I don't care about selling a newspaper or magazine or getting ratings on the nightly news. For just a few minutes, stop, and let me present another point of view. Its one the media will not present to you and you may not have considered.
I have seen the pictures and read the articles. Those "horrible" police who pepper sprayed those poor innocent college students on the UC-Davis campus have been crucified in the media (including social media sites). I have watched the video. I have seen the pictures with the pepper-spraying cop inserted. What I want to know is how many of you who have opinions about this have been on the front lines of a riot? Or been in a cops shoes as an angry mob outnumbers him, easily, by 3 or 4 to 1. There were hundreds of students on those grounds and less than 30 cops. Go back and watch that video again and try to imagine being there in the midst of angry people who don't want you there and try to figure out what you would do. Listen to the 1 or 2 who are inciting the rest of the crowd with their chants and as the crowd moves up on the police and follows them as they begin to back away.
Pepper spray is not a lethal use of force. The police were called out to insure a peaceful protest. THAT protest was anything but peaceful. It didn't turn violent but it sure walked a fine line. A friend posted the video and article and said it reminded her of the UC-Berkeley days and the riots there. How utterly ridiculous a thing to say!! Historians will tell you that what started as true political movements in the early 60's had major transformations and by the time of the 1969 protest in People's Park, the students and young people were looking for riots. Their political agenda's had become very non-political by then. And does anyone remember that it was the beloved Governor Ronald Reagan that called in the National Guard that day??
Watch the video again and notice how fired up those students begin to get. Had any ONE of them started throwing rocks or bottles, most would have followed suit and a riot would have ensued....with hundreds of them vs a handful of police. No, it didn't happen but the atmosphere was ripe for it. And if those police officers were riot-trained, they knew it. So why are the cops the bad guys? Why has the one with the pepper spray been persecuted by the media?
I'm in the minority in this particular viewpoint, I know that. But its okay...this is America. I believe those cops did not overreact and neither did the Chancellor of the college. Those same police DO protect our freedoms and keep us safe....when we aren't putting ourselves or others in dangerous situations.
There are no rocks nearby, I know because I go to UC Davis. And I have dated a cop. There are guidelines when using force and a bunch of seated students linking arms did not present a danger to that police officer. Maybe that excuse would work if he sprayed the crowd who followed him. But he sprayed seated students with their heads bowed. Then he sprayed them 3 more times. After NONE of them had made threatening motions. While I applaud your effort to see all sides. I am afraid trying to make the students who were engaged in nonviolent protests out as bad guys is misguided.
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