joe.
Last night a garage band concert was raided and another handful of folks were arrested and charged with 'conspiring to riot.' Ditto at a number of activist houses where doors were busted in, a dog shot and heads cracked in all in the interest of stopping the protests that haven't even started yet.
Seems like they are expecting something to happen on the highway as well. On the 5 mile route to the drive-in yesterday there were 8 highway patrol cars lined up on my side of the highway and 5 more on the other. Today there were 12 all in a row on my way to Hard Times. For the next week or so I really should rethink what I am carrying in the back of my truck. I can only imagine what fun I will have explaining the items in my metal gun case and damn will I be pissed if they confiscate them.
Woohoo! Let the chaos begin. Anarchy rules!
Things are just getting started…
That being said, my home computer is dead so until I have the time and money to fix it, my computer access is limited to the time I spend at the coffee shop. So, if you don't hear from me for a while it may be due to the computer or it may be due to my deciding to visit to a cozy jail cell for a few days.
# posted by Phoenix : 8/31/2008 06:21:00 PM
