September 4, 2004: Union Square vs. the RNC 2
Well, I guess that's all there is to say about the RNC protests- should I talk about my own politics? Probably not. In this election everything is cast as so black and white- at Union Square there didn't see to be much room for ambivalence, or more subtle opinions. Mine goes something like this: I'm against Bush on environmental issues, on education, on his social agenda, on healthcare, on the general tenor of his foreign policy, on his attitude and character. I see both sides of the story on the Iraq war, and I agree with Bush's strong support for Israel. Is being only 85% opposed to Bush good enough for the movement? Probably not. Is photographing protests an act of political dissent? Probably not. Well, I'm not making myself very clear- perhaps this set of lyrics from Bright Eyes will be more illuminating:
...I should stop pointing fingers
reserve my judgment of all those public action figures
the cowboy president
So loud behind the bullhorn so proud they can't admit
when they've made a mistake
While poison ink spews from a speechwriter's pen
he knows that he doesn't have to say it
so it don't bother him
Honesty, Accuracy are really just Popular Opinion
And the approval rating is high
so someone is going to die
ABC, NBC, CBS: Bullshit
They give us fact or fiction? I guess an even split
And each new act of war is tonight's entertainment
We are still the pawns in their game
As they take an eye for an eye until no one can see
we must stumble blindly forward, repeating history
Well, I guess that we all fit into your slogan
on the fast food marquee:
Red blooded, White skinned oh and the Blues
I got the Blues! I got the Blues! That's me! That's me!
Comments
I'm with ya... I've posted the last few days, mostly talking about wanting to photograph the marches, about how I dislike the police thing and the two-party thing and before I even got to talking about not liking all the arrests and how many of the people were arrested my very republican friends from texas sent me an email saying that if Kerry moves.. "When the time comes ya’ll will have to move, but don’t worry I’ll sponsor you." And like you, I'm a mix of left/right ideas, the kind that makes me equally unpopular, period. I choose to believe that most New Yorkers are like this, a combination of both liberal and conservative.
I think 85% would be quite good enough for the protestors. I'm sure you saw at the march last Sunday that there were all sorts of people with all sorts of views, united under the banner of "stop the Bush agenda". Sure there are always going to be screamers and people giving the finger (this embarrassed me) but if you had wanted to talk politely with me and a lot of other people about your support (sort of) of the war, I think you would have found a lot of takers. Our chances of changing your mind are increased if we respect you first.
I agree that left/right is a false paradigm. It seems like the parties are a collage of almost random yes/no choices on issues.
I am not surprised that a JEW like you would support Bush on Israel. Both the Jews and the Evangilical Christians that support them can rot in Hell.
Love your coverage of the protests. What happened, though, to all those photos of the half naked women protesting Bush with their own bushes? Did you take them off? It was a wonderful display of the idiocy of liberalism. I wish it was back, for it spoke volumes of why we are all bound for hell fire.
Thanks for your work. It is amazing.
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