My name is Patrick Meighan, and I’m a husband, a father, a writer on the Fox animated sitcom “Family Guy”, and a member of the Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica.
I was arrested at about 1 a.m. Wednesday morning with 291 other people at Occupy LA. I was sitting in City Hall Park with a pillow, a blanket, and a copy of Thich Nhat Hanh’s “Being Peace” when 1,400 heavily-armed LAPD officers in paramilitary SWAT gear streamed in. I was in a group of about 50 peaceful protestors who sat Indian-style, arms interlocked, around a tent (the symbolic image of the Occupy movement). The LAPD officers encircled us, weapons drawn, while we chanted “We Are Peaceful” and “We Are Nonviolent” and “Join Us.”
As we sat there, encircled, a separate team of LAPD officers used knives to slice open every personal tent in the park. They forcibly removed anyone sleeping inside, and then yanked out and destroyed any personal property inside those tents, scattering the contents across the park. They then did the same with the communal property of the Occupy LA movement. For example, I watched as the LAPD destroyed a pop-up canopy tent that, until that moment, had been serving as Occupy LA’s First Aid and Wellness tent, in which volunteer health professionals gave free medical care to absolutely anyone who requested it. As it happens, my family had personally contributed that exact canopy tent to Occupy LA, at a cost of several hundred of my family’s dollars. As I watched, the LAPD sliced that canopy tent to shreds, broke the telescoping poles into pieces and scattered the detritus across the park. Note that these were the objects described in subsequent mainstream press reports as “30 tons of garbage” that was “abandoned” by Occupy LA: personal property forcibly stolen from us, destroyed in front of our eyes and then left for maintenance workers to dispose of while we were sent to prison.
When the LAPD finally began arresting those of us interlocked around the symbolic tent, we were all ordered by the LAPD to unlink from each other (in order to facilitate the arrests). Each seated, nonviolent protester beside me who refused to cooperate by unlinking his arms had the following done to him: an LAPD officer would forcibly extend the protestor’s legs, grab his left foot, twist it all the way around and then stomp his boot on the insole, pinning the protestor’s left foot to the pavement, twisted backwards. Then the LAPD officer would grab the protestor’s right foot and twist it all the way the other direction until the non-violent protestor, in incredible agony, would shriek in pain and unlink from his neighbor.
It was horrible to watch, and apparently designed to terrorize the rest of us. At least I was sufficiently terrorized. I unlinked my arms voluntarily and informed the LAPD officers that I would go peacefully and cooperatively. I stood as instructed, and then I had my arms wrenched behind my back, and an officer hyperextended my wrists into my inner arms. It was super violent, it hurt really really bad, and he was doing it on purpose. When I involuntarily recoiled from the pain, the LAPD officer threw me face-first to the pavement. He had my hands behind my back, so I landed right on my face. The officer dropped with his knee on my back and ground my face into the pavement. It really, really hurt and my face started bleeding and I was very scared. I begged for mercy and I promised that I was honestly not resisting and would not resist.
My hands were then zipcuffed very tightly behind my back, where they turned blue. I am now suffering nerve damage in my right thumb and palm.
I was put on a paddywagon with other nonviolent protestors and taken to a parking garage in Parker Center. They forced us to kneel on the hard pavement of that parking garage for seven straight hours with our hands still tightly zipcuffed behind our backs. Some began to pass out. One man rolled to the ground and vomited for a long, long time before falling unconscious. The LAPD officers watched and did nothing.
At 9 a.m. we were finally taken from the pavement into the station to be processed. The charge was sitting in the park after the police said not to. It’s a misdemeanor. Almost always, for a misdemeanor, the police just give you a ticket and let you go. It costs you a couple hundred dollars. Apparently, that’s what happened with most every other misdemeanor arrest in LA that day.
With us Occupy LA protestors, however, they set bail at $5,000 and booked us into jail. Almost none of the protesters could afford to bail themselves out. I’m lucky and I could afford it, except the LAPD spent all day refusing to actually *accept* the bail they set. If you were an accused murderer or a rapist in LAPD custody that day, you could bail yourself right out and be back on the street, no problem. But if you were a nonviolent Occupy LA protestor with bail money in hand, you were held long into the following morning, with absolutely no access to a lawyer.
I spent most of my day and night crammed into an eight-man jail cell, along with sixteen other Occupy LA protesters. My sleeping spot was on the floor next to the toilet.
Finally, at 2:30 the next morning, after twenty-five hours in custody, I was released on bail. But there were at least 200 Occupy LA protestors who couldn’t afford the bail. The LAPD chose to keep those peaceful, non-violent protesters in prison for two full days… the absolute legal maximum that the LAPD is allowed to detain someone on misdemeanor charges.
As a reminder, Antonio Villaraigosa has referred to all of this as “the LAPD’s finest hour.”
So that’s what happened to the 292 women and men were arrested last Wednesday. Now let’s talk about a man who was not arrested last Wednesday. He is former Citigroup CEO Charles Prince. Under Charles Prince, Citigroup was guilty of massive, coordinated securities fraud.
Citigroup spent years intentionally buying up every bad mortgage loan it could find, creating bad securities out of those bad loans and then selling shares in those bad securities to duped investors. And then they sometimes secretly bet *against* their *own* bad securities to make even more money. For one such bad Citigroup security, Citigroup executives were internally calling it, quote, “a collection of dogshit”. To investors, however, they called it, quote, “an attractive investment rigorously selected by an independent investment adviser”.
This is fraud, and it’s a felony, and the Charles Princes of the world spent several years doing it again and again: knowingly writing bad mortgages, and then packaging them into fraudulent securities which they then sold to suckers and then repeating the process. This is a big part of why your property values went up so fast. But then the bubble burst, and that’s why our economy is now shattered for a generation, and it’s also why your home is now underwater. Or at least mine is.
Anyway, if your retirement fund lost a decade’s-worth of gains overnight, this is why.
If your son’s middle school has added furlough days because the school district can’t afford to keep its doors open for a full school year, this is why.
If your daughter has come out of college with a degree only to discover that there are no jobs for her, this is why.
But back to Charles Prince. For his four years of in charge of massive, repeated fraud at Citigroup, he received fifty-three million dollars in salary and also received another ninety-four million dollars in stock holdings. What Charles Prince has *not* received is a pair of zipcuffs. The nerves in his thumb are fine. No cop has thrown Charles Prince into the pavement, face-first. Each and every peaceful, nonviolent Occupy LA protester arrested last week has has spent more time sleeping on a jail floor than every single Charles Prince on Wall Street, combined.
The more I think about that, the madder I get. What does it say about our country that nonviolent protesters are given the bottom of a police boot while those who steal hundreds of billions, do trillions worth of damage to our economy and shatter our social fabric for a generation are not only spared the zipcuffs but showered with rewards?
In any event, believe it or not, I’m really not angry that I got arrested. I chose to get arrested. And I’m not even angry that the mayor and the LAPD decided to give non-violent protestors like me a little extra shiv in jail (although I’m not especially grateful for it either).
I’m just really angry that every single Charles Prince wasn’t in jail with me.
Thank you for letting me share that anger with you today.
Patrick Meighan
excellent article, thank you.
“Rick said: 12-7-11 at 1026 am – I guess you should have left before they came in. As children we learn about consequences for our actions. Apparently you did not.”
Oh Rick. You’re such a smarty pants. But you missed the point. The only consequence that Wall Street learned from it’s fraudulent activity is that it can get away with it. B.T.W.: Do you brush your teeth after … never-mind.
#3: Rick, Apparently neither did Charles Prince. Alas, he did not get the valuable opportunity to learn the valuable lesson that you already know so well.
Patrick, this is an excellent account of what happened and I want to thank you for writing it. Unfortunately this is the state of things down here. Ask the original guys who built the faulty system how to fix it (there was a lot of “it’s really complicated so you better keep us on board to help restructure it”) and people who are asking legitimate questions are being treated very poorly because cities are being forced to deploy their local police forces who are trained to present aggression so that they become alpha in a showdown. It’s like a train wreck in slow motion. Painful to watch and you know where it’s going to go. Thanks for writing. Good luck with the hand. That stuff can heal. Keep at it.
Thankyou for writing this. It was graphic and upsetting to read but the more so because, as you say, while you didn’t appreciate the treatment you did choose your fate. So many people who are treated the way you were have no choice.
And thankyou for your courage and strength in highlighting the insane hypocricy of our current ‘civilisation’ – those causing the greatest economic damage are currently reaping the greatest economic rewards (not to mention gentle treatment at the hands of the ‘law’).
Love how the moderators only approve what agrees with the message, except for 1, yet leaves unapproved a comment that asks actual questions and brings up real concerns with the sugar coated version reported by someone who is by far biased in the matter.
@Rick: Personally, I learned how to read when I was a child. It’s a pity you didn’t. You might want to review (a) the last three paragraphs and (b) the circumstances of Charles Prince.
I admire your courage, Patrick. And telling the truth about our descent into fascism. I hope you keep writing. We need to counter the perpetual pounding propaganda that keeps people in fear, and diverts their angst to convenient scapegoats.
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag, and carrying the cross – Sinclair Lewis
I can’t thank you enough for doing what you did!! I know what a hell it can be, going through a violent arrest for protesting! It takes the courage of conviction and the boldness to act. I’m so sorry you have to suffer pain and nerve damage. I have had nerve damage and it does heal but you must baby it! Nerves take a very long time to mend, longer if re-traumatized. They did it on purpose, so people will think twice about standing up that audaciously. The truth is YOU, AND THE WHOLE MOVEMENT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE!!! We all wouldn’t be talking about these things the way we are if it wasn’t the wake-up call we needed. It’s an outrage, that there isn’t more vociferous outrage about the thievery of the power elite in this country. But why would there be?? The politicians are ‘owned’ by large corps.’s and billionaires. We must all continue to be true to our values & speak up. But the only real difference is to be made in our neighborhoods and communities! THEY AREN’T LISTENING AND DON’T CARE WHAT WE WANT OR THINK! So for those who are in denial, asleep, too scared, too old, too busy or too fragile or who have too ,uch responsiblity to risk it, we THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!
Patrick, I’m so sorry you and others in the occupy movement have had to go through this and other such atrocities. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with the world. The government is obviously trying to break our spirit. They know that we’ve caught them in their lies. I hope that we can outlast them… I have a feeling that we will.
What a horrible ordeal that you and the other non-violent protesters had to go through. Too bad that all of this personal property damage and loss as well as all of the injuries to persons could have been completely avoided had you simply packed up your belongings and left the area a day before as requested. Just because you are breaking the law non-violently does not mean you are not breaking the law. You have a voice other than defacing public property and disturbing the peace, just like you have demonstrated here in your article. Put it to this better use and perhaps you will be listened to and taken seriously.
Rick = Ignorance
Troy = Defeatism
Patrick = Facts
This country is on the verge of becoming everything we ever hated in the history of America. How many times in history have we cheered-on people in oppressive countries standing up for what is right? We are in the beginnings of building our own figurative Berlin Wall. We always stood for Freedom, democracy, and so called “rights”. Let’s stand up for what is right. Let’s demand for the real crooks to get zip-tied and face stomped into the concrete. We need to stay angry until the 99% doesn’t have to live in a near-depression economy.
Thank you for sharing your experience online. I will pass this on to my friends on FB.
police forces are a disgrace of humanity everywhere on earth, all they know is to bully the very people who they are supposed to protect in the first place… nothing but a sign of low character and the ultimate fail of manliness
This is BS. You can’t “peacefully” resist an order to cease a deliberate transgressive of public commons rule. The NATURE of the police is that they and ONLY they are authorized to use force on behalf of the people to enforce various rules and laws that the PEOPLE vote on. Obviously if people observed the law or complied when verbally commanded “force” of any kind wouldn’t be an issue. I am in agreement with the causes the protesters represent, as no doubt many of the officers are, but the law is the law.
So, when are you suing the city? This is a horrible account of massive human rights violations. The definition of police brutality. I actually don’t care about you getting the money, but those police officers or the police chief that gave the order should be fired. Hope your arm and hand heals well, but mostly, I hope your soul heals well.
Patrick,
Thank you for writing this. It seems that behind our backs America has turned into a Nazi/KGB state. Of course, our rights have been slowly trickling away for generations. The protestors in the 60s and 70s faced the same treatment. Thank you for standing up for what you believe in!
I think that’s it’s time for us. That if we come together as a team we can fix our nation. But, WE need to do it for ourselves. We can’t ask the government to do it, the job is too big. But we CAN. I think that really we need to redesign society completely, rather than putting bandaid solutions on a system that is fatally flawed. Here’s HOW I think we could do it: http://www.SatoriaNation.com/download/SatoriaNation.pdf. It’s an 8 page synopsis covering 16 systems that we could do better, using existing technologies and our 21st Century knowledge. It’s time for an evolution!
Nadije
Dear #3,
Regardless of whether or not you agree with the Occupy movement, if we’re going to think that protesters are people who ” didn’t learn about consequences for their actions as a child” – when you didn’t clean your room, did your dad twist your arms behind your back and grind your face into the ground? Don’t you think our public servants have an obligation to treat ALL of our citizens humanely, even if they’re bring arrested?
Patrick.
Thank you for your witness and testimony. Reading it brings the message of the movement home and keeps us out here more cognizant of the work that needs to be done.
Erika
Rick: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
First amendment… As educated children we learn about this in school. Perhaps you were absent that day. These people who are basically standing up for EVERYONE are having their rights taken away from them. There is one clear thing to learn from this movement, it’s that law enforcement in this country needs to be examined and changed.
Thank you for telling your story, I wasn’t quite sure what the people could accomplish even with the non-violent protests, but reading this ‘I get it’ The darn News Media seemed to only report & show the protesters as ‘unshaven & looking dirty’ as a possible homeless person might look like, therefore, the viewer usually formed a negative opinion about the protesters before we understood the reasoning behind the Peaceful Gatherings. I blame the Media for not having the courage to report the TRUTH. I blame the EVIL that has infiltrated our social leaders. I blame those ‘Financial Executives’ that are more interested in filling their bank accounts than knowing what Fair Play is (and how good you can feel inside when you practice Fair Play)….
What???? Really what can a ‘commoner’ like myself do? How can I ‘we’ make a difference? We need a True Leader, we need God’s instruction to help guide us. I hope you who are trying too do something for us about this stay safe. And again thank you since I’m disabled I can’t be there with you, but I can & will do what is needed if I’m called upon. My God what is going on???? Shame on you , Major of LA…SHAME
At one time, suffragettes suffered indignities for demanding womens rights to vote, but their day still came.
At one time, thousands of people gathered at St. Peters Field in Manchester, England, to demand parliamentary reforms, only to be cut down by cavalrymen with swords, but their day still came.
At one time, ordinary Americans stood up to British rule, facing trained soldiers that fought in line with muskets, but their day still came.
Never, ever give up the fight, because sooner or later, your day will come. Peace to you Patrick and all our friends across the pond.
Thanks very much for writing this. Reading it brought home for the first time how serious this really is. Having been an ex-pat for a while I only see what is “on TV” and we all know how slanted that perspective is.
Thank you, Patrick, for representing the many, many of us who are in complete agreement with you as regards your anger at a justice system that rewards the Charles Princes of the world, and punishes his victims. We haven’t been arrested at OWS out here in NY, but we, and the world, have seen only some of the terrible brutality used (and praised!) against peaceful protesters. So thank you for sharing your experience, even if it exposes you to comments from foolish, fearful people like “Rick” (usually pseudonymous, anonymous, or at most, just nicknamed) internet users who just brave enough to leave a smug or nasty reply that will never be traced back to them.
My name is Nancy Rose Gossett, I live and work and vote in NY (but because it is an interconnected world we live in, I do have a friend who is someone you might know, Brent, who worked on Family Guy too, as well as American Dad — we’re all connected some way), I support you and sympathize with you, and I consider your arrest more than just “taking one for the team.” It is a valuable and crucial part of the reawakening that is the occupy movement.
The First Amendment to the Constitution reads as follows: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” I’m no constitutional expert or I would know whether “Congress” has since been extended to “the government.” My gut, however, tells me that the treatment you received was unfair–and my head hopes to God that it was also totally unconstitutional.
It’s unfortunate that the LAPD acted as they did, but one thing to note is that what Charles Prince did with packaging up those mortgage backed securities wasn’t illegal. Or at least it wasn’t until the Graham Leach Bliley act was signed into law by President Clinton. Under the Glass Steagall act, passed by Franklin Roosevelt as a way to prevent the speculative actions of banks during the Great Depression from happening again, this would not have occurred. Unfortunately, we didn’t learn from the lessons of our forefathers and elected officials to congress that undid all of that which made what Charles Prince (and others) do completely legal. If Charles Prince is guilty of anything, it’s being greedy, but that is not a crime in the US. If there is some change that should be done is that we should be holding our lawmakers accountable for what they’ve done and force them to repeal the Graham Leach Bliley act and force banks to be banks and not creators of speculative investments.
I’m sorry that you went through this. Thank you for telling the truth.
In response to Rick (#3): The thing is, these aren’t consequences imposed by nature; they’re decided upon by people. In a democratic society, that means all of us. So, the thing that the Occupy civil disobedients are drawing attention to is this: The consequence for breaking laws like park closing hours and camping regulations is being beaten up by the police. The consequence for breaking banking regulations and thereby disrupting the global economic system is that maybe you have to pay a fine here or there, and you get fantastically wealthy.
We get to choose the consequences. Are we okay with living in a society where we punish ordinary people breaking little laws, but not powerful people breaking laws with far-reaching effects on everyone? I’m not okay with that.
I hate to be one of “those” but I can’t count the # of times I’ve been peacefully driving around L.A. with a friend who happened to be occupying a body that was black and male and who ended up face down in the concrete and/or worse. I’m sorry for what happened to Patrick and others. I just hope they exp. empathy next time they pass a group of boys lined up being illegally searched & instead of wondering what the boys did, either intervene or assume it’s the notorious LAPD from every NWA song they’ve ever pogo danced to.
The truth is you should be occupying Congress, the people who MAKE the rules, not Wall Street, the people who simply play by them. Congress forced bankers to make loans to people with bad credit and insufficient income, not caring about the devastation that was obviously coming. Dodd, Frank, Fannie and Freddie are the cause of the entire economic disaster, and they are gearing up to do it again. While ‘supporting’ the occupy wall street movement. Thanks for being the “tool” that enables this though.
Thank you for sharing this with everyone. The saddest part to me is that so many people don’t understand what is happening here. The abusive treatment that the protesters are facing is to break the back of a movement before too many community leaders get involved. Look at these people as you would wild horses. The police are carrying out the government’s orders, do not be fooled into thinking that this is just corrupt police officers mistreating the citizens, they are being ordered to do all of this. The government is telling them to break the back of this movement, they are telling them to break the wild horses and use force if they have to. Nerve damage in the hands is becoming a common thing, I am sorry that you had to go through that and that you will continue to deal with it after the ordeal is over due to the physical damage that they have caused you. If the police could use fire hoses like they did in the 60’s they would. The government as a whole does not like it when the people stand up and say “This is not okay.” What we are seeing here is the boot of the government trying to stomp out a movement. There is good news though, we have the internet, we are the media now. Nothing can be kept from the public anymore.
Great story, without actions like these we never would have had any of the liberties that we have today…activists end up being heros in the scope of things, just look at the civil rights movement and womend liberation movement…without action there can be no change…keep strong my friends.
Thank you Sooooooooo much Patric,for sharing your experience and your view….I ACKNOWLEDGE YOU………for your courage,your commitment to Solidarity…………continue to BE LOVE & PASS IT ON <3<3<3
By your logic Rick, the LAPD should have repercussions for their actions. Yet now there is a push to prevent police officers from ever being videotaped or held accountable by the law. If we as citizens put blind faith in the government without oversight then we run the risk of a boot on our throat much like it is in Russia, China, Iran, etc. Actions do have consequences. Protests and protesters are not immune from arrest. It would be nice though if they could be treated as people. Imagine if protesters from the current Tea Party were treated like this regularly? Oh but those were older white people so that makes their protest acceptable?
Thank you for sharing this.
The occupy movement in Germany is not as public as the one in the US which might be the reason why the force being used is not that agressive but still it is there.
These situations show exactly what happens if the people who are living in the system and working for the system do not act like the system wants them to.
Every time i am thinking about this, i am strongly reminded of the movie “Fight Club” which i really enjoyed, not because of the fighting, but of the demonstration what happens if ordinary people gather and try to move things.
The Charles Princes of this world are just being confirmed that they can do the stuff they do and will get away with it. maybe they even think they are way smarter than us, just because of not lying in the cell or facedown on the sidewalk.
But i think they can feel that there is a change in things, and that there will be an end to the things they are doing.
Son of a Bitch. An excellent read my friend.
Sue. If there are any activist lawyers out there, volunteer to take on lawsuits of police departments and Mayoral offices for police brutality and assault. The plaintiffs could pool any awards and use them for families that have lost homes and retirement savings.
We salute you, Patrick. And your “Prince” Charles Prince description is spot on.
Thank you for this brave report. Anybody out there not reminded of the Nazi era probably can’t read. See also Robert Hass’ (U. S. Poet Laureate Emeritus) NY Times’ report at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/20/opinion/sunday/at-occupy-berkeley-beat-poets-has-new-meaning.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp&smid=fb-share
Thank you Patrick so much for writing this detailed account of the raid. I hope you are suing them for harm done.
I was down there on Sunday in support with my two sons, ages 17 and 21. I am very mad and afraid when I read this. We are not America anymore. This is a Fascist state like China, and Saudi Arabia. This is the beginning of the end. Our rights have been stripped away by blatant corruption and The Patriot Act which is actually against The Constitution, my 17 year old informed me, who is in CPY, a fantastic Youth in Government Program at Culver CIty Palms YMCA.
The police changed the law on their own. $5,000. bail for a misdemeanor? The Mayor went along with the illegal plan. He should be impeached. The Police Chief fired. Our CIty Council needs to reprimand them. I am outraged!
But why do I feel that this won’t happen. The laws are good for them and the rapists, the murders and the banks that sold the faulty loans, the wall street guys that sold the phony derivatives like a gambler in Las Vegas. But the Federal Government made derivatives legal. So they are also a part of this lovely plan. But the concerted effort that I believe came from our Huge Budgeted Homeland Security Department and our Defense Department funded with Billions while Culver CIty Schools and LA Schools are in deep deep cutbacks because California HAS NO MONEY!
Why if 75% of Americans feel these Wars are a waste of lives and money do we not fill the streets protesting and demanding them to stop. We pay their Salary. They are Civil Servants.
The corruption is liken to that of the 1930’s. But now they are in our faces, they are arrogant and blatant about it and they are getting away with it. The American people are not stupid. We must stand up and take our civil rights back!
I can see a really good Family Guy episode presenting a “truly” fictionalized account of your experiences. Quahog’s finest against the Griffins. I think Stewie, Peter and Brian would have a lot of fun. An excellent account from within and thank you for sharing your perspective. If you think of SOPA, the opening and prep of FEMA camps all over the U.S., along with the world wide Occupy movements, it is as Troy says, “It’s like a train wreck in slow motion.” …without even being asked if we wanted to buy a ticket.
“LAPD’s finest hour” brutalizing peaceful protestors in abuse tactics usually used on violent felons. LAPD – SS Stormtroopers – the modern years. OCCUPY EVERYWHERE – keep up the good works!
Unfortunately, things may get worse in Amerika (not a typo) before there is real change. Even more unfortunate is the possibility that things might not change – in the political/economic sectors I mean – in which case this country is destined for a long, slow decline because the current system is unsustainable. I’m saddened for my children and the sorry state of the union that they’re inheriting.
I live in a rural area where there is no Occupy gathering, but I support the movement by supporting groups like rootstrikers.org and people like Elizabeth Warren. The internet can be a powerful place to organize, whether or not you can physically attend a protest.
Good luck and god bless you Patrick. Please keep speaking out.
BTW – Thich Nhat Hanh is great, his book is a very inspirational read at a “peaceful” protest.
I am incensed that the author would use the term “Indian-styleN to describe how he was sitting. What does he think this is, the 1940s? Every good, politically correct person knows it is “criss-cross, apple sauce.” If the politcially aware and uber-smart people of the Occupy Movement can’t show respect, then who will? The insensitivity must stop.
FYI, I shot this to the White House.
Also shot it to Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa telling him to man up.
This was an excellent article! I appreciate you taking the time to write about the horrific experience you and others endured at the hands of “law enforcement.” I believe that Rick is one of the sheeple that allows the real problems to continue and the real criminals to continue to victimize the rest of the country. I recently read an article that said the military is going to give military war equipment to the police to use to squash the protesters. Amazing, peaceful protesters need to be harmed with weapons of war and obviously excessive force and torture. Thanks again for your service, Patrick.
Rick says: “I guess you should have left before they came in. As children we learn about consequences for our actions. Apparently you did not.”
With that attitude, we’d still have slavery, British rule, and it’s unlikely you’d even be able to vote. You are perfectly entitled to your opinions, just keep letting others protect your right to air them.
it is a disgrace that the establishment has no shame when spinning how well it responds to the occupy protestors … when in fact if they were on the receiving end would feel differently … i applaud anyone who can behave peacefully and non violently … i don’t have any sympathy for the police or how they will one day be held accountable for their behavior … and to those who feel they just doing their jobs … we have a long history of just the same excuses without merit or truth … the movement that is underway has stirred the interest of those who agree and ire of those who don’t like it … i believe we the people will prevail …
Rick, read carefully: He CHOSE to get arrested. It’s part of a long and vibrant history of nonviolent protest. Perhaps you’ve heard of the Civil Rights movement, the women’s movement, the Indian independence movement? Some people put their bodies on the line for freedom and justice. When they are soldiers, we laud them during their service, then neglect them afterwards when they are veterans. We laud freedom fighters decades later when we are enjoying a more equal and fair society, but during the struggle, we decry them as crazy radicals bent on disrupting the peace. Try taking off the blinkers to see the larger picture.
Bob – Yes. Abused children learn that same lesson well. But we grow up, and we realize that consequences are often out of proportion when meted out by tools of corruption, unchecked power and indifference to pain and suffering. And then we learn to fight back and make change, or we lose our soul. I’m sorry you’ve lost yours. Best wishes for healing.