Monday, April 24, 2006
Protest 4/21
Stanford students protested Bush's visit with Hoover fellows on Thursday. pics by L Finger, mine not developed from film (!!) yet.
tummy says stop destroying the environment with luxury (not -ery, like my friend had spelled it) consumption, [b/c it's the only way to] save capitalism.
Protests are a team spirit exercise unless they are done super intelligently. The little "U-G-L-Y, Bush ain't got no alibi" chants really have to go. An interesting contrast is the smiling faces of the pampered students at Stanford with this Nepalese protester. or this blurred picture of children, Nepalese police, and sticks clashing. Or this Iranian dormitory room that had been broken into by militants.
Why is there not more vehement outrage at the way that other governments treat their people, alongside the existent critiques of the US govt/Bush administration? Without commenting on both sides of the issue, more harm is done than good. bomb Iran? that would obviously be careless and counterproductive. but to criticize the US to no end without also demanding - via protest, writing, educating - that totalitarian governments everywhere stop persecuting their citizens, is to aid The Leaders - Ahmadinejad, Castro, Chavez, Jong-il - in maintaining their grip on power, wealth, collectivism. By fomenting hatred for Bush, they clench legitimacy. Those born in these closed-border countries have ZERO chance to leave freely without experiencing severe hardship or death upon failure. Not that it isn't good to object to the US's actions in the Iraq War - but Bush is NOT an imperialist dictator, and we best remember that our situation could be much worse.
I was just rereading my article about Irshad Manji and found that she has made this point perfectly (thank God she's such a wonderful teacher!). She wrote a book and speaks about reform coming within Islam from the bottom up, with faithful followers no longer silently allowing radical militants to monopolize their religion's media time. She calls for loud and vocal renunciation of murder, violence, misogyny, anti-Semitism, and "the political bastardization of Islam." In Western countries (particularly Muslim citizens, but ideally all men) will (and must) take the responsibility because
Many would say that by ousting Saddam and directly or indirectly killing Iraqis on their own turf, the United States is no more ethical (less, in fact, by hiding behind "legal" auspices) than the governments of the above-mentioned places. This is true, and we will unavoidably face decades of lasting, possibly increasing anti-Americanism because of our actions. However, why are the anti-war activists in the United States not also raising their posters in support of helpless people who live in fear of or who have been killed or imprisoned for aspects of their life that these students take for granted everyday (e.g. homosexuality)?????
My three friends, two of them close friends, were arrested for sitting in front of a fire truck.
Video from CBS5
I wish they had gotten my bikini-clad torso and my sign, which referenced many things: Bush spending like a Democrat, "thanks for all the pork," "don't forget the real dictators" (pics of Ahmadinejad, Castro, and Hugo Chavez), "fuck luxury consumption to save capitalism," etc. The other side was entirely about China and North Korea, and the recent Hu protestor issue.
I love the love sign! this girl is always so right on too!
Others:
** smoking before getting arrrested
** firefighter breath
** Condi n Dubya in the Hummer
** "Thou Shalt not Kill"
** sky, with cops, helicopter
** "I am the child of an illegal immigrant"
** right at the line
** All Blood is Red
** the cops
** Interview (I'm jealous)
** the group from afar
** marching past the Quad
** White Plaza decorating time
** Good thing that girls dance at protests!
**
On 4/28 in NY, there will be an anti-Ahmadinejad rally.
Pics from 2003's NYC pro-democracy rally
tummy says stop destroying the environment with luxury (not -ery, like my friend had spelled it) consumption, [b/c it's the only way to] save capitalism.
Protests are a team spirit exercise unless they are done super intelligently. The little "U-G-L-Y, Bush ain't got no alibi" chants really have to go. An interesting contrast is the smiling faces of the pampered students at Stanford with this Nepalese protester. or this blurred picture of children, Nepalese police, and sticks clashing. Or this Iranian dormitory room that had been broken into by militants.
Why is there not more vehement outrage at the way that other governments treat their people, alongside the existent critiques of the US govt/Bush administration? Without commenting on both sides of the issue, more harm is done than good. bomb Iran? that would obviously be careless and counterproductive. but to criticize the US to no end without also demanding - via protest, writing, educating - that totalitarian governments everywhere stop persecuting their citizens, is to aid The Leaders - Ahmadinejad, Castro, Chavez, Jong-il - in maintaining their grip on power, wealth, collectivism. By fomenting hatred for Bush, they clench legitimacy. Those born in these closed-border countries have ZERO chance to leave freely without experiencing severe hardship or death upon failure. Not that it isn't good to object to the US's actions in the Iraq War - but Bush is NOT an imperialist dictator, and we best remember that our situation could be much worse.
I was just rereading my article about Irshad Manji and found that she has made this point perfectly (thank God she's such a wonderful teacher!). She wrote a book and speaks about reform coming within Islam from the bottom up, with faithful followers no longer silently allowing radical militants to monopolize their religion's media time. She calls for loud and vocal renunciation of murder, violence, misogyny, anti-Semitism, and "the political bastardization of Islam." In Western countries (particularly Muslim citizens, but ideally all men) will (and must) take the responsibility because
[there is an] ultimate difference between barriers to free thought in 'the West' and in some Islamist countries: 'we can [speak out] without being raped, murdered, tortured, or imprisoned by the state. That is a gift. What in God’s name are we doing with that gift? If we Muslims care enough about universal human rights, and not just our civil rights, we should stand up' for internal change in the religion...'we can’t leave it to the government and the media, but we as citizens have to take responsibility.' Stanford Review
Many would say that by ousting Saddam and directly or indirectly killing Iraqis on their own turf, the United States is no more ethical (less, in fact, by hiding behind "legal" auspices) than the governments of the above-mentioned places. This is true, and we will unavoidably face decades of lasting, possibly increasing anti-Americanism because of our actions. However, why are the anti-war activists in the United States not also raising their posters in support of helpless people who live in fear of or who have been killed or imprisoned for aspects of their life that these students take for granted everyday (e.g. homosexuality)?????
My three friends, two of them close friends, were arrested for sitting in front of a fire truck.
Video from CBS5
I wish they had gotten my bikini-clad torso and my sign, which referenced many things: Bush spending like a Democrat, "thanks for all the pork," "don't forget the real dictators" (pics of Ahmadinejad, Castro, and Hugo Chavez), "fuck luxury consumption to save capitalism," etc. The other side was entirely about China and North Korea, and the recent Hu protestor issue.
I love the love sign! this girl is always so right on too!
Others:
** smoking before getting arrrested
** firefighter breath
** Condi n Dubya in the Hummer
** "Thou Shalt not Kill"
** sky, with cops, helicopter
** "I am the child of an illegal immigrant"
** right at the line
** All Blood is Red
** the cops
** Interview (I'm jealous)
** the group from afar
** marching past the Quad
** White Plaza decorating time
** Good thing that girls dance at protests!
**
On 4/28 in NY, there will be an anti-Ahmadinejad rally.
Pics from 2003's NYC pro-democracy rally
Comments:
<< Home
just remember, it's not a protest against the system, but against peoples' behavior. Our oil dependency is not Bush's fault. I was not at the protest to protest but to show people that there are other sides of the story...what if we could save the enviroment and social justice without socialism? what if?
Thanks for the deep insights into protests by Stanford elites, Shawn. And thanks for the pics! For more imagery, check out my report on the protest, which includes more pics and videos.
Post a Comment
<< Home
