How to let the world know you’re an idiot if it’s not general knowledge quite yet
Sporkmaster sends us an interview with one of the pepper-sprayed students in the picture above and it’s pretty hillarious;
“Move or we’re going to shoot you,” Pike is reported to have yelled at one student right before delivering pepper spray. Then, turning to his fellow officers and brandishing the can in the air, “Don’t worry, I’m going to spray these kids down.”
That would have been a warning to me that I’m about to get sprayed, causing my feet to move and get me out of range. But, ya know, I’m fairly bright.
W: I still have a burning sensation in my throat, lips and nose, especially when I start coughing, or when I’m lying in bed. Everyone who got sprayed has sustained effects like this.
XJ: Can you tell us how it happened, from where you were sitting?
W: I’d pulled my beanie hat over my eyes, to protect my eyes. I received a lot of pepper spray in my throat. I vomited twice, right away, then spent the next hour or two dry heaving. Someone said they saw him spray down my throat intentionally, but I was so freaked out, and I was blinded by my hat, so I can’t verify. I did get a large quantity of pepper spray in my lungs.
See, that’s where I have an advantage over this student, apparently…my body came equipped with lips that I can close, thus not allowing pepper spray into my lungs and throat. I know, it must sound like I’m bragging about my superior genetic development, but I’m just pointing out how I can avoid pepper-spray in my lungs, whereas this poor youngster can’t, I guess.
He used military grade pepper spray on us.
Yeah, because military grade pepper spray uses a different pepper than the civil grade pepper spray. And it’s got tiny soldiers hidden in it who can pry your mouth open and jump in your throat.
Another student, 20 years old, who was sprayed and then arrested—instead of receiving medical care for the pepper spray exposure, he was made to wait in the back of a police car.
He was made to wait with all of the other innocent perpetrators, right? Of course, he wouldn’t have had to wait in the police car if he’d done what he was told in the first place, right?
One of the reasons I am involved with #OWS, and advocating for an occupy movement on the UC campus, is to fight privatization and austerity in the UC system, and fight rising tuition costs. I think that citizens have the right to get an education regardless of economic condition. Most people are not going to get a job where they can afford to pay off student loans. But to exclude people from knowledge is unconscionable.
If you don’t like people being excluded from getting an education, you should be protesting those public school teachers who spent your class time teaching you how to put condoms on bananas instead of teaching you Constitutional law.
It’s too bad that I wasn’t in Sgt Pike’s position, because I would have done one of those 3 Stooges slap things right down the line of hippies.
Yeah, I can laugh at the stupid hippies complaining about pepper spray because I’ve been tear gassed more times than I can count and I survived without so much as a whimper. So grow up, Junior. There’s a price for everything…and you made the first down payment on your idiotic behavior. To quote Red Foreman; your life is hard because you’re a dumbass.
Category: I hate hippies, Occupy
Most people are not going to get a job where they can afford to pay off student loans.
Jebus, either you have way more loans than any reasonable person should ever take on, or you’re finally, slowly, realizing that a Starbucks barista pay ain’t all that considering the “degree” you got in Womyn’s Primitive Art History Comparative Studies.
As for me, well, I had a whopping $2500 in loans coming out of college, deferred while I was on active duty, but paid them off about a year after I finished prototype. And when I got out and finished my degree, I incurred ZERO loan debt. Go figure.
And no, the job I have now would easily allow for me to pay that loan debt off as well. It’s all that “free” money you get via loans and grants that entices colleges and universities to jack up their tuition rates through the fucking ceiling–after all, profs gotta make their $300K/year somehow, since they’ll never work for it on the outside.
Higher education isn’t a “right” no matter what you think, cupcake. And no, womens studies doesn’t qualify as a science degree.
“If you want to get laid, go to college. If you want an education, go to the library.” ? Frank Zappa
It burns me up that these little shits are always bitching about getting a free/cheap education. I’ve learned much more from simply taking the initiative to find things out on my own (starting with use of my local public library when I a kid) than I ever learned in a classroom. Hell, the only reason I’m (finally) finishing my degree is that a substantial payraise comes with having a degree, in anything, for my position. I don’t need one to actually do my job.
“But to exclude people from knowledge is unconscionable.” He is confusing education with schooling. He is a sterling example of someone who is well schooled and uneducated. And despite the personal tutoring he just received, he still doesn’t get it. He gets a “Doh.”
My compliments on the commentary, Jonn. Good stuff.
I’ve been pepper sprayed twice, once for the National Guard and once for the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard sprayed the hell out of us for training. We had to do a weapon retention drill and then draw and put the suspect on the ground before we could decon. It sucked huge balls! Still you can fight through it. That was the point of the excersice. 2 hours later, the worst was over and the next day I was fine. The stuff wears off fairly quickly but it does suck. I’ll take CS over OC any day.
“military grade pepper spray” WTF is that? It’s the same stuff. I think there’s a riot control one that got a higher concentration but that’s about it. What the Coast Guard gave us was one of the hotter ones as I recall.
I didn’t like students even when I was one. These kids are so whiny and coddled it’s unbelieveable.
They have rules of engagement that were broken. THEY ARE NOT allowed to pepper spray peaceful protestors. If you watch the video the cops cower back off of the campus. Because of the crowd yelling louder. Do you think that pepper spray does anything to the cause other than make it uproar bigger and more aggressive. In my eyes the cops are trying to incite violent incidents in the US. This is my opinion. This is my freedom of speech and I have been gassed several time being the one of my Company’s NBC NCO. If your site is so constitutional then you should be with these people. or your eyes are closed to the problem.
“. . . because I would have done one of those 3 Stooges slap things right down the line of hippies.”
That’s what I’m talkin’ about.
Anon; are you stupid or something? As has been identified ad nauseum; you don’t have the right to block the free travel of others. When you are physically blocking the sidewalk, you are not peaceably assembled. Get it? I think you are the one that needs a refresher in the Constitution, not us.
Our eyes are wide open to the problem, which is a failure to obey lawful orders by the protesters. Are you blind to the truth, or are you making it up as you go?
Anonymous: Care to cite the rules of engagement that you claim to have knowledge?
Otherwise, you’re just blowin’ troll smoke.
Yo, #6:
Your rights to freedom of speech do NOT include blocking sidewalks, streets, or access of any type. They do NOT include occupation of public or private property without permission. They do NOT include failing to follow the lawful instructions of the police.
I applaud this security officer for doing his job. I only wish that MORE force was used to knock some sense into these knuckleheads. Batons, fire hoses, rubber bullets and dogs ought to be more often employed in these situations.
In fact, when dealing with these filthy stinking hippies, it would probably be useful if some detergent or bleach was mixed in with the water cannon so as to decontaminate these cretins before the police have to come into physical contact with them.
Constitution? You don’t know jack about the constitution if you are taking sides with these hippie scum.
@6. Anonymouse. “In my eyes the cops are trying to incite violent incidents in the US. This is my opinion.” Opinions are easy. Try developing convictions and principles. You are an asshole. This is my opinion. See how easy it is?
#6 Anon: You’d need to know that particular department’s use of force policy. Many departments feel going to pepper spray or tasers right away is safer, more humane and better for appearing on the news than using pain compliance or wrestling passivly resisting people. If they received a lawful order to move and refuse it, the department policy dictates the next move. I don’t know if I agree with the move or not; OC is nasty, painful stuff but if you refuse to follow an order from law enforcement, they will go to their next option whatever their policy (or on scene supervisor) dictates.
Anon: Notice how to protester is still alive to complain about the problems he had with pepper spray.
I look at it this way…in most other countries in the world, these kids would wake up in some prison straight out of Midnight Express or with a 7.62 mm hangover. Just ask all those folks in Syria, Egypt, etc.
And while Damon is a lefty tool, he did get one thing right as his character in Good Will Hunting attests:
“The sad thing is, in about 50 years you might start doin’ some thinkin’ on your own and by then you’ll realize there are only two certainties in life…One, don’t do that. Two — you dropped a hundred and fifty grand on an education you coulda’ picked up for a dollar fifty in late charges at the Public Library.
[…] Here’s more UC Davis hilarity. […]
And for the record, I love how the tools are rubbing their eyes…rub harder kids, it’ll go away faster that way…idiots.
Guys:
I’m no fan of the OWS freak show but this was an unnecessary police action which runs directly counter established UC/Davis police procedure. The officer who made this call was over-aggressive and out of line.
My problem: this kind of police action makes a bunch of chumps look like heroes. We don’t need that tilt in public opinion.
Fire away! 🙂
This has been one of my favorite posts on these morons, yet! I well remember getting the spray when finishing training for the Highway Patrol… yes, my eyes burned, my throat hurt, my nose ran. And after a couple of hours me and my fellow Troopers were laughing about it. One thing is for sure – if I gave a lawful order to someone and they refused to comply I went to an intermediate level of force, and for these guys they chose pepper spray. Cheaper than the tazer with so many morons to force into compliance, and probably more fun to watch them cry. Oh, and they don’t lay on ground solid as a board afterwards! Great post!!
“…makes a bunch of chumps look like heroes…”
I’ve turned my computer screen 360 degrees in each direction and they still look like chumps to me. Anything that they can walk away from isn’t overly aggressive.
I think that citizens have the right to get an education regardless of economic condition
1. That’s up through high school.
2. Citizens? What about legal residents? illegal?
Not sure pepper spray was the way to go; it seems a bit overkill. But I wasn’t there and I don’t know what UCDPD’s policies are.
What I do know is that, as a UCD alum and former academic advisor? This kid’s critical thinking skills are embarrassing. That was one uninformed, juvenile diatribe.
I’m with you Jonn. But the UC/Davis police did exactly as these morons wanted and made them heroes to the blissfully uninformed. When Shepard Smith of Fox News and other rather reliable OWS criticizers call this action out as ridiculous we’ve lost a battle.
I’m pretty confident The OWS chumps will give us plenty of opportunity to forget this ever happened. But for now they’ve won a public perception battle – just when we were turning the tide against their antics.
I remember my day in NBC training; I crawled out of the chamber spitting and tearing up. So what, big deal, sob sob! Bunch of hooey. But the problem we have is that so few Americans are veterans nowadays and they think these pukes were gassed a la France WW1.
I won’t worry too much about this. We just need to remain aware of the bigger picture public perception when we deal with these vermin day-to-day.
If I were in charge I would have announced “Free iPads and weed in the Student Center!” and this whole thing would have been avoided.
Okay, stop. Let’s put away the pepper spray. You are walking and come up to a row of people, arms interlocked across the sidewlk you are on. You walk around? You leap over them? You ask them to move to let you through? You go away? All of those options are yours, and then some. Now, alter the scenario. You are now a police officer and it is your job (duty, if you like) to clear the human impediments to the free flow of pedestrian traffic. You ask the people to move. They are nonresponsive. Others begin yelling things to you. You again ask the human chain to break and clear the sidewalk. It doesn’t happen. Now what do you do? Forget the job and say, “It’s okay, continue breaking the law?” Do you pull out your gun and threaten to shoot? Do you pull out a baton and start whacking noggins? Do you begin to physically drag people away? Or do you pull out a non-fatal, arms length tool and use it? Well?
The police officers want matters to escalate. Sure, that’s it! All of them want to increase the risk to themselves of personal harm and violent death. They do not want to return to their homes and families after their shifts. Why didn’t I think of this before(head slap!)? This perfectly explains the comment @6, “In my eyes the cops are trying to incite violent incidents in the US.”
I too got the pepper spray “certification” when I first arrived at The Old Guard. Frankly, I was more upset over not being able to drive my car to Fort Myer (squad leader made another Soldier drive me from McNair) than I was over the spray. My certificate of contamination shows a 10% OC solution was delivered for 90 seconds time, after which “elbow strikes, knee strikes, threat assessment, subject control and compliance, OC distress, [and] decontamination” drills were endured. We had the fortune of being sprayed near the end of week three of the program and conducting our marching manual test the following morning. Less than a week later we were marched into the gas chamber for some CS fun.
We weren’t given medical treatment either, nor did we need it. A few minutes of decon with plenty of detergent and we were good as new…except for those unfortunate ones who decided to turn the AC up on the way home.
“When Shepard Smith of Fox News and other rather reliable OWS criticizers call this action out as ridiculous we’ve lost a battle”
Shepard Smith is a candyass and part of the media. He does not speak for public perception, but rather tries to give everyone his public perception in an effort to get us all to go “yeah, that’s ridiculous”. I give him as much credibility for his opinion in this instance as I would Jane Fonda.
What I find interesting is how tough they all talk, the calls for “direct action”, etc., yet they cry like pussies when they get a little pepper spray to the yapper? Y’all need to stop falling for the Alinskyite bullshit. “Ooooooo the big mean poopyhead pig just went all Rambo and sprayed me with OC!!!” “Oh dear, the police are being too aggressive in doing their job!” “They are doing some police brutality on those poor unfortunate, innocent, peaceful kids!”
If the cops went all 1968 DNC on their little candyasses, THEN they would have something to whine about.
As you can guess, I have zero sympathy for these worthless little bastards.
In your world, when the cops say jump, you say “How high”? Remind me, which service did you serve in, the Wermacht? You’re a brutal, authoritarian, violent, sick son-of-a-b**th.
Fuck you Joe, you pussy.
I’ve watched the video and in the very first few seconds you see an Officer lay hands on one of the tards sitting on the ground and the tard pulls away and resists. As far as I’m concerned that absolutely justifies going to the next level of force.
My favorite comment in the MSM was “And look… He’s sprays it directly in their faces”. No Shit. Where would you like him to spray them? In their shoes?
Joe, your candyass would be the first one crying for the Popo if anybody even rang your doorbell at 11 PM. Back under your bridge pissant.
Do you wear a white sheet when you go around ringing doorbells at 11:00 PM? Any burning crosses involved?
Method 2 on how to let the world know you’re an idiot if it’s not general knowledge quite yet, post ignorant, misinformed bullshit on TAH under the name “Joe”.
Gee Joe… What makes you think I’m white? You Racist bastard.
Well, regardless of what you frat-boy bullies think, the UC Davis chancellor made a public apology, two cops were put on leave, and the incident is being investigated. Thankfully you callous, disagreeable, sadistic has-beens are in the minority.
#33 Joe: No, we are the 99%.
WOW you guys all took my comment too far. People should have walked around them, unless they are lazy. The string of students did not go the entire perimeter of UCDavis. I am sure there are hundreds of way people could have gone around. I think that the pepper spray was too much because now the cops themselves have to deal with it and not everyone (cop) was masked. There were also little children around if you pay attention to other videos and not just this one that everyone knows about. I agree that thesse students are lucky it wasnt in some middle eastern country, but guess what we aren’t so that’s not the case. For all you gung ho people attacking my point of view, I am glad you all want to hurt everything. I have been to combat as an Infantryman. I know what’s up on that. Don’t bring that shit home. and for all you people calling them hippies, that was an anti war movement in the 60’s. this is 2011. Get another name for it. these “hippies are also disabled veterans and some might even be your family. You all treat every situation as if it were the military, it’s not. These are not unarmed combatants, these are unarmed civilians sitting on their butts. they had just as many cops as people that got sprayed. why not just surround them and arrest them like normal cops. THEN when they get out of hand use the spray. I have been at a protest similar and with just as many yelling angry people and the cops never once pulled a can of PS out. You all need to see the bigger picture, but you all just want to hurt people. One thing I have learned is that being a violent asshole gets you no where.
But at least you agree with the characterization DaveO….
Looks like Joe is projecting again.
No Anon. These tards sat down and locked arms after being told to leave. The resisted and paid the price. And as far as calling them “Hippies”? Hey… If it looks like a duck and quacks…
One obvious difference between many people on my side and yours, if we saw a bunch of broken down old vets getting sprayed in the face with pepper spray, we’d wince and call for the cops to stop spraying. You guys get a big yuk out of seeing people suffer. We’re you like that (i.e., pathological lack of empathy) before you joined the military?
#40
No Joe, but your posts help keep me from feeling sorry for them. Thanks
Anonymous,
You failed. They may not be calling themselves hippies, but they are calling themselves hipsters. Hippie, hipster, potato, potahto. I’m neither overly concerned with the UCD police who were canned, being as it’s Cali and their union ensured they’re pulling high-5/low-6 figure penions. As for the kids getting sprayed: they got what they wanted. Not what they deserved. But what they wanted.
Returning to your hippie comment: don’t get all butt-hurt because the OWS are recreating the 60s antiwar movement powered by hippies (they call them Grand-dad/mom these days). One should pay attention to what OWS says as well as what it does.
Can anyone who is defending these protestors please explain to me what compelling message is found by sitting on your ass on the sidewalk?
What powerful idea, in this esteemed institution of higher learning, are they placing in the public arena?
They have a 1st Amendment right to free speech and assembly, but sitting on your ass on the sidewalk hardly qualifies as free speech, nor are they excused from the responsibilities that attach with the right to assemble. In fact, their behavior tells me that these students are not worthy of a higher education.
If they wish to act like ignorant dolts, they do so at their own peril. Funny thing is, it appears to me that they CONSENTED to the application of pepper spray to thier mugs by their behavior.
Don’t blame the police. The students put themselves in this position and by their actions consented to application of the pepper spray.
Oh, and the application of pepper spray was NOT violent, nor was the cop being an asshole.
I have zero sympathy for these “protesters” simply because I know that they are intentionally provoking law enforcement in order to scream “police brutality” and “oppression”.
#1 NHSparky:
“It’s all that “free” money you get via loans and grants that entices colleges and universities to jack up their tuition rates…”
Ayup. Classic Von Mises Economics: too easy money (credit) sends a false high demand signal to the market and prices rise as a result.
Don’t really see it as doable, but if the whole country went back to cash on the barrel head, we’d all be better off because there would be SERIOUS deflationary pressures on the price of everything under the sun. Be pretty painful for about a generation, though … so the likelihood of it actually happening is about as likely as the survival of the proverbial snowflake in the hot place.
The protesters and the occupiers are quite selfish, are they not? Their righteous causes actually amount to nothing more than demands upon others. They themselves offer nothing. They demand. They’ve been blessed with living in the greatest nation on the planet, one in which no one starves, goes half naked, goes without medical care, goes without at least 12 years of education; one in which you can worship God or not, vote or not, run for office or not, work or not, go to college or not, and serve in the military or not, just to name a few. I don’t get it. Instead of saying thank you to mom, dad, and the fates that smiled upon them, they demand.
2-17 Air Cav: Easy choice: you drag people away. They were itching to get arrested – arrest them. They weren’t going to resist; they were classic hippie dirtballs. Scuff up the toes of their shoes as you drag them to the van and clear the place. Problem solved.
You see, I’m just talking about public perception here. Joe and Josephine Sixpack expect to see hippies dragged into waiting vans. They hate to see chemical agents used at point blank range.
I’m not saying this action was wrong as much as I’m saying it was stupid. But it is both wrong and stupid.
@36: “WOW you guys all took my comment too far. People should have walked around them, unless they are lazy. The string of students did not go the entire perimeter of UCDavis. I am sure there are hundreds of way people could have gone around.”
Why should they have to go around? There’s no reason for them to be sitting in the middle of the sidewalk. They could have easily sat to the side; right? They were doing it to impede everyone else and to force a confrontation with law enforcement. I hope you are smart enough to know that.
As for the rest of it; when you are told to get off the fucking sidewalk, you get off and if you don’t, then you get what you get. Why is that so hard for your side to understand? Plus; how do you know they were all disabled Vets? Also; why would you bring your children to a protest that has every chance of getting out of hand? Does that sound like something a responsible parent would do, or someone looking to use them as a shield against the police? This was a set up and you are showing that you don’t have the critical thinking skills required to understand that. Instead, you want to get all emotional for those poor students that can’t follow the directions of the same police they would hide behind for protection of anyone ever challenged them ace to face.
Anon, how about we apply the word “Occutard”, is that better than hippie? And, who the fuck would take a child to a demonstration, other than an Occutard who wanted to used the child for a human shield.
If you sit down, blocking a sidewalk, and lock arms, you’ve gone beyond the right to peaceably assemble. Don’t get all butthurt because they didn’t surround the building, they were probably going for the symbolism of blocking a sidewalk, they were offered the chance to get out of the way, their answer? Lock arms, pull their hats down to shield their faces and sit there. Too bad, so sad, shit happens, they refused to disperse and got what was needed to get them out of the way.
And, we’re still waiting for anon to lay out what “rules of engagement” were violated.
And the pic at the top of this thread sure does seem to show an unbroken line of Occutards sitting on their asses, arms locked. So that idea of “walking around them” doesn’t seem to be an option, now does it?