Make Protests Work, Use Pitchforks and Torches

As the astute man of observation I am (almost) I’ve been noticing that there is an ever increasing number of protests going on. People are protesting everything, the war in Iraq, the banks, abortion clinics, churches, and anything else they can get their hands on. And what do these accomplish? Jack shit.

But why is that? Well from what I can see it’s two fold. The first being there are just too many of them. If you want to make a statement about something you need to reserve the method of doing it. When people see hundreds of protests in a year they just begin to ignore them. It’s like any other event you see a hundred times a year. Seriously how many people even pay attention for more then three seconds when they see a cop pulling somebody over? Almost never because you see it all the time. How many people pay attention when a police officer arrests somebody at gun point? Almost everybody in the area because it’s not something you see every day.

The other problem with protests is how they are done. You have a group of angry people yelling through a bull horn and holding signs with phrases they think are catchy. This really accomplishes nothing. Seriously nobody even cares what the signs say. There is a lack of symbolism there. Instead of saying this is a group of united people against a cause it’s saying we are a group of people with signs and bull horns that like to yell loudly at people passing by.

Now protests should accomplish something. This is why two things need to be done. First of all let’s save them for things that actually matter. Nothing is going to change the fact that the banks fucked a lot of people over. Protests won’t help here isn’t the damage is done.

Now protesting something like AIG giving their top brass large multi-million dollar salaries would actually be bringing attention to something that’s happening now. Our tax dollars, which was stupidly handed out en masse by our government, is being used to make a few rich people richer instead of keeping a company afloat.

Of course standing outside AIG with bull horns and signs isn’t going to accomplish anything. People don’t give a shit what you yell, especially top brass who here people bitching on a daily basis. So I have a proposal.

Replace those worthless bull horns and signs with pitchforks and torches. These two items together in a mob of people send a symbol, somebody fucked up and justice is demanded. Way back when if somebody really fucked up, was able to get around the law, and everybody knew about it they grabbed the pitchforks and torches and went after the criminals.

Of course they also ended up lynching the person which I think takes thing too far. Killing people is not the answer to anything either so don’t take this as me advocating violence, because I’m not. I’m saying that a group of people together holding pitchforks and torches sends a message. The mob doesn’t even have to yell anything but it helps (just don’t use a bull horn, that destroys the fear factor).

Think about it. Let’s say a group of people was standing outside of your house with bull horns and signs yelling at you. What would you do? Probably not give a shit or call the police. Now replace those people with a different group standing outside of your house with pitchforks and torches yelling at you. What would you do? Probably initially shit your pants and then call the police.

So that’s my proposal on making protests work. Get out of the good old pitchforks and oil soaked rags wrapped around large sticks. Raise the pitchforks high and light the rags on fire and stand outside the place of protest. Send a real message, one that says justice is demanded. It gets a message across and look way cooler to boot.

Professor Calls Cops on Student Who Gives Pro-Gun Speech

Another article brought to you by the bastion of free speech known as college campuses…

http://therecorderonline.net/2009/02/24/professor-called-police-after-student-presentation/?wtf

A processor called the police on a student who gave a speech in class. The student’s speech dealt with the idea of allowing students and faculty with concealed carry permits to carry on campus. He stated that school shootings such as the one that occurred at Virginia Tech could have been stopped much sooner if students and faculty had been armed.

Well the professor must not have agreed with him because he called the police. The student was told to report to the police which he did. When he arrived they began listing off all the guns he owned and asked in questions about where they were stored. The professor said he did this because the student’s speech made other students uncomfortable.

It’s nice to know that the first amendment is so well regarded on college campuses these days. Just talking about guns is apparently grounds for calling the police and having the student interrogated.

Can’t say I’m surprised. Heck I wouldn’t be surprised if this exact same scenario occurred at Winona State with how gun friendly they are /sarcasm.

Friday Minnesota Gun Registration is Heard

This just came across the wire from the NRA-ILA…

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/revisor/pages/search_status/status_detail.php?b=House&f=HF0953&ssn=0&y=2009

Friday Minnesota is holding a hearing for HF 0953. This bill would require all transfers of pistols and “military style” rifles to be registered. This includes private citizen to citizen sales.

Let people know and get on the horn with your representatives and make a stink about it.

For thoroughness here is the contents of the e-mail…

“Minnesota Gun Registration Scheme to be Heard Friday!
Please Contact the Members of the House Crime Victims/Criminal Records Division!
On Friday, March 6, House File 953, introduced by State Representative Michael Paymar (DFL-64B), will be voted on by the House Crime Victims/Criminal Records Division Committee.

This bill was designed to not only regulate the sale of firearms at gun shows, but to regulate the sale of firearms between law-abiding persons, all across Minnesota. As a whole, HF 953 will only affect law-abiding gun owners, and in no way keeps guns out of the hands of criminals.

A particularly troublesome provision in HF 953 creates a de facto registration system by requiring records of all transfers to be maintained by the state. These records would be made available to all authorities, including for use in “civil” cases, which are often brought by anti-gun government officials and are designed to damage or interfere with lawful commerce in firearms.

HF 953 is a direct attack on Minnesota’s gun rights. It also removes the carry permit holders’ exemption from the purchase permit requirement for all handgun or semi-automatic rifle purchases, not just those completed at gun shows, and increases the waiting period from five to seven days.

Please contact the members of the Crime Victims/Criminal Records Division Committee TODAY and respectfully urge them to protect our Second Amendment rights and oppose this bill. Contact information can be found below.

State Representative John Lesch (DFL) Chairman
Phone: 651-296-4224
Email: rep.john.lesch@house.mn

State Representative Ron Shimanski (R) Vice Chair
Phone: 651-296-1534
Email: rep.ron.shimanski@house.mn

State Representative Debra Hilstrom (DFL)
Phone: 651-296-3709
Email: rep.debra.hilstrom@house.mn

State Representative Kory Kath (DFL)
Phone: 651-296-5368
Email: rep.kory.kath@house.mn

State Representative Paul Kohls (R)
Phone: 651-296-4282
Email: rep.paul.kohls@house.mn

State Representative Jenifer Loon (R)
Phone: 651-296-7449
Email: rep.jenifer.loon@house.mn

State Representative Dave Olin (DFL)
Phone: 651-296-9635
Email: rep.dave.olin@house.mn

State Representative Michael Paymar (DFL)
Phone: 651-296-4199
Email: rep.michael.paymar@house.mn”