Carthage

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March 23, 2003

Irrelevant stuff, but why do you come here otherwise?

Watching a news reporter when the camera isn't on them is an extremely edifying exercise, especially if you can catch the transition between off-camera and on-. It makes you realize that these people are not your friends and they are not stalwart warriors in search of truth. They're just actors. And last night I saw four of them (carefully not invading each others' shots) clustered in various places on Market. Little bunches of cops in riot gear stood around near them, shooting the shit with each other. There was no one else around. The reporters were all frantically completing their own makeup and ignoring each other. They looked like a flock of preening little sparrows.

I finally asked one of the cops what was going on, since I'd been walking up Market for many blocks and kept seeing these groups of cops and vans. He told me that about an hour ago there were maybe 300 people walking up the street in a peaceful demonstration. I asked if he had arrested anyone but he said they all kept to the sidewalks. Doesn't he sound like a nice, friendly cop? Like someone you would get in a 1950's movie?

I'll tell you, though, I walked up Market from Civic Center to Montgomery at 11:00 at night in a low-cut tanktop and no one leered or whistled or made a comment or bothered me at all. But this cop stood right up in my face and winked and said a few things I wished he hadn't and was the only one that night who made me feel like a whore.

For anyone interested, I made a new section in the sidebar with war-related sites that I find helpful. If you can think of anything for me to add, let me know.

Posted by didofoot at March 23, 2003 09:56 AM

Comments

thanks for the sidebar. you may be interested in www.punkplanet.com as it has letters posted from troops and a photojournalist in the warzone, and all make excellent points.
and if you're interested, you can see my site www.cementhorizon.com/nottheissue for info about a humanitarian aid organization called knightsbridge international that's planning to go into iraq very shortly.

Posted by: jade at March 23, 2003 12:20 PM

babe,
i would really like you to add actagainstwar.org, as it offers "nonviolent direct action" options to people who read all this terrible stuff and feel angry or sad, and feel like doing something (with others) to show it.

think rosa parks, gandhi, _civil disobedience_ stuff. these are the people who planned thursday's shut-down of the SF Financial District, and no, we are not planning on blocking traffic again.

the new actions should interfere more with the business of war profiteers and fed bastards, and less with the business of regular people in cars,

tho we hate cars, of course.

Posted by: the happy motorist at March 23, 2003 05:02 PM

dack's rational enquirer is a great one-stop roundup.

Posted by: Ian at March 24, 2003 03:59 PM

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