Update

Well, I have cooled off quite a bit. The protests still continue and 50 people were arrested last night. Apparently after that happened some of the protesters ran through downtown throwing things (dumpters, newspaper stands, pieces of concrete, even a row boat) into the intersection, at cop cars and breaking some bank windows. They've also tried cementing railroad tracks. Now I'm not in favor of anyone getting in trouble, but earlier when someone else was talking about this, they mentioned how cementing railroad tracks and trying to derail a train could count as domestic terrorism. For the sake of the people down there, I really wish someone would get a handle on the people committing these acts or else people could really find themselves in a lot of trouble.

In my last post I was very angry about the idea of protesting shipments returning from Iraq. I am still upset about that. But I am also upset that a few protesters are being allowed to co-opt what is happening down there. The more responsible protesters need to get a handle on the people that are being destructive.

I believe in protesting and have a done a great deal of it myself, but I am strongly committed to non-violence. If they want to commit civil disobedience fine, but I don't agree with violent tactics.

For me personally war is incompatible with my spiritual beliefs. Jesus himself gave up his life rather than fight, and when his disciples tried to attack the people that had come to get him, Jesus healed the guy that the disciples had attacked.

Anyway like most people in this community, I am extremely anti-war, but I am not pro-violence.

I also think that we need to think of more ways to "support the troops" without supporting the war or the lies of our government. For example this morning i had the chance to listen to a veteran of the Iraq war talk about the protests. He said things like "Iraq attacked us on 9/11" and talked about seeing one lone Iraq man fire shots at troops from his home even though there were 300 guns aimed at him. I "supported" this veteran by not saying anything even though my instinct was to try and correct his misinformation about Iraq and 9/11 and talk about how maybe that Iraqi man was just trying to defend his home. Instead I said nothing.

Is it really "supporting the troops" to let veterans tell a bunch of lies they have been fed from the government-- things we KNOW are not the truth? I don't know what the answer is, but I know what the answer isn't: brick throwing and violent protesting, especially illogical (the equipment is returning home) protesting.

All of this (the throwing of crap into the road at least) has been taking place about two blocks from our apartment. Last night after I went to bed (i am a deep sleeper) my partner heard the screams of protesters getting pepper sprayed, along with loud bangs and the sound of people screaming outside. He turned on the local alternative radio station, concerned that someone was maybe getting shot. Instead he heard what was akin to a street party with kids joking around about all the trouble they were causing. This was live on the air. His empathy vanished.

Strangely, him telling me about this gives me peace of mind. I have felt guilty at times for not being down there, even though I do not support what they are doing, just because some of my friends are down there and I do not want them to get hurt. But it is out of my hands. And from the way things sounded on the radio according to my partner, they were having a kind of protest street party in the middle of harassing the cops. Anyway, my conscience is clear.

Maybe when we get back from Michigan I will start standing with the women in black.
I definitely want to do something. I just don't want to engage in violent tactics or in illogical protests that only further split the movement and confuse and anger the majority of the antiwar public.