Voices of Dissent

/ Tracy Abell

On Monday Zippy and Wildebeest entered a Tent State University lottery for today’s free concert featuring Rage Against the Machine.
This morning Zippy received an email informing him he had two tickets.
Zippy came home, changed out of his office attire, went to the high school where he pulled Wildebeest from class, and then drove to the Denver Coliseum.
At 3:45 Zippy called to say the concert was over and that he and Wildebeest had joined the three-mile march on the Pepsi Center, site of the Democratic National Convention.
I turned on the television and listened to the usual fear-mongering spin (“Some rumors of protesters carrying bottles of urine to throw” ; “No one knows what will happen when the protesters reach their destination” ; “A hundred armed police officers are waiting outside the Pepsi Center”)
Zippy called again. I asked if he’d spotted any bottles of urine and he said he didn’t think anyone had urine to spare since they were all so hot and dehydrated.
Any confrontations, Zippy?
No, just Code Pink women giving the police officers Make Out Not War stickers which the police affixed to their gear.

(This is only what Zippy and Wildebeest experienced.  I know there have been confrontations.)

            

21 thoughts on “Voices of Dissent”

  1. Faux News is saying Zippy and the Wildebeest are turning over cars and burning buses in downtown Denver. So, it must be true.
    Did you hear that someone was passing out pink condoms with reasons not to vote for McSame on the package? rotflmao

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  2. Faux News is saying Zippy and the Wildebeest are turning over cars and burning buses in downtown Denver. So, it must be true.

    Did you hear that someone was passing out pink condoms with reasons not to vote for McSame on the package? rotflmao

    Like

  4. Okay, this may be a dumb question; but that won’t stop me from asking…
    Shouldn’t RATM be protesting at the Republican convention? The Democrats don’t seem to need convincing to end the war.

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    • On the surface, it might seem obvious that RATM should protest the Repugnican convention. However, the Dems are enabling the Bush administration in most every way, specifically the Iraq occupation. Despite the overwhelming support from Iraqis (something like 80-plus percent) wanting the US out of Iraq, Obama is still talking a phased timetable.
      The Iraqis want us out, the majority of people in the US want us out, so what’s the deal? I don’t know if it’s true but I read a blog that said the Bush/Maliki agreement from last week would get the US out faster than Obama’s “plan.”
      RATM and others (myself included) believe it’s time for bold action (on a variety of fronts) and that incrementalism isn’t an option at this point in history.
      Today’s march was led by Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW.org)

      Like

  5. Okay, this may be a dumb question; but that won’t stop me from asking…

    Shouldn’t RATM be protesting at the Republican convention? The Democrats don’t seem to need convincing to end the war.

    Like

  6. Hm…I’ve been trying to hide like the ostrich from all the convention stuff…what’s been happening? Why are people marching? I suppose I should watch the news once and a while, huh?

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    • Robin, see above on why people are marching.
      I’m going to vote for Obama in November but I’m not at all happy with many of his cautious positions. We don’t have time to f$%# around on this stuff and the time to act is now. I was marching in spirit today!
      As for watching the news, it’s painful because of the narrative the media tries so hard to maintain. I’m a political junkie and the more I know, the more excruciating it is to hear talking heads shape the story to fit the corporate agenda. Sigh…

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      • That’s generally why I don’t watch the ‘news’ either — it’s much less about what’s really happening and more about what various groups want to get out there.
        The whole situation in Iraq is very frustrating — I have a hard time even thinking about it (because I feel so helpless), so I get the protests!

        Like

  7. On the surface, it might seem obvious that RATM should protest the Repugnican convention. However, the Dems are enabling the Bush administration in most every way, specifically the Iraq occupation. Despite the overwhelming support from Iraqis (something like 80-plus percent) wanting the US out of Iraq, Obama is still talking a phased timetable.

    The Iraqis want us out, the majority of people in the US want us out, so what’s the deal? I don’t know if it’s true but I read a blog that said the Bush/Maliki agreement from last week would get the US out faster than Obama’s “plan.”

    RATM and others (myself included) believe it’s time for bold action (on a variety of fronts) and that incrementalism isn’t an option at this point in history.

    Today’s march was led by Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW.org)

    Like

  8. Robin, see above on why people are marching.

    I’m going to vote for Obama in November but I’m not at all happy with many of his cautious positions. We don’t have time to f$%# around on this stuff and the time to act is now. I was marching in spirit today!

    As for watching the news, it’s painful because of the narrative the media tries so hard to maintain. I’m a political junkie and the more I know, the more excruciating it is to hear talking heads shape the story to fit the corporate agenda. Sigh…

    Like

  9. That’s generally why I don’t watch the ‘news’ either — it’s much less about what’s really happening and more about what various groups want to get out there.

    The whole situation in Iraq is very frustrating — I have a hard time even thinking about it (because I feel so helpless), so I get the protests!

    Like

    • Yes, I linked to that horrible video clip above. It’s an embarrassment.
      But tonight I learned Amy Goodman (Democracy NOW) has been arrested at the RNC. It sounds like those cops are even more out of control.
      It’s time for the pendulum to swing back.

      Like

  13. Yes, I linked to that horrible video clip above. It’s an embarrassment.

    But tonight I learned Amy Goodman (Democracy NOW) has been arrested at the RNC. It sounds like those cops are even more out of control.

    It’s time for the pendulum to swing back.

    Like

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