Anti-Torture, Anti-War 'Visual Takeover' of Downtown SF

Great Photos Jeff!

Thanks!

I was sitting on the bus next to a woman and mentioned that we were apparently being held up by a protest. "Damned liberals", she said.

I refrained from telling her what I thought of her, because I thought she was such an idiot it wouldn't make any difference. Now I regret it. Good job people!

Early in the morning (about the time that the demonstration began) I was looking down toward the Bay Bridge.

I was startled to see two helicopters sitting motionless in the overcast sky above it for a long time. Was the Bay Bridge under threat? Was someone threatening to jump? Was there a massive traffic pile-up?

Later one helicopter moved in closer-- it gave me a sick feeling. What horrible thing has happened? I wondered.

Later I learned from several people: "Some crazy protestors!"

That's pretty much all I knew until reading this article and seeing these pictures.

Thanks!

(Of course something HORRIBLE has happened: America under the Neocons is becoming like Nazi Germany-- only thing we haven't done yet is make lampshades out of people, or pry gold from people's teeth: is that next?)

People should have to take a test on the issues surrounding the war before they're allowed to protest. I'm against the war, but not for the shallow, soundbyte reasons I see at these socially fun, dress-up protests. They do, in fact, make protesters look stupid, except to other protesters, who are already converted.

Spend 10 minutes trying to figure out a real solution, kids.

Pro-war soundbites are the worst..I remember starting up a dialogue with some "Protest Warriors" and these kids couldn't put together two-sentences w/out giving the standard Fox news talking points. Once I got them past that, they were pretty reasonable and, at least for the moment, willing to examine the flaws in their reasoning and informations sources....

More importantly than Elmo's claim, people in this country should have to take a test before we can start a war against any other country (starting with the President). Apparently lots of blood and treasure will be saved if we implement this immediately.

Americans can't even find Iraq on a map, much less tell you anything other than government propaganda on the war.


From a recent geographic literacy survey...

"U.S. young people: geographic illiterates"

"WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) -- A recent geographic literacy survey suggests young U.S. adults fail to understand the world and their place in it, National Geographic News reports.

"For example, despite nearly constant news coverage since the Iraqi war began in 2003, 63 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 asked cannot correctly locate that country on a map of the Middle East, NGN said. Seventy percent could not find Iran or Israel, while 9-in-10 couldn't find Afghanistan on a map of Asia. And 54 percent were unaware that Sudan is an African nation."

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.php?StoryID=20060504-105813-7941r


And it's been this way for some time now...

2002: "Survey Reveals Geographic Illiteracy"

"In a nation called the world's superpower, only 17 percent of young adults in the United States could find Afghanistan on a map, according to a new worldwide survey released today.

"'The survey demonstrates the geographic illiteracy of the United States,' said Robert Pastor, professor of International Relations at American University, in Washington, D.C. 'The results are particularly appalling in light of September 11, which traumatized America and revealed that our destiny is connected to the rest of the world.'

"About 11 percent of young citizens of the U.S. couldn't even locate the U.S. on a map. The Pacific Ocean's location was a mystery to 29 percent; Japan, to 58 percent; France, to 65 percent; and the United Kingdom, to 69 percent."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/11/1120_021120_GeoRoperSurvey.html


So, we a good number of us can't even find our own country on a map and we're going to tell other countries how to live by military force?

Yet Elmo is worried about the knowledge of protesters? Pah-lease. I'd bet that most of the protestors pay far more attention to our world than the average mindless flag waver, hence their anger at the attocities perpetrated by the US.