Day: November 22, 2011

 Long version above.  Short version below.

When the street flooded recently in Seattle because of excessive rain (is that even possible in Seattle?) the salmon didn’t know to stay in the river.   This dog decided it was dinner time.  Is this street like a drive up window for dogs?  With a fish that size, he has enough to share with his buds.  However…most dogs aren’t good sharers. 

From Fox40.com:

SEATTLE—

Every dog has his day, and in Seattle earlier this week, one dog’s day was captured on video.

When rivers flooded and overflowed into the street, the salmon went along for the ride.

A clever dog didn’t seem confused by the phenomenon; he walked along, picked up a salmon in his teeth, and continued walking on his way.

This one isn’t over.  The more I have watched different scenes of the students being pepper sprayed, the more revolted I am by the police brutality.  This behavior is never acceptable.  It appears that Fox News spent Monday making a case justifying this kind of police intervention.  Most people I know find it totally unacceptable. 

We generally criticize students and young folks in general for not being political.  Back in the day, we used to tell people to ‘get off their apathy’ and we discussed tuning in, not out.  However, every time young people do get involved, they are criticized tremendously by their more mainstream elders. 

College campuses are the place to demonstrate the voice your opinion.  Someone in a link left by Cargo had a sign he was holding up that said ‘This is my permit’ and it pointed to the first amendment.   Granted, there is a thin line between exercising one’s first amendment rights and civil disobedience, at times.  Often that is the risk one takes.  But by the same token, in America, we don’t expect to be pepper sprayed or beaten if we are peaceful and conduct ourselves in a civilized manner.  Gandhi and MLK would have been horrified, as was Chancellor Linda Katehi who has apologized profusely for the incident and has place the police chief and offending officers on administrative leave. 

 Is that enough?  Is UC Davis one of those campuses where the police department shields a culture of violence towards the students it protects?  I have felt for years that is the case in College Park, Maryland which is in Prince George’s County.  I hope I am wrong. 

Kent State was 41 years ago.  Thank goodness UC Davis didn’t turn in to another Kent State.  Those students are to be commended for their practice of non-violence.  I am not so sure I have it in me to be that passive.