Forum Post: Please lets continue with our peaceful assembly, Non-violence is the way
Posted 12 years ago on Oct. 16, 2011, 2:59 p.m. EST by Cicero
(407)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement
CNN reports that....
"Anarchists take over the Occupy Rome protests by setting things on fire, chasing protesters away and fighting back against the police"
My friends we need to refrain from violence. The media is just waiting to characterize our movement as an anarchist, anti-patriotic, violent movement.
They are salivating think of being able to print such a story.
We may be making history but we need the American people on our side, and this is just the sort of thing that would alienate them!!
Here here!! No violence at all.
One Species, One planet, Freedom for All
I agree peace should be a core foundation. Never give a reason for someone to put the blame on your cause. Peace will win people over. For example. If the video keep show police hitting and macing the protesters that are just sitting there. I think both the Police and the people around the wolrd will start to wake up to whats really going on. However if there are videos getting out showing protesters asking for and causing trouble it will have the opposite affect. You have to remain peacful and you have to give no real reason for people to get arrested. People are watching and waiting to see what happens.
I hear that of the 1500 cities that took part in the worldwide October 15 demonstrations, Rome was the ONLY one that saw violence.
And that violence was most likely STAGED by paid "AGENTS PROVOCATEURS" - policemen who dressed the part of anarchists.
But naturally CNN was going to focus on that one incident in one city out of 1500... A typical MSM scare tactic. OMG! OMG! THE ANARCHISTS ARE COMING! THE ANARCHISTS ARE COMING!
could be
Over the years I grew so disgusted with CNN and with 99% of American T.V. programming, which is basically a MASS EXPERIMENT IN COLLECTIVE CRETINIZATION unique in human history... that I cancelled cable last year. And I never looked back.
In fact... I celebrate my decision every day 'cause I GOT MY LIFE BACK!!!
Yeah the freedom of the press has turned into the freedom of big business to pour out their self serving ideology onto the people and most go right along with them.
That's right.... the FREEDOM TO CRETINIZE is not, to my knowledge, one of the basic human rights.
I hope that in the New America, shows like "Jerry Springer", that wound the national psyche, will be banned outright.
Freedom of speech was NEVER absolute - nor should it be. Incitement to violence or hatred is forbidden. The PROMOTION OF CRETINISM should be similarly banned. The dumbing-down of America must stop NOW!
The market can take care of Jerry Springer if everyone thought it was a bad show no one would watch it, it would get canceled.
Hateful speech is banned by LAWS. All kinds of malfeasance are banned by LAWS. I see no problem is banning shows that are harmful to the national psyche. I want to see a LAW curbing at least the worst cases of CRETINIZATION. Don't we love ourselves enough as a nation to vomit "Jerry Springer" off the air waves?
I am afraid that line of thinking takes us down a dangerous road.
Agreed. One of the foundations of Occupy has always been non-violence.
We have good examples to show us the way Gandhi, MLK Jr, Petra Kelly, etc
Good Post. I am 71 years old, when I talk to my friends, their main concern is that this movement will turn violent. The country needs this movement to be non violent and responsible.
PS This means clean up the sites of protest, use flowers not rocks.
Let Peace prevail!
HOPE Humans On Planet Earth...........http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QrDLwSgg24
RIGHT ON cicero HOPE Humans On Planet Earthhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QrDLwSgg24
Be sure you have given thought & discussion to what is non-violence. For example there is Non-violence of the Coward in which one doesn't aggress or defend because they have fear for themselves. However, Non-violence of the BRave will defend and protect himself and his weaker brothers & sisters from harm, without thought of himself. Something to think about, no? Dyck
We did the non-violent ways of the Tibetans not help them?
I believe that when faced with an enemy that is bound to destroy you, that even though you are a compassionate being, that you must defend yourself, for the sake of your families and children.
When the police finally start beating and gassing you and causing great physical harm and so ultimately pouncing you into submission, will you just stand, sit or lie there and expect things to change?
Enlighten me.
There was 200000 people in Rome and only about 200 people there wasn't even in the OWS started violence. I wouldn't be supriced if special interest groups payed off the 200 to start a riot
Their is an element within OWS that want violence and confrontation. You all have created a rhetoric filled divisive movement without any control of where it is headed. I worry for the coming violence and hope it does not occur
Doubt it!
Some in your ranks have already injured members of NYPD
I haven't read any reports outlining such events.
NY press reports it occurred in times square yesterday
link?
I will get it
Funny, you talk abou the American people, as though you are not one of the people; one of us. You also call to refrain from violence because of how the media will portray you, rather than because it is the lawful and right thing to do.
1) You say, "We need the American people on our side...and this would alienate them." You are not one of us?
Why did you not write something to the effect of, 'We, the American people, need to refrain from attacking one another because lawlessness is not a solution to joblessness.'
2) You are just worried about how you and the OWS crowd will be perceived. You are not evidencing any concern about advancing a cause by legitimate and lawful means, just concerned about creating a perception of such and the consequences of not creating that perception. Interesting...
We need pragmatic solutions, not ideology, yes in an ideal world people would practice non-violence for the sake of non-violence.
But we don't live in a perfect world.
So instead of preaching about why violence is bad.
I decided to focus on how violence doesn't help the cause, a practical, commonsense approach!!
A pragmatic solution will not come from Marxist Socialism or calling for an Arab Spring Revolution against the lawful and legitimate Government of the United States of Ameirca. We need a plan to create high paying careers for Americans, to create massive wealth creation to benefit Main Street and Wall Street. This movement needs to reject categorically Marxist Socialaist revolution, violence against the United States, must end calls for the overthrow of our legitimate and lawful goverment and must work in the interest of all of us, including the rich, if this movement is to affect meaningful and lawful change. The Arab Spring in Egypt led to a military dictatorship, not a Republic, certainly not a direct democracy. Let us live in the not so perfect World and deal with reality,;obey the laws of our land, because that is the right and proper thing to do, the only thing to do, not just the right impression to give CNN. We need a 100% movement, not a 99% movement.
Who called for a Marxist socialist America on here?
A few people maybe but certainly not the mainstream person withing the movement.
If you don't like the solutions why not offer your own instead of criticizing everyone else.
That's the point of the movement to start a dialogue about the future of this government.
The wealthy use their political influence and money to create a system from which they benefit more than the average American.
How can they be included in the dialogue? Their goals are the antithesis of the movement.
The preservation of prosperity for a few by the use of governmental authority.
There are plenty of persons calling for a Marxist Socialist solution here and frankly it is disturbing that many do not desire to work within our existing institutions and laws, since we have a legitimate and functioning Government to work through.
By the way, if you are part of a leaderless movement, how do you, Cicero, determine the real OWS members and the fake OWS members? What entitles you to dictate what OWS stands for, if you have no leaders? How is it that you can declare what the point of the movement is? Why scapegoat the successful members of society, btw?
I know the family members of a US Senator and the family members of a Representative, I argue with them, but do they oppress me and do I betray them, my fellow Americans and seek to undermine our great country? No, I am committed to working within our existing institutions to create a solution that will lead to high paying careers and substantial wealth creation, for Main Street and Wall Street. I may disagree with the family members of our Government officials, on some things and I do think that they should be more appreciative of guys like me, considering that there are a- hole University professors, making $ 90, 000, spreading lies and idiocy, calling for an end to Capitalism. I am a US Citizen and we share a Republic. I will never side against our Republic or advocate the hatred of rich Americans.
You are quite right that I should share my ideas, but I will do so by starting a new movement and I will not answer to Marxist Communists anytime soon Cicero. =) I will not bow before ego maniac University Professors, talking about imposing a new order on our Republic and putting guys like me in prison, for trying to make a buck. As Ash pointed out in Army of Darkness, "Right now, you are leading Jack sh-t and Jack just left town."
I have contacted a former CEO, of a Fortune 500 Company and I will be reaching out to economists, politicians, I-bankers and Americans of all walks of life, to help create a plan that will focus on growing our economy, creating high paying careers and allowing all Americans to get the opportunity to participate in and share vast wealth creation. The movement will be open to 100% of Americans willing to work within the laws of our Nation, respectful of the legitimacy of our existing Government. Revolutionaries will not be admitted, since we are not going to advocate a movement that cannot unequivocally condemn and disavow associations with persons seeking to overthrow the US Government or to eliminate our banking and business institutions. We will not allow the scapegoating of the rich. We will be a movement of 100% of the population, minus the people refusing to live within the laws and institutions of our Nation.
I never advocated overthrowing our government.
If you read any of my posts, you would know that I document the structures built into our system to institute reform from within.
Some have called for the dissolution of this government.
I tell them that we don't need to throw the baby out with the bath water!!
If you have a leaderless movement, how do you call for not throwing the baby out with the bath water? If your movement is leaderless, how can you guarantee that this movement will not be hijacked by terrorists or revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the US Government? How do you prevent this movement from being hijacked by persons looking to undermine the banking and financial institutions of this country? If you have no leadership, how will your non- leaders openly reject an Arab Spring revolution, targeted at overthrowing our legitimate and lawful Government, currently and rightfully in power? How can you, without exception, reject scapegoating the rich, bankers, politicians or others, you call the 1%, in favor of an inclusive movement that does not discriminate against persons, on the basis of their economic class? How can you work with our Government, financial and banking system to affect a meaningful plan; to create high paying careers? How do you prevent this group from operating like a single cell terror group, like the old P.I.R.A. in the Irish Republic? How will this group be held to account for lawlessness? Don't blame me, I am not a Marxist, just eveyone else is, will be the argument? The heck with that. We don't need a movement that refuses to even take owership of what its followers say and do.