What the Hell is Wrong With People?

Calliope sent around the MoveOn.org missive rallying people to demonstrate against Republican tactics to stack and/or thwart the judiciary. I decided to go because (1) as a lawyer, I feel particularly passionate about the, well, sanctity of an independent judiciary; (2) as a citizen, I have this old-fashioned idea that demonstrations - however inert their effect - are important in a democracy; and (3) Calliope would know if I didn't show up. And she wouldn't approve.

Well, a smattering of folks showed up in the chilly drizzle of the drab protest grounds at West Town Mall (Kingston Pike and Morrell Road), about as many as I would have expected on a weekday after work. Local news agencies had been advised, and, to my knowledge, never showed up. Which is not, of course, the least bit surprising. Maybe if somebody there had been a registered sex offender or was a witness in an upcoming murder trial, we could have coaxed out the media. But nothing that newsworthy was going on.

So some goober from Mall Security, bless his heart, came down to tell people to stay off the grass, which was Mall grass. Other security guys kept an eye on the crowd, which included schoolteachers, housewives, children, an "ex-witch for Jesus," her Great Dane, and other dangerous subversive types. Pretty soon, a Mall Security van went creeping along the parking lot up the hill with a by-gosh G-man Crown Vic following, its passenger jotting down all the license plate numbers of the automobiles.

Meanwhile, the beleaguered masses whipped by in their cars, trucks, SUVs, etc., glazed-eyed in that in-transit trance that overtakes motorists driving home after work. Some noticed us; some didn't. Those who noticed mainly seemed to be wondering what the hell we were doing or protesting. The signs - "No Nukes for Courts," "Save Our Courts," and "Pist at Frist" - didn't make much sense if you had no concept of the balance of power (a basic Civics-level concept), let alone if you lacked any idea of how that balance was being tilted. Then you'd have to get into a lot of, like, political, Constitutional, and historical stuff they don't talk about on MTV, E!, or, uh, Fox.

Exactly five of the several hundred cars that passed while I stood my hour-long sentry seemed to appreciate our message. We got a couple of thumbs-up, some friendly toots, and a cheer from a granola looking couple in a Prius wagon.

And, of course, jeers, sour horns, and thumbs-down from assorted other vehicles, mainly large, mainly white (what is it with rednecks and white cars? For that matter, why are all rednecks large and white?).

But what bothered me was the woman who, while stopped at the intersection, asked us why we were demonstrating. When somebody tried to explain, she replied that she knew that why, but why bother? What good would it do? And she kind of sneered, like, you idiots.

Bitch! What is her problem? What is it with people? Are we so jaded and complacent, so shiftless and uninspired, so defeated by greed and arrogance and the shallow, venal, degraded state of our democracy, that we'll tell a handful of pitiful picketers, hanging on to their last line of optimism as feebly as they hold their thin posters against a spitting sky, to just give up and go home?

We liberals talk about hate like we never own it. Well, I hate people who think like that indolent, feckless woman, and their fat, hard-farting husbands in their bawl-caps and dee-luxe cab Ford F-550s that I hope they end up having to take a second mortgage out on their plastic-and-rubber pasture palaces to gas up for the ride to see Johnny and Gigi off to Iran because they got drafted because they couldn't graduate because they couldn't pass their fucking civics test.

Whew.

Comments

[lobbygow]

Own that hate sister, channel it, transform it into righteous anger and then righteous action.

I'm reminded of one of my favorite movie quotes (maybe it's quiz time again):

"A riot is an ugly thing... UND ITZ ABOUT TIME WE HAD ONE!"

[Metulj]

And you know what gets me steamed? People who are on the team about Frist, Courts and just general nefariousness by the GOP who say wussy things like "Don't talk ill of those people who don't get it. You just heap so much hate on them when they can't help it." In my case, it isn't hate, it is frustration. Cold frustration. Your energy costs to go to work have gone up by 35% this past few months, you dickheads. Why? Why don't you question that the lifeblood you need to keep being "homo economicus" is costing you more and more? Who will you blame when Suzy and Billy can't go to college because you had to burn through so much money to make money? What is the fabled tipping point? Well we will never know, because just as soon as the tipping point pops up on the horizon POP goes the Orange Alert, LA Freeway car chase and a new season of American Idiotal and every one turns to what is really important.

[F-Stop]

No wonder you pissed off the shoppers. You presented a message that wasn't just mindless consumption. You don't go to a shopping mall to THINK, you go there to FEEL. If only the selection at the marketplace of critical thinking was as wide and far reaching as the selection at the actual marketplace...

"Ba da ba ba ba...I'm luvin it!" Criky.

[MiddleClassMama]

Well ... are you going to answer the lady's question or not?

WHY stand out on the side of the road, waving signs that mean nothing to the passer-bys, chanting your little slogans... it changes nothing. It just makes you feel good, right? It also makes you, and your cause, look foolish and cheap.

So why do it? What's the point?

One would think that actually TALKING to your government representatives, letting them know your concerns and what you expect of them as their constituents would make just a wee bit more sense, dontcha think?

Oh wait ... nevermind. "Sensible" left the Democratic party and the looney left shortly before I did.

And before you let fly with the typical moonbat rant... I do not own an SUV, my income is below average for east TN, I am a single mom, and I am ashamed that my voter registration card once bore the word "Democrat"

[Hildegard]

Well, MiddleClassMama, I do all those other things, too: contact my representatives, try to engage in dialogue, etc. That is beside the point I was making with respect to demonstrating, which is a time-honored exercise of free assembly in which citizens make public what their concerns are. There are better ways to do it, to be sure. But in many cases, this can be effective means of advocacy or opposition. Why not do it all?

But I'm glad I gave you the chance to issue the typically presumptuous neocon estimation of what my response to you would be. I'm ashamed your voter registration card once bore the word "Democrat" too. I think I like you right where you are.

[MiddleClassMammasBoy]

One would think that actually TALKING to your government representatives, letting them know your concerns and what you expect of them as their constituents would make just a wee bit more sense, dontcha think?

Oooooh. Great idea.

What would be cooler is if I could RAISE THE AWARENESS OF MY FELLOW CITIZENS, so that they too could politely call their representatives and express their views.

Demonstrating in public is an excellent way to do that.

DONTCHA THINK?

Or perhaps thinking is something that only loonies do.

[Smaack]

"indolent, feckless woman, and their fat, hard-farting husbands in their bawl-caps and dee-luxe cab Ford F-550s that I hope they end up having to take a second mortgage out on their plastic-and-rubber pasture palaces to gas up for the ride to see Johnny and Gigi off to Iran because they got drafted because they couldn't graduate because they couldn't pass their fucking civics test."

Woohoo!

Preach sister!

Because it is intolerant elitist rants like this that have lost your party the blue collar working class folks along with lower middle and middle class folks, all of whom have come to understand that whatever the Democrat party is about today, it isn't about them.

So preach on! The more of this you say, the better we do.

[martian]

Speaking of opportunities to talk to your rep, Stacey Campfield, one of the sponsors of the "Academic Freedom" bill, will be here on Maryville's campus for lunch and a roundtable discussion from 11:30-1. If you don't know about the bill, it requires profs to cease and disist from talking about controversial subjects in the classroom. Here's my question, feel free to suggest others!

"I'm wondering if your bill would apply to a discussion of intelligent design in a biology class. The topic seems to fit this description quite well, as it would "introduce controversial matter into the classroom" cause yep, it is controversial. At the same time it would seem to violate the part about "work that is substantially unrelated to the subject of study" becuase intelligent design has nothing to do with biology. What do you think Rep.?

[Hildegard]

Smaack: Me? Intolerant? Good eye, genius. I plead guilty. I have no tolerance for rednecks, bigots, or morons, be they rich or humble.

I don't see any blue-collar putdown in my rant, though, so I don't know where the elitism charge comes from. I don't know many blue collar people who live in pasture palaces - you know, they're like, big and expensive - in West Knoxville. But thanks anyway for the knee-jerk Rushbabble, with or without the oxys.

[TVA]

Go Hildegard. I feel the frustration.

[Smaack]

Knee-jerk? Me?

Pot, meet kettle.

[MiddleClassMama]

But I'm glad I gave you the chance to issue the typically presumptuous neocon estimation of what my response to you would be.

More of the same reasons why I have turned my back on the Democrat party. ASSumption is a bitch, ain't it? Neocon? HA HA HA HA HA!!!

Neither party suits my views anymore ... but, I do understand that the limited thinking of the lefties does cause one to call anyone to the right of Joe Leiberman a neocon.

But please ... keep it up. Wrenching the Democrat party further and further into the swirling mass of insanity of the looney left drives more and more sensible Dems away. One day, we shall reclaim our party. Hopefully, we can restore some of its dignity as well.

[lobbygow]

Hopefully, we can restore some of its dignity as well.

Yeah, holding protests to build public awareness of issues that are near and dear to your heart is so undignified.

with lower middle and middle class folks, all of whom have come to understand that whatever the Democrat party is about today, it isn't about them.

You're so right. The Dems are completely unconcerned with affordable health care, fair wages, and safety nets when times get tough.

Instead, they spend all of their energy on religion, gays, flag-burning and a bunch of other hippy dippy bullshit that no honest working stiff gives a flying flip about.

Those Democratic bastards.

[dilettantedude]

It's the venue. You are casting your seed upon poor, exhausted soil. It isn't the soil's fault, it's just the way it is.

You may as well demonstrate for Jesus in front of a Protestant church. They just ain't gonna get it.

If we don't begin all over again with our secondary education system, nothing else we do will save us.

[Hildegard]

"One day, we shall reclaim our party."

Oh my God! It's Lurleen Wallace! I thought you were dead! I take it all back.

And the South shall rahhhhz agin! YEEEEEE HAWWWWWW!!! Woot woot woot!

[Sister Faith]

Middle Class Mom

You pathetic twit!!!!

[Sister Faith]

Excuse me ....MCM....I meant that for Fstop!!!

[SayUncle]

'We liberals talk about hate like we never own it. Well, I hate people who think like that indolent, feckless woman, and their fat, hard-farting husbands in their bawl-caps and dee-luxe cab Ford F-550s '

They also talk about stereotypes like they don't own them. Guess that's not the case.

[MiddleClassMama]

Geez no kidding, Uncle! It boggles the mind!

Hate, stereotyping, intolerance, fascism ... all are being more and more associated with the liberal/Dems. They complain of "stifling of dissent" yet they have no compunctions in telling anyone who disagrees with their views to shut up, shouting them down, screaming to drown them out. Freedom of speech is a concept that only applies to those who's speech is in line with the Dem/leftie agenda, eh?

The most stunning example was during the conventions last summer. At the GOP convention, protesters had the run of the streets, only being subject to police control when things got violent or out of hand. Yet, at the Dem convention, conservative protesters were locked up in a wire cage, out of sight, out of mind.

Watch some of the Protest Warrior videos. So-called peace-loving anti-war protesters attack PWs and rip up their signs. There have been physical attacks on the PWs by these peace-loving, anti-violence folks. On the PW forums, there are regular death threats against conservatives. Reading the DU or Indymedia is chilling...

Hypocrisy? Oh yeah ... and when someone tries to get a leftie to explain their reasoning behind what they are saying, they get a face full of screaming epithets and name-calling. Very nice. Try answering the questions, defend your position with reason and logic, and stop with the damn hystrionics!

Seriously, the Democratic party is self-destructing in a most spectacular way. It is time to heal thyself, else it will continue to bleed out people like me and many others who no longer recognize their former party. The shrill shrieking, melodramatic protests and demonstrations are just the tip of the very ugly iceburg.

[lobbygow]

They also talk about stereotypes like they don't own them. Guess that's not the case.

Ouch!

But seriously SU, it's pretty hard to fight what you feel is an erosion of dearly held principles without a good heaping helping of demonizaton and persecution mythology.

Hey, I wish it wasn't a zero sum game, but the "right wing" (by that, I don't mean conservative or Republicans) have dominated the dialogue, defined the playing field, and set up the operative labels.

If the moderates would stand up and tell the Right to sit down and shut-up, things would simmer down, and everybody would realize that we are in no danger whatsoever of having a Marxist revolution or even a Socialist movement.

Maybe then we could have an honest debate about how to approach the complex problems of the coming century. I'm for a decentralized approach, which is why I am an uneasy as a Democrat. However, I think the GOP is far more authoritarian, ideological and inflexible at this point in our history.

A minority of self-identified "conservatives" have managed to create a weird illusion that this country is under assault by leftist forces.

The communists are gone. The half-assed socialists in Europe are rethinking a lot of their assumptions. The classic far left is dead (unless the right wing forces it into existence as a counter movement).

What is portrayed as "far left" in this country is laughable by global standards.

I mean Howard Dean as a bogeyman?

Noam Chomsky, maybe, but not Dean or Hillary Clinton or even Michael Moore (who doesn't have a political movement behind him like James Dobson or Grover Norquist).

I'm probably a liberal Republican by temperament, but there is simply no natural home for someone with those views in the current landscape.

As much as I bitch about the lack of focus of the Democrats, I'm sticking with them until the bad apples are purged from the GOP.

They really scare me.

I ain't kidding.

[lobbygow]

The most stunning example was during the conventions last summer. At the GOP convention, protesters had the run of the streets, only being subject to police control when things got violent or out of hand.

Yeah, that's why so many convictions are being overturned when the video evidence is reviewed in court.

Welcome to ProtestWarrior.com, a website created to help arm the liberty-loving silent majority with ammo -- ammo that strikes at the intellectual solar plexus of the Left.

Encouraged by our successful crashing of the February 16th San Francisco anti-war protest, we decided it was time for the Left to put down their megaphones, peel off their bumper stickers, and listen to the people who believe in the core values of this country. It's time to start making a little noise...

Make a little noise? Protesting protests?

WHY stand there, waving signs that mean nothing to the passer-bys, chanting your little slogans... it changes nothing. It just makes you feel good, right? It also makes you, and your cause, look foolish and cheap.

So why do it? What's the point?

Go troll on dKos or Atrios or somewhere else where they'll enable your trollin' jones.

You're done here.

[MiddleClassMama]

Go troll on dKos or Atrios or somewhere else where they'll enable your trollin' jones

Typical response that I have come to expect from the LLL. Free speech is only for those who agree with you, eh?

Fascism at its finest. Congratulations.

[SayUncle]

LG, I'm sure people get mad and demonize their opposition (heck, I do everytime i point out anti-gun whackjobs dancing in the blood of dead children) but not every person who drives a ford, farts and wears a ball cap is a right wing nut job.

Fact is that most people agree with hildegard about the judiciary (according to polls, any way) but statements like that keep them from banding together or, even worse, may drive those who would be allies in the situation away.

[Hildegard]

"Fact is that most people agree with hildegard about the judiciary (according to polls, any way) but statements like that keep them from banding together or, even worse, may drive those who would be allies in the situation away."

If they're that thin-skinned, good riddance to them.

Seriously, I don't know SayUncle, but have read enough of your comments to believe you're smarter than to actually think smart-assed polemics are the reason Americans aren't "banding together." Give me a break. If somebody who otherwise believes in the preservation of an independent judiciary abandons that concern because an obscure blogger makes fun of flatulent gas-guzzlers, then we have a pretty freakishly hypersensitive society on our hands. And they call liberals crybabies? Wah.

And although I'm not one of those sensitive, PC types who gets all squeamish about stereotypes, I'll admit not "all" flatulent gas-guzzlers are wingnuts, or vice versa. I generalized. So find a good trial lawyer and sue me.

[lobbygow]

Free speech is only for those who agree with you, eh?

You're free to speak or write whatever you want.

We're free to ignore your blather (which I will from now on).

But if you want to direct traffic to your website, then you'll have to put those deft liberty loving fingers to work and type out the entire address in your comments.

Free-loading ain't free.