G-20 Reflections

I'm at work until 3am with no duties, so what better time to blog my thoughts... not that I have anything profound to say; I see it more as a catharsis.

Today was the first real day of G-20 madness. Getting to work was not a big deal really. I did get stopped on the parkway in Moon for 15 minutes while one of the dignitaries came into town. After they re-started traffic I was downtown in no time. Traffic was quite light. I wasn't sure where I was going to park. I got lucky and was able to park in the lot right by FSN. It was posted as $10 event parking for the Pirate game, but the game was well underway and there were no attendants at the booths, so I parked for free! I expected to be searched, grilled or something when I approached the Clemente bridge, but no. I even was pro-active... walked up to a National Guard dude and asked if I could cross. He said, "Oh, yeah. You can walk over there." No search, no funny looks, nothing. I was gun shy because on Wednesday, the fellers at the Palomino garage were stunningly rude. I understand their concern, but they know me. They even bomb searched my car... and the guy crazy with power over it wasn't pleasant. But I do understand where they're coming from. They're under stress, they have an important job to do, and I'm sure they're very frustrated. So it wasn't too much of a big deal. I got over it.

So, I keep listening to or reading about protesters who are bitching about the hordes of police/military on the streets. I wish they would just shut up or open their minds. The cops are there to maintain the peace and to prevent violence against people and property. What's wrong with being prepared... especially when we all know what happens at every meeting of the international finance ministers? What's really bugging me is that these loud-mouthed rebels are saying the police were roughing people up for no reason. While some of that may have happened, which I don't know for sure, I do know that some of those people deserved it. Just because there was no violence where some of these unbathed people were, does not mean that's the way it was everywhere. I saw some very nasty protesters do some bad things. Destroying the windows of businesses isn't hurting the CEOs of those businesses; it's hurting the local people who run those places.

And can we please stop with calling the cops bullies and cowards? That's what a lot of the protesters are. Cowards wear masks & hoods, just like a lot of the violent protesters. Cops are wearing helmets because people are throwing things at them, like feces, urine, rocks. They're not bullies; they are enforcers. Do these anarchists think letting everyone do what they want will work? No, anarchy will ensue. It's almost naive.

Why is there such an us vs. them mentality towards the police/military? They're on the side of the people. But I guess if you're hellbent on destruction and chaos, then you see them as an enemy because they won't let you do what you want. Time to grow up.

For those people who feel they've lost their freedom because there are enforcers in the street, why don't you go live in another country? Then maybe you'll see that your freedoms here aren't really taken away. Plus, we don't want you here. And stay the hell away from downtown. Then you won't run into cops, military, etc. Go develop a life... and take a bath.

There is no utopia on Earth. Nowhere. You need to make the best of what you have... and being in America isn't bad! (I guess unless you're an anarchist.)

What's there to fear about cops or military if you've done nothing wrong? And yes, they're gonna give you the hairy eyeball because that's their job. They need to be vigilant. Anyone could harbor a weapon or a bomb.

I think these protesters, anarchists, whatever you want to call them have nothing better to do than travel from place to place to protest... kinda like Deadheads but not as peaceful. Maybe they should get jobs... and it doesn't have to be for a corporation. They're just not happy unless they're bitching. They'd bitch about anything. They always have to have a cause, as lame as it may be. And why do they think being disruptive and violent in the streets of an innocent city is going to get them somewhere? The dignitaries don't see them. Furthermore, I doubt they care.

On the flip side I do agree that something needs to be done about the few percent of people in this world who hold the majority of the wealth. That's not right. It's so mind-boggling to me that simple common sense could solve so many problems, but there's always a crybaby that ruins it for everyone. There's also a lot of greed, and a severe lack of empathy for others. I honestly don't know how the rich can sit back and keep striving to get their greedy little hands on more money while we see video of people starving, people with sicknesses that have no access to medicine, people who work 3 jobs just to scrape by to feed their children. Incidentally, this is also why I hate pro-athletics. No one, and I mean NO ONE, deserves a million dollars because he or she is good at throwing a fucking ball. And then society treats those ball-handling idiots like gods... and children grow up idolizing them. Nevermind a lot of them are thugs as well.

I digress. But these are the things that mystify my mind and fill me with anger. The world is a very unfair place, and there's so much atrocity everywhere. Maybe it pisses me off so much because I believe it's all centered on greed, disrespect for others and pure self-centeredness. I hate it on all levels. I could not imagine being that way. It's a foreign concept that I can't wrap my head around. How can people truly be like that?